STEADY AS SHE GOES

Captain Tom’s cruise port dream still afloat

THE mayor says his dream of a Gold Coast cruise ship terminal has “cleared the biggest hurdle” after it passed Federal Government environment laws. But Tom Tate is coy about how the project will be funded.

MAYOR Tom Tate says he has cleared “the biggest hurdle” towards approval of his cruise ship terminal with the Federal Government confirming the project had cleared national environment laws.

But the mayor is uncertain how the multi-million project will be paid for with “funding models to come”.

“It’s the highest approval you could get, the biggest hurdle and we have done that,” Cr Tate said.

The Department of Environment’s Assessments and Governance Branch assistant secretary James Barker decided the plans, which outline a base port servicing a terminal built on 6ha of public land on The Spit, was not a controlled action under federal laws.

However, the council will have to adhere to conditions that protect whales, turtles and dugongs from noise during construction.

Any future cruise ship terminal also needs approval from the state government, including undergoing a rigorous environmental impact study to ensure the environment is not harmed.

The project is expected to be sent to the Gold Coast City Council for approval in the coming weeks.

“I am very confident there is no political ramification to moving forward for us to create jobs for the next generation,” Cr Tate said.

The federal department said its role was to examine nationally significant environmental matters and that other levels of government were yet to assess other impacts.

“The department considered the potential impacts of the project on matters protected under national environmental law, including the potential for impacts to nationally protected marine species which may use the coastal environment,” it said. “The department decision-maker considered that these potential impacts can be managed, subject to certain requirements to protect nationally significant listed species.

“If the proposal substantially changes then it may require further consideration under national environment law.”

A spokesman for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state already had an advanced proposal for a cruise ship terminal in Brisbane.

“However, the Gold Coast Council is welcome to further progress its proposal and any proposal would be considered on its merits,” she said.

The council submitted the plans for a base port including refuelling and migration facilities for referral by the department in March. Fiftyseven public submissions were made.

The 6ha site of the proposal at Philip Park on The Spit was included in a public consultation by the state, with results expected by next week.

IT’S THE HIGHEST APPROVAL YOU COULD GET, THE BIGGEST HURDLE AND WE HAVE DONE THAT MAYOR TOM TATE