NATHAN Poole, Kim Poole, and Billy Roelandts are descendants of families that have been fishing out of the Camden Haven for generations.
Passionate members of the Laurieton Fisherman’s Co-op board of management, they are keen to see the iconic fishing institution recover quickly from the fire which destroyed their riverfront premises and Laurieton Seafoods on 15 January.
“We have full intention of rebuilding as soon as possible,” Board member Billy Roelandts told News Of The Area.
“We owe this to the community and the fishermen to get it rebuilt.
“We also owe it to the original founders.
“All fishermen need two things, patience and perseverance.
“We have both in bucket loads and we will see it rebuilt.”
While the Co-op has been demolished and temporary fencing has been erected, there is no start date set for the rebuild yet.
Behind the scenes a large body of work has gone into complying with Council regulations, the Crown Land lease and a raft of government departments including the Australian Tax Office.
The Board acknowledged the stellar work by Shane Whitehouse Whitehouse Building Design in progressing the new development application (DA) for the site.
A large outlay to purchase alternative storage has affected the bottom line of the Co-op, but the Board are adamant they will break ground as soon as possible in the new year.
The Board is extremely grateful for the outpouring of generous support they have received from the community since the fire.
In particular they highlighted the efforts of Pete Poole from Camden Haven Tyre & Brake Centre, who came to the rescue early on by providing large amounts of ice to store the fishermen’s catch.
The Co-op started in 1946 and meets five or six times per year to represent the interests of local commercial fishermen.
Also affected by the January blaze, seafood retailer Laurieton Seafoods is trading out of temporary premises in North Haven.
The business is also keen to return to Laurieton as soon as possible.
By Rachael THORPE
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