LNP bid looking for safe harbour

THE LNP has changed course on the proposed Gold Coast cruise ship terminal with highprofile candidate David Crisafulli in Broadwater strongly voicing his support.

Mr Crisafulli, a former Newman government minister who replaced Verity Barton after a preselection battle in the seat in May, is the only candidate in the Coast seat to back Mayor Tom Tate’s pet project.

Ms Barton in 2014, sensing a backlash in her electorate along with concerns about costs and dredging, was the only Coast LNP to oppose a cruise ship terminal inside the Broadwater.

At a “Meet the Candidates” meeting at Paradise Point on Tuesday night, a resident asked the candidates: “The Gold Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world, we are the tourist capital of Australia, where is our cruise ship terminal.”

Mr Crisafulli strongly supported the idea but with the proviso that both funding and location were “parked” at this stage as the council develops its offshore option and solves those challenges.

“Does the Gold Coast with all that is has to offer deserve to have a cruise ship terminal. Absolutely,” he told residents.

“The argument that you should be packing up and driving to Brisbane is an absurd one. Because this city has been built on the back of tourism. This is the next wave of tourism.

“If the logistics of a terminal can stack up, if it can be done financially, if it can be done in the right place and overcome those planning hurdles that council is embarking on, this is a city of opportunity.”

ALP Broadwater candidate Peter Flori said the Labor government had decided to invest in a cruise ship terminal in Brisbane after lengthy studies on the costs and accessibility.

“The Gold Coast will benefit from that. The cruise ship industry creates about 2700 jobs here in Queensland and with the upgrades to M1 it will be shorter trip for tourists to come from the cruise ship terminal.”

Tourist and transport experts agreed Brisbane was the better option despite being “the ugliest stop on Earth”.

One Nation candidate Brenden Ball acknowledged there was a “strong will” among the community to see a cruise ship terminal but nearly “equally strong doubt about the validity of the proposed offshore model”.

Greens candidate Daniel Kwon said he believed there were better locations than the Coast from an environmental perspective.

“It is an estuary. A shallow place where sand and water moves in and out. It is not a harbour,” he said.