Council Election 2012
Below is the questionnaire sent to division 7 candidates and Mayoral candidates for the upcoming election.
Dear Candidates [for Div. 7] [for Mayor of the Gold Coast],
Save Our Spit Alliance Inc is a not for profit, unalligned, unincorporated association which represented thousands of Gold Coasters in its advocacy for protection of The Spit and Broadwater from development projects such as the ship terminal proposed for the Seaway and the private marina proposed for the Marine stadium.
Please see www.saveourspit.com for further information on that battle, which SOSA and Gold Coasters eventually, after enormous effort and commitment, won.
SOSA has been contacted by its members requesting information on candidate’s views as to the more recent proposals for a ship terminal and for Broadwater development. We propose to make candidate responses available via our website and to our subscriber list, prior to the election. Would you please respond to each of the questions below as specifically as you can, in order that voters can form a view as to your intended positions with respect to The Spit, the Broadwater and the various cruise ship proposals presently being mooted.
Please respond as soon as possible given obvious time constraints.
Given the long history of this matter, we would mention that local voters may not be impressed by candidates who ‘sit on the fence’. If you require further information, please see the State Government’s publicly-released GHD Study which fully investigated the social, economic and other aspects of the proposals for The Spit, together with various Griffith studies, our website and other public information.
Your responses will be included in full, without editing. If you have any queries, please call....
Thank you in anticipation of your responses, and good luck on election day.
Yours sincerely
SOSA Executive
Dr. Steve Gration President
Kate Mathews Vice President
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
1. [Optional] Please state any political affiliations you may have.
2. Where do you stand on development proposals for The Spit and Broadwater?
3. Do you support a ship terminal on The Spit or on WaveBreak Island or elsewhere in the Broadwater?
4. Do you support development of the eastern Spit or north of Seaworld on the western side?
5. Do you support an offshore terminal and do you think it likely to be feasible?
6. Please provide any additional remarks you may wish to make; for example, your past performance with respect to, or present involvement in, any of the matters above?
The Results
Mayor
Candidate |
Answers |
Peter Young |
1. Never had any.
2. Spit - limited - in accordance with the masterplan (ie revegetation, interpretive centre). Broadwater - support sensitive development including superyacht facilities, recreational boating, ferries, dedicated no-go zones etc but certainly not a cruise ship terminal.
3. No - please refer to my alternate suggested for discussion (http://www.peteryounggoldcoast.com.au/news/a-floating-offshore-cruise-ship-terminal-for-the-gold-coast/) - the chief emphasis being to support positive discussion about benefitting from the cruise ship industry but NOT in the Broadwater.
4. Definitely not.
5. It doesnt need to be a terminal. Preliminary studies show that cruise ships could berth off-shore approx 300 days per year. That figure may be too high, but with little cost and little risk we could tap into the cruise ship market.
6. Supported SOSA whilst within Council. Support Friends of Federation Walk.
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Dean Vegas
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Mr Vegas has not responded to our email. |
Tom Tate
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Mr Tate has not responded to our email.
He has however said that he will build a two storey, $30M ship terminal in the Seaway on the northern Spit in his first term, that is, by 2014.
See http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/04/26/410605_gold-coast-lead-story.html for details.
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Eddy Saroff |
1. My affiliation has always and will always be with the Gold Coast community.
2. The natural aspects should be enhanced, to ensure it’s continued use for Gold Coast locals and visitors. As Mayor I will not allow development of this kind on The Spit.
3. I support the development of a Cruise Ship Terminal but I am totally opposed to any such facility being constructed on the Spit. I will review all viable options for the cruise terminal around the Gold Coast, other than The Spit.
4. I believe that all areas north of Seaworld should be maintained and only developed inline with natural and public space utilization, with no construction.
5. I have concern about he feasibility of this project, but will review any viable option for a Cruise Facility not involving The Spit.
6. In the past, I have been a champion of the Federation Walk, I have worked closely with the Save our Spit group and continued to ensure the voice of the community is heard in Council. I have always been opposed to unnecessary development North of Seaworld and will maintain that opinion if elected Mayor.
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Keith Douglas |
1. None independently independent
2. Save the Spit - must remain public open space. There are opportunities in the Broadwater to improve amenity and provide artificial reefs but we must ensure that we go about this the right way. There are development proposals in the wings that are a cause for concern. If I am successful in being elected, I will ensure that the outcomes are the right ones and you should know that I am prepared to fight tooth and nail as I have done for nearly three years to save Tipplers.
3. No
4. No
5. Yes - Brynn Lumus design is on the way to a practical solution - would also be an artificial reef.
6. As you know, I helped the fight to save the spit. I also fought to save marine stadium and confronted Beattie on the eve of the state election years ago.
My views have not changed. Wavebreak is one of the most popular destinations on the Broadwater - it must be kept for the people.
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Susie Douglas |
1. Liberal National Party
2. The Spit and Broadwater are the jewels in the Gold Coast crown and I am determined that development is carefully controlled to ensure optimal outcomes for the environment and our community. This includes our boaties and fishers. Obviously we need to dredge the Broadwater but this has to be done sensibly, to preserve the areas we all love and enjoy.
