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"SAVE PORT STANVAC JETTY"- ACTION!!!


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Hi Guys,Just finished reading an article in the "Tiser" about all the proposed actions that are being bandied around about the "Stanvac" site, now that the Petroleum Company is committed to and has commenced, the rehabilitation of the site!Onkaparinga Council has been negotiating with various stakeholders and the thing that made me sit up was that the Jetty, which would be a massive fishing plus for the State's recreational anglers, is planned to be demolished, UNLESS, funding can be provided to make it into a viable asset to the Community??What do we think about mounting a campaign through the Forum and other media connections??Regards, tonyb.

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Hi tony i beleive there was some talk about turning it into a marina area as well ,it would certainly be a great recreational assett to this part of the south and along with that comes also the comercial assets as well ,not just for people like us but also marine bioligists to study marin life in the area and also the diving fraternty as long as they dont try to put to many restrictions on fishing accesss ,being a deep water harbour has probably got viabilty for ferry services and who knows what other diverse industries , the local council will not do anything with it unless they can get support from the state government unfortunately i can see a maintenance and upkeep issue arrising here as the jetty has been not in use for some time ,but we can build a bridge over the torrens from the casino to the footy ground ? it is a good idea tony and i do support it but how you can persuade local and state governments to pick up the bal i do not know ,i dont know whta the actual site will be used for in the end but i could not see it as being residential unless masive reahabilitation takes place on it the area from dyson rd to the main office complex would probably be ok but there seems to be a lot of small industry springing up opposite to this area so it may be zoned as commercial light industrial ,anyway i support your proposal whatever happens chris

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Hi Tony,What specifically are you trying to achieve by campaigning? Are you trying to raise funds so the jetty can be brought for public use, or are you hoping that the campaign will inspire the local council or state government to buy the jetty and make it available for fishing?Firstly, Mobil own the jetty, so no idea whether they they would want cash for it, or would simply transfer ownership. If they wanted cash, then I have no idea what a jetty sells for, but I reckon it wouldn't be cheap. Even if it is simply handed over, thousands, if not millions of dollars would need to be spent making it safe and complying to allow public access. Also considering Mobil decommisioned it sometime in 2003, I'd suggest there has been 9 years of limited maintenance of the jetty in that time. Anyone know the condition of the jetty below the waterline? If it needs fixing, where's the money coming from to fix it?Onkaparinga council have considered taking ownership of it, but clearly don't want it. Probably because of the costs described above, plus the ongoing maintenance cost. The council has no money anyway and probably view the jetty as just another expense for limited return (ROI). Will Onkaparinga council residents be in support of an increase in their council rates to cover the purchase and ongoing cost of the jetty.....? I know plenty of people who live in that council, and know their response before even asking.The state government has no money, considering the budget for SA this year is looking at a deficit of $1 billion dollars. The fiasco with the marine parks shows the government aren't really interested in the considerations of rec fisherman. As fisherman we've also been complaining that the desal plan right next door to the Stanvac jetty will kill everything in the near vicinity - but we will now be pleading to them to keep the Stanvac jetty for public use because it will be an awesome place to fish..... kinda contradictory.No doubt the jetty would be an awesome place to fish - for the first 6 months. Im sure it wouldn't take too much time for every fish within in a 500m radius of the jetty to be caught, and all the stories of monster fish haunting the depths below will be just that, stories. After 6 months of the Stanvac jetty being opened and fished hard 24/7 it will no doubt be a popular place to catch a bag of rock cod.And what about the competing interests of other groups, such as the divers and nature lovers, who themselves have petioned the state government and councils wanting the jetty and the surrounding areas for themselves, and have specifically suggested to keep rec fishers out of the area?Sorry for sounding cynical, and maybe I'm slightly naive on the subject. However it would a great idea I guess and all sounds good in theory if, as a community we could afford it, and all interested parties could agree to share it. Unfortunately this is not the case as I understand it. I'm sure others will disagree with me on this ;)

