“The argument for the creation of an artificial reef on the Central Coast is an absolute no-brainer - it will go ahead,” Mr McBride said. He is also adamant, the issue will be resolved within weeks.
As you are aware- The HMAS Adelaide was to be sunk as an artificial diving reef off shore by September 2009. However, final stripping and cleaning has not yet begun, especially with final preparations predicted to take at least six months, based on other artificial reef projects.
As I drove across the Anzac bridge last week, you can quite easily see the old navy frigate. There are no workers scurrying about the decks, no sparks flying off grinders- all is quiet!
The windows are boarded up, there is no entry onto the vessel at all- so needless to say, the deadline is well and truly gone.
Digging a little bit deeper and I seem to come to the crux of the matter- it appears the history of Federal funding is at the core of the financial dispute-
In 2002, the Howard government gave the HMAS Brisbane to Queensland at no cost when the then Premier, Peter Beattie refused to pay.
In 2006, the Howard government gave the HMAS Canberra to Victoria at no cost, which has amounted to an estimated $7-8 million, which by the way is still not complete.
In 2007, however, HMAS Adelaide was given to NSW with a commitment of only $3 million.
So the QLD and Victoria government had their costs waived.
The NSW state government wants the same deal- Federal government is Labour, State government is Labour, Where is the issue?
I agree with his earlier statement- This should be a "No-brainer" (The Entrance State Labor MP, Mr Grant McBride)
Everyone I have spoken to and you know, I talk to a lot of people- from accommodation houses to petrol stations, they all agree-
Sinking the HMAS Adelaide off the coast will be a major boost for the coast.
The artificial reef has the potential to generate serious tourism dollars just in a marketing sense alone. The employment issue will be a side benefit in itself. I estimate, we will need to employ four more staff to work with us.
If we can't get two Labour government departments to work together, then how can we expect them to govern the country?Everyone I have spoken to and you know, I talk to a lot of people- from accommodation houses to petrol stations, they all agree-
Sinking the HMAS Adelaide off the coast will be a major boost for the coast.
The artificial reef has the potential to generate serious tourism dollars just in a marketing sense alone. The employment issue will be a side benefit in itself. I estimate, we will need to employ four more staff to work with us.
Surely, we can all work together and prosper, or can we?
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