The Gold Coast’s water hoons’ paradise where property owners are in fight to protect their quiet lifestyle

RESIDENTS are furious after finding out they could be facing fines from council for building barricades to protect their million-dollar properties from erosion caused by tinnie hoons tearing down their waterways.

A WAR of words and red tape has broken out over hooning and boat congestion that million-dollar Saltwater Creek waterfront property owners say is causing wash that is eroding their land.

But it is the property owners who are finding themselves in the firing line, with the council warning them to stop trying to build concrete barricades to protect their properties and to remove stairs, fences and boat ramps that might encroach on the buffer between the creek and their land.

Some of the erosion and drop-off to Saltwater Creek as a result of tinnie hoons. Picture Mike Batterham

Hoons on jet skis, in tinnies and speedboats towing skiers, are reaching speeds of more than 40 knots in the six-knot zone along the creek, which in parts is only 30m wide and 1m deep.

Video footage provided to the Bulletin shows the creek, part of the Coomera River catchment and linked to the Broadwater, is the Coast’s water hooning capital. Locals are calling it the Saltwater Creek speedway.

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Helensvale residents who have bought million-dollar waterfront homes fear a fatality will occur, as well as serious erosion damage to their properties.

They are engaged in a bitter battle with the council and State Government as the wash from speeding watercraft erodes the riverbank fronting their homes.

In a letter to council compliance officers, resident Wolfgang Schwantes wrote: “Our Saltwater Creek is regarded as the local speedway for youngsters in tinnies and jet skis with a lot of evidence. Let us be proactive and not wait for the inevitable disaster and then play the blame games.”

Wolfgang Schwantes. Picture Mike Batterham

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Water police officers met with residents last weekend and caught speeding hoons.

“We were only there last Sunday. We issued a few infringement notices. We will continue to do so,” said Senior Sergeant Jay Notaro, officer in charge of Gold Coast Water Police.

Council officers have threatened to fine residents who build concrete barriers to protect their fence lines.

Documents obtained by the Bulletin show council compliance officers will issue fines of up to $2500 for residents and almost $13,000 to bodies corporate unless all materials are removed from a buffer zone between the creek and properties.

Wolfgang Schwantes pictured outside his home on the Peninsula at Helensvale showing the erosion and drop-off to Saltwater Creek. Picture Mike Batterham

Mr Schwantes, writing on behalf of 75 residents as a body corporate committee member at The Peninsula, warned the council that speeding boats could hit underwater trees and branches.

He said the wash from speeding craft was causing trees as tall as 20m to fall into the creek, removing about 2sqm of river bank.

TEENAGE TINNIE HOONS HAULED BEFORE MAGISTRATES

“The erosion is now aggressive and rapidly advancing to our property boundary,” he wrote.

“We complained many times to the water police, only to be told that three or four boats for Gold Coast waterways are not sufficient to patrol our little Saltwater Creek.

A boatie speeds past his home. Picture Mike Batterham

“The situation is grave and no one cares. Instead we are being persecuted for trying to protect our properties.”

Mr Schwantes estimates jet skis have been travelling at up to 40 knots and youths in tinnies are reaching 20 knots as they race each other at weekends.

The Bulletin understands the council is responsible for compliance on the buffer zone between properties and the creek, and the State Government is responsible for policing waterways.

In a letter to residents, council officers warned “all foreign materials” including stairs, boat ramps and fences had to be removed from the buffer zone.

Some of the uprooted trees now in Saltwater Creek. Picture Mike Batterham

The body corporate has been warned the area is its responsibility and any fallen trees will need to be removed.

Area councillor William Owen-Jones said he understood there had been up to 12 months of negotiations between property owners and council officers.

Some residents have offered to build a revetment wall costing up to $20,000 but that is unlikely to be an option under an existing development approval negotiated almost 20 years ago.

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“My understanding is the officers will continue to work with the body corporate to reach some agreement,” Cr Owen-Jones said.

“While the residents may have a rock revetment wall as their preferred solution, that’s not something supported by the agencies at this point in time.”

Gold Coast Waterways Authority CEO Hal Morris acknowledged hooning was a problem at Saltwater Creek and indicated research was being undertaken to tackle a problem of congestion.

“There is good news. We really are conscious of the need to understand how the congestion is going,” Mr Morris said.

“We got $100,000 this financial year to invest in camera technology for vessel monitoring. That will give us better information on how to set priorities. The information will be available to water police as well.”