Why is it that funding for shark barriers have been a source of frustration up to now?

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This is why:

 

• Systems currently on the market, (until now):

  • Have not been suitable for permanent installation.

  • Have not been able to deal with storm conditions.

  • Systems are comprised of hundreds of pieces of plastic and if they fail, they are a massive environmental issue.

• The systems available up to now are by nature 'disposable’ so allocating substantial funds to a ‘disposable’ item is a hard decision to make and motivate through Councils.

• There is a duty of care to ratepayers and taxpayers to allocate funds diligently.

• Up until now funding for a shark barrier has been done so with a ‘special project’ approach, because the fact is that the existing systems are temporary/disposable of nature.

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In our opinion, a very positive strategy for the State Governments to consider could be to:

 

• Positively acknowledge that the expansion of shark nets and drum lines does not meet with the Federal Regulations and so to speedily advance the real and effective protection of Queenslanders and tourists, they wish to allocate these funds to more technology-based solutions as well as underpinning the quality of any shark mitigation systems, by prescribing a core set of funding requirements for these systems, thereby allowing them to be considered as infrastructure assets.

 

Parameters could include for example:

 

• Any system must have a possible lifespan of 15 years in the water.

• Must be a permanent (15 year / all season) installation.

• Must be fully engineered for the specific location for where it is to be deployed.

• Must have a ‘significant’ part of the system procured in Queensland.

• If these parameters were met, the Queensland Government would entertain applications from their coastal Councils and Shires to seek funding for a shark barrier that could meet these standards, as an infrastructure funded asset.

• By adopting this strategy, the Governments would take the onus off of themselves and allow Councils to move forward with their own barrier projects, accelerate the real protection of beaches around the Australian coast, accelerate the removal of nets and thereby save hundreds of by-catch animals.

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win-win-win

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