Sealink have put on an additional barge to run to the Southern islands over the holiday period.
The additional barge was added prior to Christmas due to unprecedented bookings.
The entire barge system has been under the spotlight in recent time from island business.
Local island business has found it difficult to obtain bookings without bookings more than a week in advance.
Island residents have found booking the day before travel is unlikely to result with a place on a barge to or from the islands.
Other questions have arisen around cost to island business for multiple bookings in a week.
We have put a number of questions to Sealink manager Heather Truman.
She responded by saying that an additional barge had been added to the service to the southern islands.
She said Sealink was ‘happy to respond’ to the other issues that we have listed.
She added Sealink would respond to those questions in our February edition of the Friendly Bay Islander.
CANYON LIKE DITCHES FORMED ALONGSIDE ISLAND ROADS
Roy Fox of Aruma Street on Macleay Island, has a problem.
After heavy rain a few months ago, a drain blocked at the top of Aruma Street.
A deluge of water started flowing across the top of the road and down the opposite side.
As it did so, a channel started to form.
Now, several months later, it is a somewhat of a chasm in places up to 500mm deep.
At has created somewhat of a problem for Roy and his neighbours.
In fact, it is a situation that exists in several island streets prior to them receiving council’s ‘Green Seal’ treatment.
“It makes access to our property on the other side quite dangerous at times,” he told the Friendly Bay Islander.
If you happen to have a larger vehicle and a trailer on the back of a vehicle, disaster is definitely possible.
A call to Redland City Council saw a team call out and start to form a splayed gutter, that is likely to gouge out again next time it rains.
Roy, he has a background in the road building industry, reckons it would be better to turn the gutter area to its original level status.
“The problem was caused in the first place by a blocked drain.
“The situation would not occur again if the large drain pipes in front of domestic driveways, are kept clear and clean,” Roy said.
He added: “I am not out to cause trouble; I am just pointing out a problem that needs to be addressed.”
Roy’s situation may be resolved sooner than he thinks.
Council’s Green Seal program has progress to his next street, which means Aruma Street could be due for sealing in the next round of Macleay Island road sealing.
• Roy Fox deep down in one of the Aruma Street water gouged canyons.