TAS: Be paid to live in waterside property with great views

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-1999
TAS: Be paid to live in waterside property with great views

By Don Woolford

HOBART, Feb 12 AAP - The Tasmanian government is looking for someone to take over Deal
Island, one of the jewels of Bass Strait.

If that's too isolated, perhaps Cape Bruny with its spectacular views over the southern
entrance to the D'Entrecasteaux Channel?

Deal and Cape Bruny are two of five lighthouse properties the government is offering for
lease after they were recently handed back to state control by the Australian Maritime Safety
Authority (AMSA).

The others are Maatsuyker Island, off the south coast, Cape Wickham on the northern tip of
King Island and Tasman Island, off the south-east coast.

Eddystone Point lighthouse in the north-east may be offered later, following discussions
with the Aboriginal community over the management of crown land in the area.

"Money is not the big issue," Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife spokesman John Homes said today.

"We want a human presence and to be sure conservation and maintenance work is carried out."

Mr Homes expects tourism will be their future.

But apart from Cape Bruny, which is less than two hours drive from Hobart via a car ferry,
they are hard to reach.

"They'll need a fair bit of imagination," Mr Homes said.

The handover of Deal Island was delayed until the old tenant, Melbourne scientist William
Hollier, was evicted after several court cases.

AMSA's withdrawal from Maatsuyker was criticised by fishers, yachties and conservationists.

Cape Bruny and Maatsuyker will come with an income from the Bureau of Meteorology.

The bureau will pay between $25,000 and $30,000 a year for weather readings every three
hours at Maatsuyker. The pay at Cape Bruny, for a less onerous three readings a day, is
reduced accordingly.

Deal, about halfway between Flinders Island and the Victorian coast, probably has the
greatest potential.

The 1645 hectare island, to be part of a marine park, has secluded sandy beaches, teeming
wallaby and bird life, an airstrip and a jetty.

Government advertising will focus on it and Cape Bruny, as the potential for developing the
others is considered more limited.

AAP dw/wjf

KEYWORD: LIGHTHOUSES

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