Mission Beach’s dubious plan

PETER Heywood’s letter ( TB, 31/ 1) introduced a proposal for Mission Beach originally intended for “locals only”.

The idea was for better recreational boating access on a tiny headland in wide- open Boat Bay, on a cyclone coast, where it rains heavily about seven months of the year, and to stop commercial boats from hogging recreational space.

To this end, the Queensland Government actively restricted “public” negotiations to Mission Beach residents only, refusing “wider” conservation group input.

Now Peter tells us locals will have to compete with “the wider community” – every boatie from Townsville to Cairns, including the Tablelands. And commercial operators as well.

Peter, there isn’t the space. The car parking doesn’t add up. Have a look at the plan.

I draw the line even wider: given the shifts and turns of the locals- only reference group, given technical gaps in the application, given a coralkilling rock wall proposal in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, given this marine- only permit is an “enabler” for terrestrial works and impacts on cassowaries not considered by the GBRMPA.

I invite everyone to view the permit application.

It can be found on the Transport and Main Roads site at tmr. qld. gov. au/ projects. MARGARET MOORHOUSE, Spokesperson, Alliance to

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