00:00Noosa River, a playground for the rich and famous and their million dollar views.
00:08But for dozens of houseboat owners, it means so much more.
00:12My boat's not just where I live, it's where I work. I'm an artist, so it's my whole life out there.
00:18From tomorrow, their lives will be turned upside down with new rules forcing them off the water.
00:24I had a heart attack in August because of all of this.
00:27And it's been very, very stressful and overwhelming for us because our livelihood's going to be gone.
00:32Maritime Safety Queensland is cracking down, with boats over five metres only allowed to anchor for 28 days a year.
00:40To improve amenity on the Noosa River, address congestion concerns from the local community, marine pollution concerns and environmental concerns.
00:49Leaving many high and dry.
00:51There are people who've lived on this river for 35 years and they're compliant, they do the right thing,
00:56they love the river and now they're going to be pushed out into who knows where.
01:00The changes follow complaints from riverfront property owners who say the boats are an eyesore,
01:05at times left abandoned and derelict.
01:07But these residents say their boats are compliant and many unused and run down ones will remain moored.
01:13It came down to one thing. The people on the river didn't have to pay for their view.
01:19You would be disappointed if the view becomes very unsightly.
01:25But for some, the boats are also their lifeline.
01:28The sad thing is, a lot of the people that are living on board these boats, it's all they've got.
01:33The clean up on the river has already begun.
01:36There's about 25 to 30 vessels that have already complied over the last few months.
01:41We've got about 100, nearly 120 others that are still yet to comply.
01:44Those who don't risk fines. Their boat's being removed and destroyed.
01:49Yet some remain determined to stay anchored.
01:52I'm not moving my boat alright.
01:54I'm not moving my boat alright.
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