Mackay Boat Ramp Campaign

This was Mackay Harbour today.

Boaters reported waits of up to 2½ hours to retrieve their boats, with empty trailers queued back to the first roundabout and into the overflow parking area.

One boater described the situation as “absolute madness”, saying it took 2 hours and 30 minutes to retrieve their boat.

Vehicles towing trailers were reportedly forced to park up to 1 kilometre from the ramp, adding further delays and creating additional traffic and pedestrian-safety concerns.

One resident also recorded a vehicle having to move onto the wrong side of the road because the normal passage was obstructed.

This is no longer simply a parking inconvenience. It is a capacity, traffic-management and public-safety problem.

The existing overflow area remains essential, but these scenes again demonstrate why Mackay needs proper planning for additional protected, all-tide boating capacity.

We are calling on Mackay Regional Council, the Queensland Government, Maritime Safety Queensland and all other relevant stakeholders to work together and commence a proper feasibility and options process.

The problem is well established. It is now time to move from acknowledgement to action.

Thank you to the members of the public who supplied photographs and video.


# Nigel Dalton MP

Post your pictures of the congestion at the harbour on both land and water. We need this evidence to keep moving forward.
Do your bit for the campaign.

This is not just a parking issue. It is a facility-capacity issue.
This photo shows another part of the problem at Mackay Harbour.

The rigging and de-rigging area is meant to give people room to prepare their boats before launching and to safely pack up after retrieving.

When vehicles and trailers are parked in that area, it leaves very little room for others to pull clear of the ramp, secure their boats, remove gear, tie down, check lights and get ready for the trip home.

That creates unnecessary congestion, slows the whole ramp down, and makes things harder for everyone else.

People have also recently raised concerns about heavy vehicles using or parking on the boat ramp area, with some worried about whether that could contribute to damage over time.

These issues are all connected.

Yes, some of it comes down to people doing the right thing and respecting other ramp users. But it also demonstrates the bigger problem: the current Mackay Harbour facility is under serious pressure and is no longer keeping up with demand.

When parking is full, traffic flow is poor, rigging areas are used as overflow parking, and commercial or heavy vehicle activity is mixed in with recreational ramp users, the whole system starts to break down.

This is why Mackay needs more than just the overflow car park lease renewed.

We need proper planning for additional protected, all-tide launching capacity, better trailer parking, clearer traffic flow, better rigging and de-rigging space, and practical management of the facility during peak periods.

The harbour ramp is a regional facility. It needs to be planned, funded and managed like one.

Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland
North Queensland Bulk Ports

This is exactly the pathway Mackay needs — fund the design and planning work first, make the project grant-ready, then pursue State and Federal construction funding.

Townsville City Council has committed $400,000 to design a new public boat ramp at Ross River Dam.

That money will fund the detailed design work for the ramp, access road and parking facilities so the project can become “shovel-ready” and be used to attract State and Federal construction funding.

This is exactly the kind of approach Mackay needs.

Mackay Harbour is our region’s only protected, all-tide public boat ramp facility. It is already under serious pressure during peak boating periods, with long waits to launch and retrieve and vehicles with trailers often parked hundreds of metres from the ramp.

The renewal of the overflow car park lease is welcome, but it only protects the current situation. It does not add one extra ramp lane.

Mackay now needs Council, NQBP, MSQ/TMR and the State Government to work together and fund proper feasibility, design and business-case work for additional protected, all-tide launching capacity.

Townsville is funding the planning work first so it can pursue construction funding properly.

Mackay should be doing the same.

We need a realistic, grant-ready plan for additional ramp lanes, access, and trailer parking — whether that is at Mackay Harbour, the North Wall area, or another practical nearby site.

The demand is known. The shortfall is known. The problem is not going away.

It is time for Mackay to move from talk to a funded plan.

$400k plan to unlock Townsville’s Ross River Dam Residents and visitors are a step closer to hitting the water at Ross River Dam, with Townsville City Council committing $400,000 to design a new public boat ramp.

A quick update for everyone following the Mackay Harbour boating infrastructure discussions.

Council has confirmed discussions are progressing with NQBP regarding a longer-term arrangement for the existing overflow parking area at the harbour.

This is positive news because it helps preserve existing operating conditions beyond 2027.

Many of you will have seen firsthand over the last few good weather weekends that demand at the harbour remains extremely strong. A number of people have shared photos and personal experiences showing congestion, queuing and difficulties retrieving vessels during peak periods.

Those experiences reinforce an important point: retaining the overflow area helps avoid a reduction in current functionality, but it does not materially increase launching capacity or resolve the broader congestion and safety pressures associated with current demand levels.

The campaign continues to support practical improvements to the existing facility where possible, while also advocating for a long-term solution that addresses future demand across the region.

If you are at the harbour during busy periods and observe the car parks full, long retrieval queues, congestion or other operational issues, please feel free to share photos, videos and your experiences on the page. Real-world observations from local boaters help build an accurate picture of how the facility is operating during peak demand periods.

As always, thanks to everyone who continues to contribute constructively to the discussion and share their experiences.

Congestion still exists. Solutions need a plan.

A quick update for everyone following the Mackay Harbour boating infrastructure discussions.

Council has confirmed discussions are progressing with NQBP toward a longer-term arrangement for the existing overflow parking area at the harbour.

That is definitely news because it helps preserve existing operating conditions beyond 2027.

At the same time, it’s important to recognise this doesn’t materially increase launching capacity or resolve the congestion, queuing and safety pressures many boaters experience during peak weather windows. The overflow area has already been supporting the harbour facility for many years.

The broader conversation still remains about long-term launching capacity and future infrastructure planning for the region.

Also, as we continue gathering community feedback, feel free to comment with your own experiences launching and retrieving at Mackay Harbour during those perfect weather days.

Real-world experiences around queuing, congestion, retrieval delays, safety concerns, or changing boating habits all help build a clearer picture of current conditions and future needs across the region.

This isn’t a new issue — it’s been building for decades.

Mackay Harbour was planned based on early 1990s demand, and the same all-tide launching capacity is still in place today.

What’s changed is the number of people using the water. Demand has grown significantly, but capacity hasn’t kept pace.

That’s why congestion now occurs regularly during peak periods.

The key point is this: it’s not that solutions don’t exist — it’s that there is currently no clear, coordinated pathway to deliver additional all-tide launching capacity.

Establishing that pathway is the next step.

If this is something you’ve experienced, feel free to share this post so the issue stays visible.

Photo taken at Mackay Harbour — a typical busy day.
Recent media coverage has highlighted what most local boaties already know — Mackay Harbour is under real pressure, and on good weather days it’s already beyond capacity.

One thing worth clearing up is the idea that “no feasible solutions exist.” That’s not what the official government responses actually say. They point to policy and coordination issues between agencies — not any physical reason a solution can’t be delivered.

In simple terms, options do exist — but there’s currently no clear, agreed pathway to get one built.

That’s an important difference. It means the issue isn’t closed — it’s unresolved.

The region has already been identified as being well short of the ramp capacity it needs, so the focus now has to shift from whether something can be done, to how it actually gets done.

We’re also asking the community to help build a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground.

If you’ve experienced delays, had to wait extended periods to launch, or chosen not to go due to congestion, feel free to share your experience or photos below.