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Rotare,You've raised some very good points.During the MPA debate, there was talk of providing some form of compensation to rec fishers via artificial reefs, breakwater capping etc, but that seems to have gone pretty quiet.Considering the loss of landbased access throughout the Port River system and Outer Harbour over the past decades, and the fact that the blueline has retreated far from most of the Metro waters during that same period due to the death of huge areas of seagrass - with the obvious impact to jetty and shore based rec fishing - a case could probably be made that the Port Stanvac jetty be retained and used to offset some of these negative effects on metro rec fishing. These problems were not created by rec fishing, but through the Govt's own policies over many years. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for rec fishers to ask for some form of compensation.I've got no clue about the financial situation re Mobil/Govt/Local councils, but itch to see if we can't get more support for rec fishing in SA from our Govt.Perhaps this idea would cause the environment around the wharf to be heavily fished, but maybe there's an answer to that along the lines of the Pt Noarlunga jetty where fishing could be prohibited at the seaward end (ntz) and reserved for the use of divers and eco related activities.Can the Govt (taxpayers) afford it? I don't know.2 cents.Cheers,RJ

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Not to mention the Divers have already pulled " The Leafy Seadragon " pity card. They havnt been able to dive the area , ever, but they are sure the cute little blighters everybody loves are under there by the tonne load, along with the 60kg Kings and 20Kg Snapper we all have wetty's over.Reminds me a bit of the Hobart, they wanted a wreck for themselves to harbour all the wildlife us bad fishos are raping, so they get a big arse wreck sunk for them exclusivly, in prime fish haven territory, but in their wisdom they've put it in a place that makes diving on it really hard and only accesible by the most experienced divers and only during slack water, to top it off, only by a handfull of licensed operators. What happens to the rest of their fellow Divers?In addition, if Mobil are made to get rid of the jetty, they've made it clear it will be the entire infrastructure including what we cant see under water in regards to pipelines and footings. Does that mean that Spot X will also get ripped up? What about those big concrete platforms next to the jetty?Super expensive to do, not to mention the government bat on about Marine parks, yet they will allow for a structure and area that is suspected of creating a marine park itself be demolished.Its a super messy one, and even I can tell that the rec fishing community is very divided on it, be an intresting united voice thats for sureEDIT:I must say tho, we as rec fishos should try and have a say, be pretty crap to not be involved in the discussion or included at all, just not sure what the united view should be. If we seem divided , it will appear weak and be less effective

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If we do seek use of Stanvac as compensation for the implementation of Marine Parks, receeding see wead lines etc, then we should make it a completely CATCH N RELEASE jetty. So then we can not be accused of having too great an impact on the sea life and we could then say that it is effectively going to remain an untouched paradise.I know I could cope easily with a C & R policy on the jetty.

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WOW! This is obviously one very hot potato with lots of careful and well considered points raised. Good stuff guys, let's keep it rolling and be aware that I have alerted a few of my rec fishing contacts to the possibilities from getting a good outcome for not only rec. fishers, but also the many other interested stakeholders such as Conservationists, Educators Scuba Divers and don't forget your average citizen who likes nothing better than a stroll along one of SA's many public jetties on a pleasant day. This is a nice long jetty and one of the suggestions raised in today's Tiser was that of a cafe at the end of the Jetty? This would sit nicely with suggestions that the end of the jetty could be made into a Reserve to preserve the fish stocks and make a habitat suitable for other stakeholders/users? :clap:

