MSQ and QBFP merge.

[Lucky_Phill]

Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace
20/07/2011



MSQ nets Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol


Queensland boaties and fishers will see further enforcement and resourcing benefits of a single marine services agency when Maritime Safety Queensland teams up with its long-time partner, Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol in September.

Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure Minister Craig Wallace said Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol would be transferred from their present home within the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) to Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) within Transport and Main Roads (TMR).

"The move is really a matter of common sense and reflects the many common areas of their existing program objectives and operations," Mr Wallace said.

"I've been up and down the coast talking to the boating community, and these changes are what they have been asking for - more patrols and more time on the water."

Mr Wallace said the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol already worked closely with MSQ in both education and enforcement roles under a memorandum of understanding in place for several years.

"Boating and Fisheries officers share office space and facilities at half of all Maritime Safety Queensland's operational bases," he said.

"By bringing them within Maritime Safety Queensland's organisation they can better combine their assets in delivering services such as marine education and safety awareness programs, which is good news for all boaties.

"There's a raft of other efficiencies to be gained from incorporating the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol into MSQ, including better coordination and targeted delivery of core compliance for the State's recreational and commercial fleet.

"We'll have greater leverage from TMR's existing marine infrastructure planning initiatives.

"The shift will also enable better coordination of marine assets and personnel to respond to maritime emergencies such as oil spills and severe weather events."

Mr Wallace said there was great potential for cross-decking and joint patrols especially in areas such as the Gold Coast and the Whitsundays, which would enable better monitoring and enforcement of a broader range of on-water marine activities.


Media contact: Minister's office 3896 3691









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[PADDLES]

"I've been up and down the coast talking to the boating community" .......................................?

[Gazza]

Same TAX-payers I presume...
any improved efficiency is welcome, efficiency being the "keyword"

[Feral]

Absolutely nothing to do with the recent news stories about how big and bloated DEEDI has become...........

[honda900]

Phil,

ask them to document the cost of changing departments, NRW to Deedi 5+ mill. then the change to main roads another 5 + mil.

Where does any of this benefit the tax payer?

This is likely to be a political shuffle as Deedi's minister not up to the task on the Wasted money on the snapper ban.

more and more money after bad.. The bigger the department the bigger the waste and ineptitude..


Regards
HOnda.

[Lovey80]

10 bucks says that the number of fisheries patrols doesn't increase at all.

[PADDLES]

hi gazza, i note your disagreement with my question mark. has mr wallace been out talking to the boating community? i've actually got the impression that the government had lost tough with recreational boaties and anglers.

agreed though, any improvement in efficiency is a good thing.

[finga]

i've actually got the impression that the government had lost tough with recreational boaties and anglers.

agreed though, any improvement in efficiency is a good thing.

The top two tiers of government has lost touch with all ordinary people like you and me....full stop.

Government and efficiency
A contradiction in terms isn't it??
All this will mean is that one government department has not got the funds to put boats on the water instead of two government departments not having the funds to put boats on the water.
So it is efficient in that respect I suppose
.

[Camhawk88]

Phil,

ask them to document the cost of changing departments, NRW to Deedi 5+ mill. then the change to main roads another 5 + mil.




Regards
HOnda.

Interesting figures those Honda. NRW joined up with EPA to form DERM- not DEEDI.

Details aside I would imagine the cost would have been higher even for a smallish dept such as NRW. I was with DPI&F when the merge happened and the cost of merging with completely unrelated departments was astounding. I agree I would love to see the costs documented.

That said I think this merge makes sence as they can pool resources and ore efficiencies should be found along with greater patroling abilities. We can only hope anyway.

[GES]

I seem to remember that, many years ago, QB&FP were administered by the old Department of Harbours and Marine which had a similar function to the current MSQ. After being transfered around Queensland Government Ministerial portfolios like an unwanted orphan and attached to several different departments over the years, it looks like they have come full circle ... at great cost to Queensland's tax paying community.
I can't see how changing departments yet again is going to pay off in efficiency. The money wasted on this manouver would have been better spent by allocating it to QB&FP as working funds rather than another political window dressing.

GES

[bondy99]

Nothing new here about Governments and their departments. Transfer and Streamlining and then advertising vacancies when in fact the jobs have been taken or someone is in training for the position. By law they are still required to advertise and nine times out of 10 it's who one knows in the department and not what one knows.

[Hornblower]

10 bucks says that the number of fisheries patrols doesn't increase at all.

That's a safe bet. Looking at the cost - change in uniform badges - change in vessel livery - change in telephone numbers - change in letterhead (not to mention the waste of the old letterhead), change in business cards - change in premises - change in signs outside of said premises - change change change!!!! it all equals $ $ $ and of our money!

Indeed, all of this may give the illegal fishers cause to laugh and ramp up what they are already doing. "Cross - decking" is just a cute term for halving efficiency to try not to empty the government coffers even more than what they currently are.

Just one day I would like to say something positive about our State Government - I guess that may never come - unless there is a change in Govt.

Yours in berleying,

Horny

[Defore]

Don't forget that when the depts combine they will merge the budgets.
Then at the next budget and estimates sitting they will say "That is a lot of money. How can we trim the fat"