To the relief of Gold Coast surfers, the channel separating South Straddie from the mainland is no longer being considered as a site for a future cruise ship terminal, and the waves there appear safe, at least for now. In August 2006, the Deputy Premier announced that the Government would not be proceeding with the Gold Coast Cruise Ship Terminal. The announcement followed a hugely successful campaign by local citizens and environmental groups, which staged three protest rallies and a petition with over 25,000 signatures, in opposition of the plan. However, the Deputy Premier did indicate that other components of the project had merit, and that a new process will be put in place to explore other elements of the project, namely the Super-Yacht Development. In other words, the massive dredging project that the cruise ship terminal would have required will not happen, but some kind of development for the site is still being explored, and the waves are not still completely safe from harm.
"I personally think it had to do with Peter Beattie [Queensland's Premier] being up for re-election and needing public support," said a government employee in the Project Services branch of the Gold Coast City Council in Queensland.
Gold Coast representative of Surfrider Foundation Tom Alletson explains that, "The state government [of Queensland] did not ‘vote' as such on the decision to drop the cruise ship terminal. A preliminary EIS [Environmental Impact Statement] which was prepared for the government showed them that the environmental, social and economic impacts of the terminal were severe and unacceptable. Based on this information (and pressure from the very high profile community campaign), the government made a decision to drop the cruise ship terminal element from the overall development, however the super yacht marina and commercial development remains."
Save the Waves adamantly opposed the cruise ship terminal proposal in its original form, which would have been located on the northern end of The Spit, because of the destructive impact on the South Straddie waves. The cruise ship terminal would have been responsible for, among other alterations: (1) capital and ongoing maintenance dredging of an access channel, of a proposed width of 130m, while the swing basin with a diameter of 500m (anticipated to be of the order of 2,000,000 m3), and (2 ) underwater pipelines and "management" provisions for drinking water, wastewater and refueling of cruise and military vessels.
In surfer’s terms, the size of the dredging project could have altered the sand flow patterns to such a degree as to downgrade the quality of the waves, and the project would have also raised water pollution levels around the break. So, as it stands now, the waves at South Straddie are saved and we live to fight another day! HOWEVER, the Government is still considering the construction of a large super-yacht marina just inside the mouth of the Nerang River, on public land currently used by the community for recreation.
Locals are continuing to oppose this aspect of the Government’s plans, arguing that this valuable coastal environment should be preserved for use by future generations, not sold off to developers. "The super yacht marina does not include dredging on the scale of the cruise ship terminal, but will still attract up to 350 very large yachts and provide shore based facilities for marina berths," says Alletson. "In addition, it is intended to construct commercial facilities and provide water, sewage and fuel, all of which will have an impact on water quality."
This level of development will impact adjacent sea-grass beds and exclude the area from use by the non-paying public. The Save Our Spit Alliance, a coalition of Gold Coast residents, businesses and community groups who oppose this plan, are determined that any additional development in this area should occur adjacent to a large number of existing marina berths, not in a natural site used extensively by the public.
Save the Waves Coalition is currently waiting for a definitive answer regarding the complete abandonment of the construction of the cruise ship terminal from Honorable Paul Lucas, the state Minister for Transport and Main Roads in Queensland.
Let's make sure that Hon. Paul Lucas, and the Project Director for the Gold Coast Marine Development Project know that we do not want to see: (1) any cruise ship terminal at South Straddie, even if they work out their EIS kinks, nor (2) any development of the Marina Precinct / Super-yacht Component. Let’s also let GHD, the company obliged to consider and report all factors in their EIS to the government, know that we oppose the super yacht project.
For more information about the ongoing grass-roots effort in Australia to preserve the channel of the Nerang River, visit www.saveourspit.com
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