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If we do seek use of Stanvac as compensation for the implementation of Marine Parks' date=' receeding see wead lines etc, then we should make it a completely CATCH N RELEASE jetty. So then we can not be accused of having too great an impact on the sea life and we could then say that it is effectively going to remain an untouched paradise.I know I could cope easily with a C & R policy on the jetty.[/quote']I could just imagine the jetty being surrounded by hoards of kayak fishers, fishing using nothing more than a hand held net and scooping up all the C&R fish floating on the surface :laugh:
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If we do seek use of Stanvac as compensation for the implementation of Marine Parks' date=' receeding see wead lines etc' date=' then we should make it a completely CATCH N RELEASE jetty. So then we can not be accused of having too great an impact on the sea life and we could then say that it is effectively going to remain an untouched paradise.I know I could cope easily with a C & R policy on the jetty.[/quote'']I could just imagine the jetty being surrounded by hoards of kayak fishers, fishing using nothing more than a hand held net and scooping up all the C&R fishing floating on the surface :laugh:
That is an interesting comment Rotare - are you in favour of catch n release? A good point though some steps would definately be needed so people could release fish closer to the water giving them a greater chance of survival. A board with catch n release tips could also be added. Keeping the tips very simple of course so your average mum dad and kids can understand them
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hahahaha' date=' yeh right, :laugh::laugh: be intresting seeing Grandad Bernard going down a ladder to wack a tag in a 10kg King and release it to have it swim away and be caught again next week. Lets keep in prespective what demographic use Jetties as fishing platforms when creating views[/quote']I thought throwing a 10kg Kingie javelin style off an 8m high jetty would be a good way of kick starting it back to life, and ensuring it's safe return to the water.... :P
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Regardless of the demographic of who uses the jetties, catch n release may be a major determining factor in if Recreational fisherman would get any use on this platform.We need to look seriously at this method. Normally in any other point in history, we would say no way could we make it C&R only and its a stupid idea, but the reality is these days that with the Greens, Divers etc pushing Conservation, we must adapt and adapt fastI am sure that the average fisherman can get the hang of C&R fishing. In regards to Large fish like Kings and Snapper being tagged, its really not much different to Snapper and Kings being tagged from Spot X just out from Stanvac and up at Pt Augusta Power station. We are going to see the same fish caught and released many times even from boat spots and also we would see the same from Stanvac jetty if it were opened.

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That is an interesting comment Rotare - are you in favour of catch n release?
Yes I am in some situations' date=' but I'm probably of the thought that just because a fish swims away doesn't mean it lives to fight another day.[/quote']Yes this is so true, but look at it this way every fish that goes back in the water and survives is one more fish that survives to breed and to be caught again, or can be part of the food chain. The problem is when a large fish is thrown back by someone from 8m up and it dies or is filmed kicking around because they didnt release it with care. Then there would be all manor of media attention
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@urhookedfish

If we do seek use of Stanvac as compensation for the implementation of Marine Parks, receding see weed lines etc, then we should make it a completely CATCH N RELEASE jetty. So then we can not be accused of having too great an impact on the sea life and we could then say that it is effectively going to remain an untouched paradise.I know I could cope easily with a C & R policy on the jetty.

No need to have a "catch and release" policy, there will be plenty of sanctuary zones soon enough.Don't forget there will be heaps of big fish swimming around South Australia because of all the "Flow Over" – rich life from sanctuary zones will have a spill over effect into the broader ocean environment. (Conservationists have repeatedly stated this benefit). The Greens, Divers etc pushing Conservation will have plenty of other areas where they can go and where we can't fish and extract.I would rather see a user pay as you go turnstile system implemented on this jetty, 10 bucks would be quite reasonable and it would pay the maintenance bill over time.It would be a fantastic jetty for recreational fishers.Keep the divers away we don't catch leafy sea dragons but perhaps we could allow conservationists in as long as they pay so they can observe some of the fish we catch. lol.
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A board with catch n release tips could also be added. Keeping the tips very simple of course so your average mum dad and kids can understand them

I am sure that the average fisherman can get the hang of C&R fishing.

