NEWS that Guernsey is seeking outside help to come up with a master plan for the harbour including the development of a revenue-producing marina at the Careening Hard is welcome.

However, it is difficult to shake off the feeling that the island might be missing a trick.

The harbour master is absolutely right when he says the port authority is not meeting the aspirations of boat owners by failing to provide berths for larger vessels. As a result, the loss of income at today’s prices is in the region of £20m. – £30m. over the last 10 to 15 years.

Factor in the additional loss of income by

failing to provide adequate mooring and on-shore facilities for visiting cruise liners and the island is seriously out of pocket.

Can it afford to invest in these things at the current time? Probably not, but there are other ways of finding funding and they are being ignored.

A proper deep-water berth combined with luxury duty-free shopping on North Beach would bring more liners here and extend the season by ending the reliance on bringing passengers ashore by ferry. Yes, the car parking would have to be replaced – but that, too, could be done through private enterprise, as soon as paid parking is introduced.

The quays will always represent a wasted asset while they are used for free, and ugly, car parking and there is no incentive for developers to provide multi-storey spaces where they are needed.

Public Services is right to look for a joined-up harbour plan but is focused on its own objectives.

What is needed is a much wider assessment of the potential provided by the port, the Town and its environs and the wider aspirations of the island and its requirement to find additional revenue sources. Such an appraisal must not be shackled by the lack of vision of Environment or the inability of its members to put forward rational policy options, but has to be well planned nevertheless.

PSD has rightly identified some options and needs to pursue them.

Through Commerce and Employment, however, the Policy Council needs to ensure that the vision is beyond just the harbour.