Trade-A-Boat — February 2018

NRMA into ferry business

The NRMA has acquired
Manly Fast Ferry as part of
a strategy to become one of
Australia’s largest providers
of transport and tourism
services.
The investment sees
the NRMA take ownership
of Manly Fast Ferry – the
exclusive provider of fast-
ferry services to Circular
Quay, regular services to
other Sydney Harbour
locations such as Darling

Harbour, Mosman, Watsons

Bay, and whale-watching

and sightseeing tours. Last

year, Manly Fast Ferry’s 10

vessels transported more

than 3.2 million passengers

across its service routes and

whale-watching tours.

Founding owners of Manly

Fast Ferry, Richard and Will

Ford, their management

team and staff will remain a

critical part of the operations

of the business. Richard

remains chief executive

offi cer and will continue in

his role as chief operating

offi cer.

NRMA Group CEO, Rohan

Lund said the investment

demonstrated NRMA’s

“commitment to use its

balance sheet to provide

transport solutions to its

members and support

Australia’s domestic

tourism”.

SA PRAWN FISHERS

GET MORE POWER

In an Australian first,

new arrangements

have been put in place

to see a ‘delegated co-

management regime’

implemented for the

Spencer Gulf Prawn

Fishery.

The Spencer Gulf

and West Coast

Prawn Fishermen’s

Association

(SGWCPFA) now has

the authority to sign

and issue notices

setting fishing runs

• a power previously
  held by the South
  Australian Fisheries
  Minister – within the
  framework of agreed
  management plans
  and harvest strategies
  developed by the SA

Government.

This change puts

the power back in the

hands of the people

managing the fishery

and allows industry

to make real-time

decisions out on the

water.

SGWCPFA executive

offi cer, Simon Clark

said: “It has taken

decades of responsible

management and

building relationships

that has led to

being delegated

the responsibility

for the real-time

management of the

fishery. Many of the

past and present

members of the

fishery can take credit

for achieving the

delegated outcome.”

SA Fisheries

Minister, Leon Bignell

said: “This is the

first time anyone

in Australia has

delegated some of the

powers held by the

Fisheries Minister to

the people who are

running the fishing

fleet out on the water.

“They have proven

themselves time and

time again during

the past decade... we

believe some of the

decisions about the

operation of the prawn

industry are best left

to the industry itself.”

With a catch worth

$38.6m the fishery

has 39 licensed prawn

fishers, who fish on

average 55 nights per

annum.

He hinted that more may

be to come, saying: “The

NRMA is fi rmly of the view

that this quality transport

solution should not just be

available to our members on

the northern beaches and

we will now look to provide

comparable service to others

across Sydney and coastal

centres.

“Our passion and

commitment for better

roads has never been

greater, but we recognise the

potential that also comes

from blue highways and are

broadening our transport

and tourism offerings,” Lund

said.

NRMA chairman Tim

Trumper echoed the

comments saying: “Providing

the same opportunities to

greater Sydney and coastal

centres across Australia is a

key priority for the NRMA.

“The NRMA believes the

city’s blue highways can lift

more of the load and we are

prepared to spend capital to

provide transport solutions

and boost tourism.”

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