Letter of the Week

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HOW can it be that the casino developer ASF is now being compensated with over $9 million dollars of taxpayer’s money when many Gold Coasters didn’t want their development in the first place?

When will politicians and local councillors listen to the people who live in their constituencies before pandering to developers?

The dubious promise of jobs and rush to attract ever more tourists is somehow seen as compensation for creating an overly dense, concrete jungle. Green spaces disappear to give way to towering high-rises that almost touch neighbouring buildings.

To add to the discontent, many of the development companies are foreign-owned and based and it’s clear that many an overseas junket is paid for by the tax and ratepayer. Are these ventures and the projects they lead to really in the public interest?

As we recover from the ASF disaster and, it seems, gear up for another one, let’s not forget the huge theme park and high-rise development proposed by the Chinese company Songcheng on environmentally sensitive floodplain in Carrara. This company has had high-level discussions with everyone from Malcolm Turnbull down and you can be sure they are expecting high-level co-operation to go with it.

Indeed, according to their website they think they’ve got it and talk about how this will help China extend its “soft power and image” with its misleadingly named “Australian Legend World”.

They even talk enthusiastically about how quickly they got through the Foreign Investment Review Board, surprising all those involved with the venture.

Many local residents are up in

arms about this project and it’s clear that while all the high-level consultations were going on, the community was left out of the discussions.

Will this plan go the same way as ASF – wasting our tax dollars and creating stress and unrest for all concerned? Who knows.

Submissions closed for the Songcheng proposal last Friday and many are hoping the Council and State Government pay close attention to the objections and put local interests first.

ROSS JONES, CARRARA

ON Tuesday, April 10 and Saturday, April 14 thousands of people will, without choice, be confined to their homes and hundreds of businesses will be forced to close. Sounds too ‘Orwellian’ to be true, but this is what is going to happen in Currumbin and Currumbin Waters during the Commonwealth Games.

It is outrageous the Palaszczuk Government, the Tate Council and the Beattie Commonwealth Games are able to inflict this on me and my neighbours. It is a complete abuse of their power which is compounded by the stupidity of scheduling a closure on a Tuesday rather than a Monday or Friday which would at least give cause to have a long weekend.

The lack of decency in this whole ambit of decision making is breathtaking.

During the recent state election I expressed my outrage to Jann Stuckey (sitting LNP member) and to Georgi Leader (Labor candidate). Stuckey responded by sharing my outrage, but fell short of saying she would do anything about it if elected to government, and Leader, who doesn’t live in the area, didn’t bother replying.

Councillor Gail O’Neill has been quiet on this subject, presumably because she too doesn’t live in the area.

In contacting the Get Set for the Games people they have advised I will need to walk 5kms to the PBC High School and catch a connection of buses to work (and back) on the

10th. What a joke this group of Beattie appointees are.

I urge affected people to express their outrage on the closure days by demonstrating with anti-event placards, especially those who have premises on the route.

PAUL T, CURRUMBIN WATERS

STATE Governments need to put into ‘The Local Government Act’ that all Councils will hold official Australia Day Celebrations or face dismissal and genuinely celebrate our great nation from the humble beginnings and hardships of our original pioneers, the sacrifices of our ‘Diggers’ who fought and died to keep Australia the free country that we share today.

The only reason this generation exist is because of the sacrifices of others – they have never fought in bloody, horrific wars and few would have the guts or determination to work daylight to dark every day for a lifetime like our pioneers, just so they could leave a better world for their children and friends.

Lock Australia Day celebrations into law, with powerful laws of contempt and punishment for those who insultingly dare to belittle or ridicule the sacrifices of previous generations.

The Federal politicians of all parties need to come on board and legislate punishment for all who insult Australia Day or desecrate or destroy our flag.

GJ MAY, FORESTDALE

NEARING the end of last year our wise leaders decided people of the same sex could marry. Now the country’s leader has decided that some adults can not have even a relationship. My question is are we going backwards or forwards?

ROD WATSON, SURFERS PARADISE