YOUR VIEWS

WE are cautiously optimistic on hearing the announcement that the council is working with the State Government to halt inappropriate applications to develop our precious floodplain – (“Floodplain pain for city”, Paul Weston, November 12).

Ordinary mums and dads, our retirees, our small business people all want the local economy of the Gold Coast to thrive and we have many divergent views on how that may best be achieved.

But there is common ground where we all meet and where our personal politics are set aside – protecting what makes the Gold Coast a magic place to live and work.

We speak with one voice on this issue – protect our remaining green space and our vulnerable floodplain.

So, if Councillor Cameron Caldwell is to be taken on his word, the Temporary Local Planning Instrument should temporarily close the door on development applications on the floodplain.

This will give the Council breathing space to update the City Plan to ensure no more stupid developments (read flood emergency plans based on lifeboats and helicopter pads) get across the line in the interim.

But, as always, the devil is in the detail. The TLPI will have effect in accordance with The Planning Act 2016.

Our concern is that this may in fact leave a large loophole for those developments now in the pipeline that were lodged under the earlier Sustainable Planning Act 2009.

What looks like a sensible brake on inappropriate developments, might end up leaving earlier applications to slip through unchecked.

We are particularly concerned that the preliminary development application lodged under the 2009 Act by Songcheng (a Chinese multi-billion dollar theme park development company), which includes a massive theme park and high-rise, high-density residential project on the Guragnubah floodplain on the Nerang River will still get the green light from council.

We would ask that Cr Caldwell give us his public assurance that this will not be the case.

SANDRA WALTER, SECRETARY, CARRARA FLOODPLAIN NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION INC

WE have a French president who wants to invite trouble makers into his country and an American one who wants to keep them out.

I know which one I prefer.

ROD WATSON, SURFERS PARADISE

OUR Federal Government needs to wake up and put a freeze on fuel excise now so hard-working families can survive amid everincreasing taxes and prices.

To delay is a slap in the face to every citizen.

Our Queensland State Government also needs to fix what they have broken.

They have proven every year that they have little interest in helping us with our fuel problems with their yearly 3.5 per cent rises in registration and licensing

And for this pain from them what do we get? Delays and excuses in fixing roads, and money spent on useless surveys.

The other devil is the Greens who for years have stopped the exploration and use of our own oil reserves by drilling for our own oil which we did years ago.

How much cheaper would it be for us all if we started up our own oil fields again, oil that has no excise on it because it is not imported.

It is about time we stopped listening to the blame game all these political parties love to play with us and we stood up and made it clear to them, fix the problem.

RON NIGHTINGALE, BIGGERA WATERS

NEWS of council workers out of their skulls on drugs is a real safety issue for unsuspecting road users.

Instead of “men at work” and 40km/h signs, we might now see: “Beware of flying council workers at all times”.

DAVID HALL, COOMBABAH

LET’S hope the government buying land in the Palm Beach area is virtually a promise that the G:Link will be built to the airport. (GCB Nov. 13). Nothing makes greater sense than this project and all on the Coast should be behind it.

Selfishness is behind a lot of people’s objections to the team’s expansion as the world has far too many people who only care about themselves and cannot see reason for the greater good.

KEN JOHNSTON, ROCHEDALE SOUTH