The present local area plan prescribes limited height levels for The Spit and I continue to support that, together with the outcomes of the GCCC Vision 2020 process.
3. Not on The Spit.
4. No
5. A cruise terminal could be fantastic for the Gold Coast and it is vital that this be investigated to stimulate tourism and our economy.
I do support a cruise terminal provided we can get the right location (not The Spit) and can ensure that it will be a safe and positive industry for the Gold Coast from everyone's perspective. But we have a lot of work to do before we can start building an offshore or any other terminal. And that work is what I propose to do.
6. I have worked closely with the local community and with SOSA and other community groups in relation to saving The Spit throughout my term as division 7 councillor. I have been actively involved because I believe in the social and open space benefits of The Spit and want to protect it for all Gold Coasters to enjoy.
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John Abbott |
1. NONE
2. NONE
3. NO but I would, on the strength of advise from engineers consider the Tugun area for an offshore terminal as that then would enhance the area as the Gateway to the Gold Coast and boost that local economy. Further, any cruise ship terminal would have to be built on piers and so too a Monorail system also built on piers as to ensure to not in any way interfere with the natural flow of currents and sand movements.
4. NO
5. YES - see No. 3
6. I have over 40 years experience which in the entertainment industry which in my view is the greatest industry in the world and tourism is very much akin to the entertainment industry.
In my view, we should never allow the great selling points of our Gold Coast to be filtered or destroyed for the sake of development but rather to develop for the sake of our great selling points such as the natural beauty that we are presently its custodians.
An off shore cruise ship terminal is essential to our standing as one of the great tourist Mecca's of the worldbut must not be built where constant dredging and disruption of the natural flow of the ocean and the sand movements may in the end cause more harm than good.
As such, in my view, any floating terminal design should incorporate beauty that befits a tourist Mecca, preservation and enhancement of our beautiful beaches and ensure no disruption to our beach and sand flows.
Such terminal should be served by a Monorail system that would link to the Airport and Bus terminal and eventually run express to our city hub.
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Division 7
Candidate |
Answers |
Jim McAnnally
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1. I am not a member of any Political Party at this time. I was however a member of the Liberal Party for over 30 years. I was the Queensland Vice President and for three years ran the Policy portfolio.
2. I am against development on the Spit as I am very much for keeping it pristine so the future generations can enjoy the area. I am not against the establishment of a Super yacht facility closer to the marina and believe we should be working hard to achieve this project.
3. I am against the establishment of a cruise ship terminal on The Spit or Wavebreak Island. Apart from the possible environmental damage to the area we do not have the infrastructure to handle the volumes of transport required to service this facility.
4. No keep these areas development free apart from amenities such as toilets , BBQ areas, parking required to service the public.
5. I would in principal support an off shore terminal but not off the Spit. I have read that it would cost $120 million to develop this facility however I also believe one could add another $1.5 billion to develop the infrastructure as we would need; new bridges and super roads that would need to cross the Broadwater. If the terminal was off Broadbeach or Tweed I think it would be great to see it proceed.
6. As past home owner of Main Beach in 1974 and the past Chairperson for the Main Beach Progress Association I believe I have a good understanding of the area and how really delicate it is. Keep the Spit development free for the residents and their family to enjoy. We need to have the Broadwater dredged now and maintained correctly. If not the Coast may flood again as in 1974 when Paradise Waters was being developed and blocked the Nerang River from being able to get the water out through the Broadwater.
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Bill James |
1. None
2. I would consult fully with all key stakeholders. The Spit is one of our great natural assets of the Gold Coast. It should be a world standard environmental park and needs appropriate funding.
3. Not on The Spit. There are many issues associated with a terminal; needs more in-depth professional planning and consideration of all options; I have seen plans previously done by senior architect Desmond Brooks for a terminal on the northern side of Wavebreak with a link by tunnel or bridge to Southport. I would need to be fully briefed when elected.
Business benefits to the Coast are also an important consideration along with recreational boating needs, and environmental/hydraulic impacts. I am very willing to liaise with SOS if elected.
4. No
5. I am not qualified to comment as I have not been briefed on any aspects of this proposal – but clearly costs and a host of practical and environmental issues would need to be considered.
6. I have been fortunate to examine over many years, coastal management issues and indeed more recently I have had discussions with leading experts in such matters including Professor Rodger Tomlinson of Griffith University (senior advisor to GCCC)and senior coastal engineer Rangi Campbell along with Ngarang-Wal Land Council – (Environmental) in regard to protection of the city’s major asset – the beaches and other hydraulic issues.
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Wendy Coe
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I do support a cruise ship terminal, however it has yet to be decided where, if indeed it is ever built at all. I support leaving the eastern side of the spit completely free of any development. As to development north of Seaworld, (Eastern side) as I haven't seen any concrete plans for development, I really cannot comment. As with all of these up in the air ideas, it is very difficult to comment when nothing is on the table in black and white, costings have not been done, DERM has not been consulted and most importantly the public has not been given the chance to see plans and make comments also. I don't make hasty decisions and I don't make them without all the facts. What I do plan to do is what is best for the whole of the Gold Coast.
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