NEWS
200kg clean up
olunteers from Stradbroke Wildlife Rescue coordinated the Clean Up Australia Day event at Amity for the second time this year, with members from across the community pitching in to help. Although the day dawned with a storm warning for Moreton Bay, forcing the cancellation of a kayak-based clean up and preventing mainland divers from taking part, the event went ahead with great success. More than 40 volunteers braved rainsqualls to collect more than 200kgs of rubbish. Divers from Manta Dive collected more than 100kgs of rubbish from beneath the waves, while shore-based volunteers collected a similar amount from land. Volunteers from the Moreton Bay Research Station catalogued all of the rubbish collected and the data will be used to aid their research into the role that marine rubbish is playing in the destruction of marine wildlife. Hungry workers were kept fuelled by a sausage sizzle cooked by staff from Straddie Catering and paid for by Island sand miners, Silbelco (formerly Unimin). Stockland Centre Queensland sponsored the attendance of a paramedic and ambulance for the duration of the clean up while Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) provided water security for the divers.
V
Divers gear up for Clean-Up Day action The very best outcome, according to event organisers, was the enthusiasm generated among those who took part, with many taking
away extra collection bags to use when they next walked the beach or dived into the bay. — Greg Grimmet
Rain falls and business too BY MARIA TAN
S
traddie businesses are struggling to recover after summer rains led to a slump in tourist numbers and less economic activity on the Island during the traditionally hectic Christmas holiday period. Manta Lodge and Scuba manager and instructor James Griffith told SIN that customer numbers were down by 40 per cent in comparison to the previous year. “We just didn’t get near the numbers compared to last year and the years before, and we haven’t had many good years you know,” Mr Griffith said. “And that’s diving and accommodation. We should’ve been full but we only had two or three guests. In summer last year there would’ve been twice as many and that wasn’t really a good year, so this is terrible at the moment,” Mr Griffith said. “We’ve had to reduce our shifts and the people who are on it, and it’s just getting really tough,” Mr Griffith said. He also told
SIN that many local businesses were also doing it just as tough as his. “I haven’t heard of any of them doing well. They’ve been reducing prices and trying all different schemes, but it’s been hurting everyone,” he said. “Straddie Ferries are transporting everyone back and forth and their numbers are majorly down, which is a pretty big indicator of how the Island’s going and how many people are coming back and forth, and the other ferry companies like the Big Red and also the Gold Cat haven’t been doing as well as they could have, which is going to make it hard for winter,” Mr Griffith said. Stradbroke Ferries CEO, David Thomson, confirmed that passenger numbers were down by 15 to 30 per cent in comparison to last year, and said the Island’s economic outlook was looking “very soft” for winter: “It was a combination of things,” he told SIN. “I think the rains in December and the floods
12 STRADDIE ISLAND NEWS — 10 YEARS OF LIVING IN SIN
in January both collided to put a dent in consumer confidence and I think people stayed at home.” In response to the lower numbers Stradbroke Ferries has re-deployed its Quandamooka car ferry to Gladstone for use by the Australian Pacific LNG project (see page 15). Redland City Council’s North Stradbroke Island Councillor, Craig Ogilvie, also noticed a decrease in visitors to the Island during summer. “Overall visitors to the Island were down fairly significantly,” Cr Ogilvie said. “You’ll find plenty of people who will line up to tell you that their Christmas figures were down on previous years. “Whether it’s a flood impact, a wet weather impact or a GFC impact, it’s hard to put your finger on, but I think all of the above are the kind of variables that are leading to the low numbers,” Cr Ogilvie said. AUTUMN 2011