General News
29 October, 2025
Slam Dunk
BOAT transfer and ferry services between Mission Beach and Dunk Island and nearby sightseeing and diving attractions have been suspended in a quarrel between the boat owner-operator and Cassowary Coast Council over the use of a jetty.
The Myroo Group, which owns and operates QuickCoast and Dunk Island Reef Adventures, announced the suspension on social media, blaming council for no longer being able to safely access part of the Clump Point jetty just north of Mission Beach town.
“QuickCoast and Dunk Island Reef Adventures have today announced the immediate suspension of all marine transport and tourism operations between Mission Beach, Cairns, Dunk Island and the Reef, citing ongoing interference from the Cassowary Coast Regional Council in relation to the management of Clump Point,” the post from its director Bry Penfold said.
The suspension has cut the number of passenger services by boat to the islands in the area.
The company told its customers that council had decided to revoke a clause in a previous agreement, “where it was agreed due to QuickCoast’s size it could dock overnight on the northern side of the southern pontoon” at Clump Point.
“A new unreasonable demand by council in the new agreement that QuickCoast starts to use a pen berth not suitable for day-to-day use, in addition, especially QuickCoast’s size,” Myroo’s post on Facebook said.
“Pen berths are designed typically for fishing boats that tie up for weeks at a time – absolutely not day-to-day use and not safe for crew or large vessels with no piles between vessels,” it added.
But Cassowary Coast Regional Council has been quick to point out that the Clump Point jetty is owned by the state government, and council manages the facility on the state’s behalf under an ‘operational management plan’.
“The operational plan requires the southern pontoon to be free for use by commercial and recreational users for up to 30 minutes to load and unload passengers and cargo,” a council spokeswoman said. “It also requires the northern side of the southern pontoon to be used for refuelling. The fuel bunded area is immediately above this location and it is the only permitted refuelling area in the whole facility.”
Council says the jetty’s popularity, commercial activity and usage is increasing. But it also says it has “an obligation to ensure the facility is accessible for all users and to enforce the Queensland Government’s operational requirements.”
The jetty is owned by the Department of Transport and Main Roads’ Maritime Safety, which responded to The Observer’s inquiries about possible upgrades to the facility to allow better access for larger boats, including the size of the vessel Myroo has been berthing there.
“A local Community Reference Group, established in 2016, provided local input to the project, and commercial operators have long been aware that any berth improvements would need to be privately-funded and cyclone-resistant or removable in severe weather,” a TMR spokesman said.
The Observer also tried to contact Myroo and its director Bry Penfold for further comment on the Clump Point jetty access issue and the suspension, but had not heard back at the time of publishing.
In the meantime, council says it has “reached out to Myroo to discuss the situation further” and that “Myroo is still allowed to continue to use pen berth one,” the spokeswoman said.
Read More: Mission Beach