Lord Mayor calls for river safety solutions
Posted on Thursday, 7 August, 2008
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has met with key maritime stakeholders
this afternoon in an effort to improve safety on the Brisbane River.
Cr Newman said Monday's collision between a CityCat and a rowing
scull at West End was a timely reminder of the dangers associated with
increased river traffic.
"Luckily, Monday's incident was quite minor in the end, but we all recognise it could have been much worse," he said.
"Just as road traffic increases with our population, so does river traffic.
"We need to make sure that the Brisbane River is a safe place for both recreational and commuting activities."
The Lord Mayor, Public and Active Transport Chair Jane Prentice
and Brisbane City Council CEO Jude Munro met on Friday with the
Brisbane Harbour Master, and representatives from Maritime Safety
Queensland, Rowing Queensland and Metrolink, the operators of the
CityCat ferries.
Cr Newman said every option was on the table, including
education campaigns among the rowing fraternity and radar-reflective
fittings for rowing sculls.
"Unless there is an element of reflective qualities in a vessel,
like metal, steel or an engine, they can escape detection from radars
on larger vessels like CityCats," he said.
"Scullers also have to be fully aware of the protocols and rules
of the river, so education campaigns among rowing clubs and schools
that use the river is essential.
"Our river has become more and more popular over the years and that's only going to continue as Brisbane's population increases.
"Now is the time to sit down and find some solutions about what can be done to make it as safe as possible."