State talks on cruise control

COUNCILLORS want Mayor Tom Tate to contact State Development Minister Cameron Dick to sort out concerns about the master planning process for The Spit.

Councillors yesterday met behind closed doors at Evandale to determine how the council should move forward with a master plan and a cruise ship terminal.

In March, Cr Tate gave the State Government an ultimatum to either tick off on one of two options for the terminal, at either Philip Park or Doug Jennings Park, otherwise he would park the project until a change of government.

A recommendation from councillors at yesterday’s economy, planning and environment committee was the Mayor write to Mr Dick outlining “outstanding concerns” with a memorandum of understanding on the master planning process.

The Bulletin understands an MOU could determine who or which level of government talks publicly about the master plan during the next 18 months of community consultation and reporting.

Council sources suggest how the MOU is drafted can impact on the debate about a CST.

Outside the council meeting, committee chair Cameron Caldwell said there was a concern that some aspects of the MOU were not in the public’s interest in terms of “dealing with the public in a full and frank way”.

“We want to make sure the collaboration with the State Government is absolutely genuine,” he said. “There’s some drafting of the MOU at the moment which would lead us to the conclusion that we wouldn’t be able to MAYOR Tom Tate says he wants The Spit to become the Gold Coast’s Central Park, with community precincts similar to park zones in the famous New York model.

“In Central Park there are 49 zones, roughly 10 acres apiece,” the Mayor wrote on his Facebook page. “My recommendation is that The Spit’s parks and reserves are divided into community precincts in a similar way. “This would enable individual community groups to become the caretakers of their slice of Spit paradise. Each community precinct could have its own design and theme within overarching guidelines.” The council would supply the groups with recycled water to turn their individual precinct visions into reality.

“If a particular community group encounters difficulty, the other community groups can help out. This will build our sense of community,” he said. Delivering a cruise ship terminal was “the majority will of locals” and Coast residents wanted most of The Spit maintained as public open and recreational green space, he said.

communicate with the public as we would like to on matters that relate to the master plan.”

The recommendations confirmed Mr Dick had written to the council on April 13. The Minister advised that the Coordinator General had decided not to reassess the proposed oceanside CST off Philip Park as a co-ordinated project.

Mr Dick had signed off and provided the MOU for the preparation of the master plan.

He had also provided details on the “composition of The Spit Master Plan Community Reference Group”.