Spit in line for $23m polish under Labor
MORE than $23m will be poured into upgrades on The Spit as part of an 11th-hour election blitz of Gold Coast seats.
New boat ramps, pontoons and a jetty inside the Marine Stadium will be funded by the Palaszczuk government if it is re-elected on Saturday.
The project, which will also include a “seaward promenade”, is expected to create 76 jobs.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the Spit held special significance for Gold Coast residents.
“The wide open spaces surrounded by water at the Spit is the Gold Coast’s play
ground,” she said. “Whether they come here to cast a line, go for a surf, walk the dog or just pull up a camping chair and take in the sea breeze, the Spit is special.”
Planning for Muriel Henchman Park improvements including new boat ramps, pontoons and parking will also be funded as part of the package.
They will be part of the Spit Masterplan which is being rolled out, and are on top of $5m of upgrades announced earlier this year.
Susie Gallagher, Labor’s Southport candidate, said the promenade would provide “a level and accessible surface for visitors to take in views of the ocean, South Stradbroke
Island and coastline”.
“A network of pathways will provide better access for pedestrians and cyclists to move between SeaWorld Drive, Federation Walk and oceanway pathways,” Ms Gallagher said.
“The works will also include a platform to allow surfers to safely enter the water.”
It comes as the state government named Tugun as the location of a proposed $40m satellite hospital.
The project, announced by Labor in September, is in the marginal seat of Currumbin and would create 116 jobs during construction.
Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles the Gold
Coast
said the hospital would boost services for residents of the city's southernmost suburbs.
“A satellite hospital in Tugun will be tailored to the needs of the Gold Coast community and can include ambulatory and simple day therapy services such as renal dialysis, chemotherapy, complex wound management, and urgent care for minor injury and illness,” he said.
“The Gold Coast satellite hospital will provide opportunities to incorporate innovative workforce models and virtual health opportunities including a range of rapid access consults, care co-ordination, remote monitoring and patient literacy services.”
It is one of seven in a
$265m commitment for seven new facilities in the southeast, along with beginning the planning for a new public hospital and health precinct at Coomera in the city’s north.
This new hospital is planned for a government-owned 13.52ha site on George Alexander Way and was announced in early October as part of a big-spending health package for the city.
Labor committed $3m to this project, as well as $5.7m to a second computed tomography (CT) scanner for Robina Hospital.
More than $113m will also be spent on an expansion of the Gold Coast University Hospital.