Building a commercial prawn trawler at the age of 90 as the fishing industry undergoes change in New South Wales would be viewed as the ultimate in optimism.

Ross Miller has fished for decades around Coffs Harbour on the mid-north coast after starting in Sydney in his early teens in a career which has included building and running ferries as well as fishing boats.

He has lost count of how many boats he has built, although the latest venture is the ninth to bear the name Kirra.

"I am building this for my son. This will be the last boat I ever build, because I don't think I could take on another one," Mr Miller said while watching on as welding was carried out.

"My son had the opportunity previously but rejected it. But he has seen the light and wants to go fishing. This will give him something to remember me by if nothing else."

The 15.5-metre trawler's design is well-suited to the waters around Coffs Harbour that are renowned for their prawn catches.

The yet-to-be-completed steel shell is propped up by scaffolding on a vacant block within sight of the water several kilometres west of the ocean.

Once finished, the trawler will make the journey of several kilometres to Coffs Harbour. ( ABC Rural: Michael Cavanagh )

The trawler started its life well away from the waters of the Pacific.

When Mr Miller first learnt about the boat, it was virtually a skeleton under construction in the cotton fields of Wee Waa in western NSW, where water is better known for irrigating cotton fields.

"I brought it in from Wee Waa and have been working on it ever since for the past 14 months. Nothing has been really changed in specifications," he said.

With the commercial fisher no longer on the tools, getting hold of others to carry out the physical side of the work does present problems.

"It is very, very hard indeed. There are a few people around [but] despite [their] experience with larger ships, they have not had the experience of working on a smaller vessel like this," Mr Miller said.

That experience, or lack of, has him working with 75-year-old John Wait, who has been a commercial fisher and these days also helps train potential fishers on behalf of the NSW Fishing Industry Training Council.

"I told Ross that he was crazy to do this. And I was silly enough to be with him and help him," Mr Wait said.

"I love building boats. It is one of those things that gets into your blood and you can't get rid of it. As Toad from Wind in the Willows said, there is nothing like mucking around with boats."

It is not surprising from Mr Wait's view that a person his age is providing the labour.

"Boatbuilding now is largely automated. Bigger boats are now built overseas because we can't match the pricing. One-off boats are very rare. It is a dying art," he said.

Once the trawler is built, the diesel engine, presently housed in Mr Miller's garage, will be fitted. ( ABC Rural: Michael Cavanagh )

Keeping up the skill of building a boat to specific guidelines flies in the face of what many, including Mr Miller, believe reflects the future of the commercial fishing industry.

The New South Wales Government has implemented changes to what can be caught and how much in order to "ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of the NSW commercial fishing industry".

Critics argue the change in allocation, and the need for fishers to buy more shares to maintain their previous level of catch, which they require to remain viable, is forcing people out of the industry.

"If you look at the quota, it is going to kill the industry," Mr Miller said.

But Mr Miller said he was committed to finishing the boat not just as a legacy for his son, but because he had taken on the project 14 months prior to the changes that he believes will "decimate" the industry.

"It is ridiculous. It is absolute stupidity. As far as I am concerned I can't think of the right words to describe it at the moment!" he said.

While he is largely focused on getting the trawler out onto the water, Mr Miller is also directing some of his attention to resurrecting a vehicle that was the precursor to a jeep which made its name in World War II.

Not content with building a prawn trawler, Mr Miller is also restoring a 1934 ute. ( ABC Rural: Michael Cavanagh )

Sitting in his garage is a 1934 Willys 77 utility that he found near Parramatta in a market garden.

The beige vehicle with splashes of maroon was in pieces, but he has since rebuilt it with a reconditioned engine, although it is yet to be driven since he rescued it.

The Willys 77 was one of the first cars Mr Miller owned.

"I have rebuilt it. I think it may be the only one left in Australia. I started my life as a motor mechanic. Funny how it sticks to you all your life," he said.

With it needing only a fill of petrol and a new battery, the Willys 77 could be cruising to the Coffs Harbour seafood cooperative with Mr Miller behind the wheel to pick up a load of prawns from the new trawler skippered by his son.

"That would be the way to go."