Three commercial fishers who owe the Westland District Council almost $60,000 have been banned from using the Jackson Bay wharf, near Haast.
The council's property company, Westland District Property Ltd, has been collecting wharf charge arrears that have built up over the past five years.
General manager Bruce Smith told the Otago Daily Times yesterday $152,964.42 of arrears had been collected and now about 30 fishers were licensed to use the wharf and were paying charges monthly.
Mr Smith said the three fishers who had failed to pay $59,525.81 had been informed they were trespassed and the company would continue to pursue them for the arrears.
"The bill doesn't go away. The money's owed and that's a separate process."
The three fishers would also be listed on the council's website alongside the list of fishers licensed to use the wharf.
The money collected is being used to repair the wharf and Mr Smith said a five-year maintenance plan was almost finished and work putting in new piles would have started this week but for bad weather.
The property company had also caught up with 12 recreational fishers who had forgotten to place the $15 fee for use of the nearby boat ramp in the donation box, Mr Smith said.
A new camera monitoring system has been installed at the ramp and a part-time manager employed.
Revenue from the honesty box had gone up from about $230 last year to $1020 in the first month of the new regime, Mr Smith said.
The income from the fees would be used to upgrade the boat ramp and other facilities, Mr Smith said. The council was working through the resource consent process, he said.
