A “long, long overdue” revamp of the Stockton Boat Harbour will go ahead after the Baird government announced it will spend $4.3 million rebuilding the site.
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The 50-year-old harbour has fallen into disrepair in recent years, as the Roads and Maritime Service put forward a number of proposals, including permanent swing moorings that some fishermen said were “unsafe”.
But on Wednesday the government announced it would spend the money on a two-stage project that will include construction of a temporary 25-berth swing mooring, while the rehabilitation of the existing boat harbour is completed.
“It’s long, long overdue,” the state government’s parliamentary secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald said.
“The harbour is well past its use-by-date … we’ve been looking at this for years and putting off making a decision but it’s great that the consultation has happened, we’ve secured the funding and we’re off and running.”
David Woodward, a commercial prawner who lives in Fern Bay, said the refurbishment would be “great news” for both fishers and the Stockton community.
“It really has been a long time, it goes back to the 1990s,” he said.
“Back then we were told not to do any work on the wharf because the Maritime service were going to refurbish it, then years later they came and said the wharf is in disrepair, we’re going to close it.
“But it’s brilliant that they’ve got the money to do it now.”
The RMS had previously looked to the private market to find a developer to fix the harbour, but its small size made it financially unattractive.
In August the RMS told Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp it had walked away from seeking expressions of interest from the private sector, and the Newcastle Herald its modelling shows it will take about 70 years for the harbour to repay the investment.
Mr Crakanthorp said he was pleased with the “small victory” for commercial fishers.
“It’s about time that Stockton boat owners received a win,” he said.
“Their livelihoods are being crippled by factors that are outside of their control. All they want to do is get back to work but are constantly being faced with hurdles.”
Hendrik Clasie from the RMS said the temporary swing moorings would remain once the harbour refurbishment was finished, so that boaters who preferred them could remain.
He said the previous plan to close the harbour had been abandoned after some “constructive feedback” from the Stockton boating community.
“We’ve listened to the community on this,” he said.
Mr Clasie said those who already had berths would be able to return to the harbour.
“That’s the arrangement, absolutely,” he said.
