David Blundell, 76, was looking forward to retiring on Noosa River, and moved into his houseboat in 2024 after falling “absolutely in love” with the vessel.
But now, the retiree said he has been forced out of his home following the new mooring laws introduced by the Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ), that has reportedly displaced dozes of other live-aboard residents.
Under the new rules, unmoored boats over five metres are only allowed on the river for just 28 days a year.
“I had to be off the river by 4pm on February 1,” he told Nine.
Blundell’s boat, Sunsets and Dreams, was deemed unseaworthy by MSQ, after a jet ski wash damaged it while he was away.
The retiree claimed he had spent $22,000 towing the vessel for repairs and maintains that he refloated and stabilised it. He even said he lived aboard it safely for months after the repairs.
However, under the new restrictions Blundell would have copped fines of up to $33,380 if he stayed, and the cost to relocate the vessel to a place without restrictions was unaffordable.
So, the retiree had no other option than to sell the boat which he initially bought for $160,000 for $1 online, selling it to a couple who gave him a $2 gold coin.
” You don’t just totally pull the rug out from the people who live quite peacefully and rightly on the river,” he said.
“Losing my houseboat has been pretty traumatic, and I was hoping I could enjoy life on the river like the other very decent people there.”
Since the new restrictions around 25 owners have been displaced, and fellow houseboat owner Sally Hayes said many of these homes have been rendered worthless overnight and leaving some residents facing homelessness or debt.
The new restrictions applies across the Noosa River and surrounding waterways, including Noosa Sound and the connected lakes and creeks, with vessels secured to private jetties exempt from these rules.
The MSQ said the restrictions form part of the Noosa River Management Plan, initially introduced in 2023, which aims to reduce congestion, improve safety and protect the environment.
The authority maintains that the river is not designed for long-term vessel storage and estimates there are about 20 full-time live-aboard boats among roughly 120 anchored vessels.
Image: Nine
