REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Thursday April 8, 2004

THE developer of a cruise ship terminal on the Gold Coast was thought to be known by the end of 2004.

The project gathered momentum after Mayor Ron Clarke met a consortium that wanted to build the terminal near the northern end of The Spit.

Cr Clarke, who was previously opposed to the terminal because of environmental concerns, travelled to Brisbane for the meeting and later met Premier Peter Beattie and State Development Minister Tony McGrady.

The minister and the Mayor also planned to meet a second contender, with Mr McGrady optimistic he would be able to formally begin the tender process within months.

Mr Clarke said his meetings with Mr McGrady and the consortium had persuaded him the terminal was an environmentally viable project that could add $1 million a fortnight to the local economy.

“I was worried about the Broadwater but I have been assured by all the people putting the proposal together that it will be OK,” he said.

“In reality you have to locate it somewhere and this is probably the only spot to locate it, so you have to make certain there isn’t any environmental consequences … their proposal appears to do that.”

Mr McGrady said he was anxious to get the project started and the two consortiums were both serious contenders.

“The State Government has done a tremendous amount of work on the concept of a cruise ship terminal,” said Mr McGrady.