WA in Urgent Need of Berths

5:34 AM Tue 28 Oct 2008 GMT

'There is a great need for more facilities, like Hillarys Boat Harbour.' .

Industry and consumers are bombarding the new WA Liberal government with figures and actual experiences that show that the state is in urgent need of additional marinas.

The BIA of WA says thousands of boat users are on waiting lists of up to five years, while dealers assert their businesses are being held back because customers are turned of buying a boat when they realize there are no pens available.

"We could do with an extra 1000 pens right now," says Martin Box, principle of Martin Box Marine. "I have friends who would love to buy a boat, but wouldn't have anywhere to moor them. There are no waiting lists - the lists are all closed. It's stopping people getting out and enjoying the outdoor lifestyle we all love over here. And it's killing our business."

According to the BIA, there are 500 people waiting for a private mooring at Rottnest Island. The Association's Maurits Hayim says the State Government needs to focus on the needs of boaters.

'The Boating Industry Association has tabled the idea of a 4,000 boat marina off Swanbourne. It would be a destination for people to bring their boats for the day and Perth is desperate for something like that.' he says.

The BIA and other boater groups have also urged the Barnett Government to fast-track planning approvals to expand marina facilities on the Swan and Canning rivers. They said that plans by the Swan River Trust, the regulatory body, to share moorings were inadequate to meet the growing numbers of boats using those waterways.

Martin Box, state dealer for the brands Bavaria, Caribbean, Hooker, Bertram and Regal says: "I could sell plenty of boats but people want a pen. The Premier said in all his election speeches that he would get on to building a marina just north of Fremantle as soon as he got in, but he has plenty of other things on his plate with new hospitals, the new football stadium - it could be another five years!"

According to Box, a Rockingham marina was also on the cards, but that has been in the pipeline for more than a decade.

"Absolutely nothing happened under the previous Labor government," adds Martin Box. "The BIA has appointed a person to lobby the government about this and other issues - John Jenkins, who was head of Marine and Harbour & Light department. It was his vision years ago to have marinas within one hour of each other all the way up the WA coastline."

For his part, John Jenkins has spent the past 6 months in his consultant role to the BIA, working on 'a whole range of initiatives and policy framework, including berths and infrastructure'.

A seasoned marine expert, Jenkins was responsible for building Hillarys Boat Harbour and has worked extensively in Europe designing and constructing marinas. 'There is certainly a lack of berths in the state and limited potential. We estimate there is a need for around 4,000 to 5,000. The majority of people believe the only viable option is to construct an ocean facility.'

As Jenkins explains, a consortium has proposed the development of an offshore facility, known as 'Northport Quay', on an island north of Fremantle. 'It is in preliminary design stage now. A Perth business man has joined forces with other prominent business people to fund it and the group is now waiting on government support.'

From initial plans, the project is likely to comprise a residential marina precinct, 'since that's where the sales potential lies', says Jenkins. 'There is likely to be 1000 pens attached to the residences and another 1000 available for purchase.'

There are around 500,000 boat users in WA and boat registration is increasing at a rate of 5,500 per year.

BIA stats show that boating contributes $1 billion to the state's economy each year. Planning Minister John Day said he was keen to look into the industry's pressures and needs. The Swan River Trust said it would issue a report on updating licenses and mooring regulations by the end of the year.

Masterplan approved for Victoria Quay, Fremantle

Fremantle' s Victoria Quay could soon be overhauled, despite local opposition from people afraid it will compromise the precinct's historical character.

Features of the development include:

The $200 million waterfront development will deliver:

* a well-integrated work, tourism and leisure centre for Fremantle
* much-improved connectivity between the city and the port
* outstanding opportunities for business, including A grade office space
* new attractions for tourism and leisure, including quality retail, restaurants and cafes
* an estimated $12 million spent on restoration, re-use and interpretation of four heritage buildings (C Shed, the former immigration building, the amenities building and toilet block)
* new opportunities for Fremantle retailers and businesses, and brand name retailers and office tenants not currently in Fremantle
* an estimated net $81 million increase in the city's annual retail turnover
* new property rates income for the City of Fremantle
* up to 1050 permanent jobs
* new benchmarks for environmental sustainability in Fremantle
* transit-oriented development advantages, with trains, buses, the CAT bus and ferries immediately adjacent
* an estimated two million additional visitors to Fremantle each year
* a new car park on the periphery of the city accessible through Gate 2 at the port's eastern end.