Dear Minister,
Re: Environment Impact Study on Concept Plan of the Notional Marine Development, Gold Coast Seaway and Spit.

Gecko members are seeking urgent clarification and explanation for a serious deficit in the concept plan of the Gold Coast Marine Development Plan drawn by Gutteridge Haskin Davey (GHD) for the purposes of an environmental impact study (EIS) on this 'notional' project.

Recently members of Gecko participated in a focus group conducted by consultants GHD and 3Plus to establish the Social Impacts of the proposed Gold Coast Marine Development Proposal (GCMDP)

The brief given to these consultants about their concept plan of the notional project was raised in discussion and they were questioned about the failure of the plan to include the alternate site for the yacht marina adjacent to Seaworld. The only site drawn was that in the Marine Stadium public open space.

It became readily apparent that these representatives of GDH knew nothing about the second option for the siting of the marina adjacent to Seaworld or why it had not been included in the drawings. They were unwilling to consider that this site adjacent to Seaworld was a part of the GCMDP until written documentation "Questions and Answers" from the State Development website was shown to them and I quote " A marine precinct to handle super yachts and recreational and commercial vessels, to be located either within the Marine Stadium or adjacent to Seaworld."

This information is also present on page 2-3 of the Initial Advice Statement "The Marina Precinct will be located either within the Marine Stadium or offshore from Sea World (refer Figure 1-1)." The Gold Coast Marine Development, document Expressions of Interest dated October 2005 confirms on page 11 "a marina precinct for super yachts, and commercial and recreational vessels, located at either the Marine Stadium or west of the Sea World foreshore;"
The diagram Figure 3 on page 10 of the same document includes a hatched area designated west of Seaworld and carries an information box stating "Marina Precinct-General marina-superyacht Marina-Commercial Marina- Fishing Fleet- Marina Support Facilities."

It is our understanding that GDH were required, by your Government and the Gold Coast Cruise Ship Terminal Project Board, to drawn a concept plan of the GCMDP under the EIS terms of Reference as stated in Section 1.2 Project Description " A brief description of the key elements of the project shall be provided and illustrated."

It is recognised that it was never the intention to include the commercial/ residential development south of Seaworld in the EIS of the notional project, since that will be assessed under the Gold Coast Planning Scheme, but the two alternative sites to the marina are essential.

The failure of GDH to include this alternative site of the marina has resulted in a serious flaw in the whole EIS process including the public consultation. The community is being asked to accept an assessment that has a major component missing.

It also became apparent during discussion that the training wall extensions had not been included despite the fact that should this occur there would be major environmental, social and economic impacts on the surfing population and industry.

The inclusion of the alternative site adjacent to Seaworld and its assessment as a potentially suitable site for the marina is vital to the integrity of the EIS process if the public is to have any confidence at all in this highly unusual process of an EIS on a notion.

Our members have little faith in the integrity of this EIS or that the Government will genuinely take on board the views of the community opposed to the development of a shipping terminal and marina in public open space.

To now find out after the EIS process has been continuing for some months that major components were never included at all further diminishes our faith in the fairness, transparency and accountability of the whole process.

We request that the EIS be placed in a moratorium immediately until the missing alternative site for the marina, adjacent to Seaworld, and the extended training walls are included in the concept plan and that the public have a further opportunity to be consulted on the entire plan.

We look forward to your prompt response to this serious matter.

Yours sincerely,

Lois Levy OAM.
Gecko Management Committee.
Gecko Representative Save Our Spit Alliance.

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