After beginning the petition last week, I contacted several council members including Mayor Les Tyrell. I pointed out the shortcomings of our local ramp, of which I'm sure they are already aware, and indicated that we would be petitioning for some action.David Crisafulli was the first to respond. Below is a copy of his response.
Thank-you for your interest in boating facilities. We agree the situation is disgraceful. I was down there on Sunday morning with my dad and saw the situation first hand.
We have committed to building another 100 car parks at National Park boat ramp. Sadly, at the moment, this is locked in a court battle with a handful of local residents who are getting some poor advice from a Councillor. We would appreciate your efforts to throw your support behind this concept. It is only the first of many steps that need to be taken, but it will at least make a start to addressing decades of neglect.
Regards
David Crisafulli
To my surprise, Mayor Les Tyrell was also quick to respond. Below is what he had to say on the topic.
Dear Mr Brown,
Thank you for your email of 23 April 2009 regarding the need for better boat ramp facilities in Townsville. I agree there is a definite need for more ramps and parking spaces. Unfortunately the Townsville City Council does not have the responsibility, or financial resources, to install new ramps. These facilities are the responsibility of the State Government. The Council has been pressuring the State for years to build new facilities in our city and we have offered to assist with building the car parking. This is especially the case in North Queensland where the high number of small boats generates a huge revenue flow into state coffers. In relation to the Ross Creek boat ramp and adjoining car park areas, these are under the total control of the State of Queensland via the Townsville Port Authority.
I note your petitions calls on the Council to raise the standard of public boat launching facilities, however, I urge you to lobby the three Members of State Parliament in this area. Without their support I doubt there will be a satisfactory outcome as far as this issue is concerned. I look forward to working with all stakeholders to improve the boat ramp facilities in the city and I thank you again for your email.
Yours sincerely
Les Tyrell OAM
My response to Les was simply that he was elected to be the voice of the Townsville people, and that it was his job to rally the State Government on our behalf. However, I have now emailed Premier Anna Bligh on the topic. So far I have only received the standard "thank you for your email...." type reply. I will let everyone know as soon as I get a proper response. My email was a very emotive one, not just outlining the shortfalls of our facility, but also the various safety aspects. It was the type of email that made you wonder how anyone could read it and not think 'wow, something needs to be done here!'. But we shall see. Stay tuned and keep the signatures coming.....
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/townsville-boat-owners.html
