Redland City Council has an approved schedule of fees that apply to all operators of commercial passenger and vehicular vessels using Council-owned or managed marine landing facilities, including jetties, pontoons, and barge and boat ramps.
Council has a responsibility to maintain the facilities it owns or manages on behalf of the Queensland Government, and fees are required to be applied to help relieve the cost burden on ratepayers.
Prior to 2021, fees charged did not cover the full cost of owning and maintaining the marine landing facilities. This meant Council was, in effect, subsidising the cost of the infrastructure used by commercial operators. The amount being subsidised by general rates was estimated at an average of approximately $1 million per year.
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Since 2021, Council has set its landing fees based on a ‘price path to full cost recovery’ over an eight-year period. This model enables Council to cover the costs of managing, maintaining and renewing the marine landing facilities. It also means that general rates are not used to subsidise specific users and commercial businesses.
Over the next few years, fees charged to operators will increase incrementally until fees collected will cover the cost of providing the service, including maintenance.
Marine landing fees are used to fund:
- Operational activities such as inspections that provide insights into facility condition, safety and service needs.
- Maintenance activities such as cleaning, waste management, corrosion control and component replacement.
- Depreciation expenses to account for the reduction in infrastructure value over time, ensuring long-term financial planning for facility renewal.
For Council-owned and managed facilities, Council is responsible for all maintenance, management and fees collection.
For Queensland Government-owned facilities, Council is appointed as Facility Manager. As such, Council is responsible for inspections and minor maintenance and the Queensland Government is responsible for major maintenance, structural repairs and renewal.
Fees and charges collected for State-owned facilities are returned to the State to fund major maintenance, repairs and future renewal works.
Redland City Council reviews fees and charges annually and publishes them on the Council website.
