BAY islands residents who use their boats to get to the mainland say Redland City Council has left them "up the creek without a paddle" after it increased its mooring fees and changed its policy for boats at Weinam Creek.
In a letter this month, the council notified Weinam Creek marina tenants they had until tomorrow to reapply for permits under the new policy, which started on July1.
The July 12 letter said the council had extended existing 48-hour permits until August 16 and outlined a new fee schedule, which included jacking up prices from $192.55 a year to $1276.
The changes included introduction of a $207.15 bond for a shared single berth Monday to Friday, $290.05 for a shared berth for the full week and $82.85 for a shared berth for weekends.
The new policy also made obsolete a 2011 "48-hour" rule, which allowed tenants to use the marina for up to 48 hours in a week.
Under the new policy, occasional marina users will have to pay a minimum $364 annual fee, plus bond, to use the marina during the weekend but will not have access on week days.
Weinam Creek marina tenant Jeanette Dugdale, who lives on Macleay Island, said the council had not consulted her before the changes, which would be detrimental to her husband's livelihood as a truck driver.
"The changed policy means I will have to pay $1566 a year for a full-week package so I can leave my boat in Weinam Creek on a daily basis instead of the annual $192.55 I pay now," Mrs Dugdale said.
"If I bought a full-week package, I still wouldn't be able to leave my boat overnight during the week or on the weekend, when my husband sometimes works."
Last week, councillor Mark Edwards, whose division 5 includes the bay islands, called for the council to investigate the policy change.
He said he was "surprised" at the "massive" increase in fees and advocated incremental price rises.
"I want to know how this policy was changed without tenants being consulted and once I get that officer report, we will then be able to evaluate what has been proposed," he said.
"I was first made aware of the letter by one of the permit holders and I am still unsure of the reasons behind the change, which is why I called for an investigative report.
"If officers cannot demonstrate the new policy benefits the community, there will be some changes."
Redland City Council said it would increase the number of 48-hour moorings at Weinam Creek from 11 to 13.
It also said it was "not accurate" to compare the 2013-14 full-week annual fee of $1276 to the previous $192.55 because the two fees were "not consistent and based on different methodologies for berth share allocation".