Your joking right? there is more than enough "average fisherman" using the metro jetties that ignore or dont even understand simple bag and size limits!and you want a couple simple signs outlinning how to catch and release fish that even experts such as yourself cant be 100% sure survive? Who would police this? The signs will be tagged within weeks, and the only fish being released ( and only by some ) would be the Moonlighters and Rock Cod, anything else would be treated in the same way as per every other metro jetty!! why would this one be any different?Not to mention, I (like many other recs) sure as hell wouldnt want to be releasing a 30kg King, hed be in my freezer after taking 50 photos from every angle and posting it on every forum known!!Only chance of it remotely happening would be if the thing was privatised, and run/managed by a group responsible for sustainable fishing, of course this would incur a fee for all to use, and who knows Brett, you could work the on this release platform teaching all the kids and grandpas on how to realease these trophies back into the deep!!!
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quick someone start a crowdfunding campaign! (semi serious here actually...)the government and council don't have any money or any interest in the jetty.so its going to have to be a user pays scheme if anything is going to happen.the state government has too much on its plate as it is. No additional revenues, but BILLIONS in capital expenditure over the next 5 years (rail, roads, hospitals, oval etc). by 2016 we are going to be another $5 billion in debt (if not more).You really think they are in a position to fund a jetty?Looking into my crystal ball I see.... a jetty being pulled down, and a dustbowl of an old industrial site.

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This jetty is probably the best example of a sancturay zone that there is, rather than the arbitrary allocation of zones now. Its like the Port Wakefield range, the only area that doesn't get hit hard.It would be good to leave this "truer than most" sancturary zone alone. Maybe establish artificial reefs around to attract fish and have an exclusion zone around the jetty proper. Also let it degrade gracefully and fall into the sea as a permanent reef. It might take decades to do so.What are the restrictions now on it - can you go for a dive and how close can you fish off it from the boat.

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One thing that's pretty certain. We won't see the opportunity to get access to a 300 metre jetty in the Metro area again in our lifetime. These days, the chances of building such a thing would be almost non-existent.Although there are a range of opinions about how this should be handled, if we don't ask nothing will happen.Cheers,RJ

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  • 3 weeks later...

i say bring it on! im landbased fisho, doing my aprenticeship growing up fishing for mullies in the port,outerharbour wharf,back in the good old days,when our lbg spots were still open. all our yorkes jetties are slowly being closed so our options are diminishing to catch big fish.id happily pay a fee to fish it! we can only dream hey.

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Until the 22nd October everyone has an opportunity to ask for the PT Stanvac jetty to be retained as a rec fishing/eco facility.Right now, the Govt is considering it's future and the possibility of it being retained. I believe that we'll get a sympathetic hearing if we make submissions to the Marine Parks (MPA) consultation process.At the MFA meeting on Thursday, this issue was raised with DEWNR (Chris Thomas, Jon Emmett) as a possible rec fishing "offset" (compensation for giving up areas to Sanctuary Zones) and we were told that it would be looked at by the Govt in that context.It was suggested by the MFA that the end of the jetty be established as a sancturary zone (same as Pt Noarlunga). In that way a submission to retain the jetty would have benefits to rec fishers, to eco-tourists and for the fish populations themselves. (Less chance of objections and more chance of support if there's something in it for everyone)Suggest that everyone who would like to be able to fish from the Pt Stanvac jetty in the future should write a Marine Park submission to DEWNR. DEWNR seem to recognise that rec fishing has been taking a fair old belting, and there's an inclination to try to get back on-side with rec fishers in SA. The Pt Stanvac jetty is a perfect opportunity for them to prove it.Nothing will happen unless the Govt hears from us, and given the tight finances it's probably a safe bet that the Govt will pass up on taking over the Pt Stanvac jetty without a lot of input from us.Want it? Now's the time to do something.Cheers,RJ

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keep it' date='make it a sanctuary,along its length place under water viewing in so everyone can see how well marine parks work with regards to the enviroment[/quote']Talk is of a Restaurant/Cafe on the end of it and a Sanctuary zone combined with access for SCUBA Divers and a ladder to bring it perfectly into line with the set-up at Port Noarlunga which has worked well for quite a few years now B)B)B) The rest of the Jetty could be for rec fishers, again, just like Port Noarlunga? :clap::clap::clap: Also talk of a entrance fee for upkeep, but this is really all just speculation at this stage?
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