How the NSW Govt Destroyed the World's First Modular Floating Motel (Evidence)

Описание: ​BARHAM/KOONDROOK – New expert analysis reveals that NSW Government agencies destroyed critical legal files in 2013 regarding the controversial seizure of a landmark tourism project on the Murray River, raising serious questions about administrative cover-ups and accountability.

​Maurie Furlan, the developer behind the 1980s "Barham Botel"—a world-first geodesic floating motel—is calling for an inquiry after a Government Information (Public Access) (GIPA) review confirmed that the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) destroyed the official files regarding the seizure of his property just days after he sought legal counsel.

​The "Space Age" Project Strangled by Red Tape

In 1986, Furlan proposed a high-end, floating accommodation complex for the Murray River. Initially, the project received high-level support. A 1986 letter from the Member for Murray, Mr. Jim Small MP, described the concept as "sound," "safe," and "very beneficial for the tourist trade."

​However, the project was soon strangled by what Furlan describes as a "bureaucratic trap." Documents show the Wakool Shire Council blocked the development by applying land-based zoning rules (a 2-hectare minimum) to a vessel floating on water.

​"They couldn't refuse it legally, so they trapped it," Mr. Furlan says. "They demanded I get the Crown Lands Office to sign the application, but the Crown Lands Office refused to sign until the Council approved it. It was a perfect administrative stalemate designed to kill the project."

​Unequal Treatment and Secret Political Interference

While Furlan’s innovative project was stalled for years, documents show that in 1985 and 1988,  competing river applications ("Shady Lady and Barkoona") were processed and approved by the same Council in a matter of weeks.

​Most damning is a letter from the Murray-Darling Basin Commission (April 1989), which admits that the Commission was secretly corresponding with the NSW Premier about blocking the Botel, while refusing to release that correspondence to Mr. Furlan. The letter also admits that the "guidelines" used to stall the project did not even exist yet.

​The Seizure and The Cover-Up

In 1990, despite the vessel being brand new and structurally sound, the Maritime Services Board (MSB) issued a 'Notice to Remove,' citing a law designed for dilapidated boats. The vessel was seized from the Victorian bank of the river—outside NSW jurisdiction—and the business was destroyed.

​Decades later, when Mr. Furlan sought to access the official records to launch a legal challenge, he was told the files were gone.

​A 2017 GIPA Review confirms that the relevant RMS file was "destroyed on 28 May 2013"—shortly after Mr. Furlan re-initiated legal inquiries. This destruction appears to contravene the State Records Act, which requires files relating to "public controversy" or "legal action" to be retained permanently.

​"They seized my property, destroyed my business, and when I finally went to hold them accountable, they admitted they shredded the evidence," says Furlan. "This isn't just about a boat in the 80s. It's about a government agency believing they are above the law today."

​Call for Action

Mr. Furlan is seeking a formal apology and ex gratia compensation for the administrative failure and the unlawful destruction of public records that has denied him his day in court.