PERTH, Australia (7 Feb 2003) -- PERTH'S diving community is on its knees because of the State Government's failure to provide an underwater playground off the metropolitan coast, according to an industry veteran. The West Australian understands at least 14 metropolitan diving businesses have been forced to close and others could follow soon because of a lack of underwater metropolitan attractions for enthusiasts. Welshpool scuba diving businessman of 12 years Mike Watson said WA's 60,000 registered divers were crying out for the Government to expedite plans for its promised West Coast Dive Park. Premier Geoff Gallop promised Perth - when elected to government two years ago - a park which would feature a range of sunken vessels for tourism and recreational purposes. The venture was to include 10 ships and vessels to be sunk off the western side of Garden Island in the next six years. The Perth has since been sunk off Albany and confiscated fishing vessels are being prepared for scuttling off Geraldton and Bunbury. The Swan also is attracting a reported 18,000 divers a year since being sunk off Dunsborough five years ago. Dive park steering committee chairman Mark McGowan said the Government was committed to its election promise but was having trouble securing suitable vessels. A submarine at HMAS Stirling had been touted as a possibility but the $2 million project had been considered too dangerous as a dive wreck. The Government had not been able to compete for the vessels headed for Bunbury and Geraldton because the regional cities had Federal support to claim the fishing boats. | | Mr McGowan hoped a comprehensive plan for the dive park would be released this year. Mr Watson said he had bought a $200,000 charter boat on the strength of the dive park promise but had been forced to sell it, while many charter businesses had been kept afloat solely through work in relation to visits by United States warships. The diving potential off Perth was phenomenal but the Government had left the industry with an empty promise. WA Underwater Recreational Diving Forum vice-chairman Stephen Sturgeon said the State boasted world-class diving attractions and believed many of the failed shops had closed because they were run by inexperienced owners who joined the industry mainly for the lifestyle. The industry had to learn to compete harder with other water-based activities. The diving downturn has hit no one harder than one-time industry guru Eddie Izydorski. The former Diving Ventures director, who was forced by financial pressure in August last year to close shops in Northbridge, Fremantle, Dunsborough and Exmouth, lost more than $1 million and believes the industry in which he thrived for 20 years could be doomed for ever. He said the dive park plan could give the industry a big boost but there were other factors in his booming business going bust, including bad weather, fears of shark attacks, the New York terror attacks and Ansett's demise. SOURCE - ABC |
