New $500,000 boat ramp at Hollywell for boaties in the city’s north

BOATIES in the northern corridor will have access to two revamped boat ramps at Hollywell, which will cost $500,000 to upgrade.

From left, Graham Gordon, Hal Morris, chief executive of the Gold Coast Waterways Authority, Broadwater MP Verity Barton and John Taylor at Hollywell where a new ramp will soon open.

BOATIES in the northern corridor will have access to two revamped boat ramps at Hollywell, which will cost $500,000 to upgrade.

And in another move to upgrade the waterways, two sunken vessels have been removed from the Coomera River and Jacobs Well — the first of many to be targeted in the campaign.

Broadwater Liberal MP Verity Barton said work would start soon on the ramps at Jasmine Ave and Holly Ave, which would be closed to the public for the duration of reconstruction.

She said the Gold Coast Waterways Authority (GCWA) had allocated $500,000 in the Waterways Management Program in the 2014/2015 financial year for the two facilities.

Work would be carried out in partnership with the City of Gold Coast and reconstruction of both ramps would occur at the same time.

“Both ramps will be closed at the same time for a number of months,” she said.

“Work is expected to start within the next month and it should be finished well before the start of summer.”

She said during reconstruction, boaties should use ramps at Howard Ave, Ray St, Donald Ave and Jabiru Island at Paradise Point.

Meanwhile, two abandoned boats have been targeted in a campaign to clean up Gold Coast waterways as part of a joint initiative between the Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing Department and the waterways authority.

The department’s senior ranger (marine operations) Steve Hoseck said the vessels had not posed any navigational risk but had been an eyesore in the northern arm of the Coomera River and at Jacobs Well for more than a year.

“It’s also timely to remind boat owners that it’s illegal to abandon their vessels and ultimately, they are responsible for any clean-up action and all the associated costs.”

Waterways chief executive officer Hal Morris said the authority had identified funding of $20,000 in the past financial year and a further $70,000 each year for the next two years for the clean-up project.

“We’re aware of about a dozen sunken boats within the Moreton Bay Marine Park and the area managed by the GCWA, so we’ll be working our way methodically over the next two years to also get them removed,” he said.