Industrial park alarm
Council at odds with state over Edmonton
A STATE-SANCTIONED industrial park planned for the city’s southern fringe is causing a rift between two tiers of government.
The Cairns Post has received an independent review that questions the location of the proposed Cairns South State Development Area near Gordonvale.
The Reel Planning and Norling Consulting report was commissioned by Cairns Regional Council and completed in August last year.
The council has only now made the findings public after failing to gain traction with State Development Minister Cameron Dick.
The report says the State Government took an overly optimistic level of industrial demand and unfairly categorised the majority (87 per cent) of land at the Edmonton Business and Industry Park as being suitable only for lowimpact industry.
“The (Department of State Development) report found that, based upon the high series population projections, medium and high impact industry land would not be exhausted until 2036 based upon the high population scenario, 20 years from now,” it found.
“Whilst there is a need to maintain a pipeline of industrial land at all times, there is no urgency to dedicate the additional 200ha (net) of industrial land at this time.”
Mayor Bob Manning called on Mr Dick to have a meeting with the council’s consultants to discuss their findings.
“It was announced the day before the Premier went to the Governor to call the election,” he said.
“That gives an impression this was a bit of a rush job.”
A spokesman for the Coordinator-General said no decisions had yet been made.
“The Co-ordinator-General met with Cairns Regional Council last week and has offered to have a detailed workshop to discuss their submission,” he said.
“The Co-ordinator-General is keen to continue to work with the council, as soon as the council advises they are available to talk.”
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