Hurdles for casino punt
NEW mapping reveals the proposed site for an integrated resort and casino in Southport is heritage listed.
Internal documents also show that leases for the Southport Bowls Club and the neighbouring tennis club, which would be demolished and relocated for the project, run to 2026. In a special report, the Bull
etin details how a sea wall, which exists west of the Gold Coast Highway and is only exposed above ground near the Nerang River, is heritage listed.
Veteran Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow believed the documents, which confirm the leases and heritage listing, would make it impossible for the State Government to accept a council invitation to back the project.
An email trail shows Mayor Tom Tate wanted to move quickly after the Government dumped the ASF project on The Spit to ensure jobs and the resort-casino project was not lost to the Coast.
Data provided recently to the Parliament shows the capi- tal investment for the casino and resort, to be built on more than 5ha of Crown land south of Sea World, was $3.18 billion and would have created 1800 construction jobs and 6500 operation positions.
The Mayor has chosen not to make public comment after sending a letter to the Premier inviting Government involvement in a new site at Southport fronting the Broadwater Parklands.
In an email to Cr Crichlow, he wrote: “I am awaiting a reply from my letter to the Premier. It’s only appropriate that the Premier is given ample time ... and not blindsided by the media.
“After all, this is their land and their decision on an IRD. Once in receipt of this reply I shall distribute the correspondence to all councillors.”
The Mayor’s office maintains Cr Crichlow gave support to an IRD in Southport but the veteran councillor said she was never made aware it was on Crown land which included community assets.
Council cultural heritage officers said “heritage-listed mature significant figs and pa- perbark trees” could be found on the southern section of Carey Park. A heritage boundary includes a sea wall.
Carey Park was named after Cecil Carey who became the Country Party’s MP for Albert after his family set up one of the pioneering businesses in Scarborough Street.
His son Garth Carey only this week became aware of council’s plans to support an integrated resort and casino on the parkland and joins a growing voice of protest from older Southport families against the casino.
“I have a saying: if you get over 50 years on the Gold Coast these days, they chop you down, burn you up or get rid of you,” he said.
Cr Crichlow said she would invite Premier Palaszczuk to place a knitted scarf to join others around the heritagelisted trees in Carey Park as a sign of protection.
“This would be the first time on the Gold Coast that the State Government has revoked the trustee of Crown land from council,” she said.
JUST 24 hours after the Palaszczuk Government abandoned The Spit integrated resort project, a secret meeting was arranged between Mayor Tom Tate, his top bureaucrats and State Developments officers. Documents obtained by the
Bulletin show draft maps were quickly drawn up for a new site on public land at Carey Park between Queen Street, Ada Bell Way and Marine Parade at Southport.
The meeting was held at the old Southport Chambers, on the second floor above veteran councillor Dawn Crichlow’s office. The city’s most important business is done here away from the Evandale chambers at Bundall.
Emails show the topic was David Edwards Discussion ASF/IRD The Spit – a reference to the leading State bureaucrat who had driven the agenda for the Broadwater cruise ship terminal and The Spit casino resort projects.
About three hours after Cr Tate had called for the meeting, council major projects manager Darren Scott organised for State Development Special Projects director Michael Farrell to meet the next day. “Good-O. See you then,” Mr Farrell wrote back.
Mr Scott had sent off the draft maps and asked State Development to “please provide any comment – feedback”.
Four days later, Cr Crichlow who had injured her knee, was unable to attend an inspection with other councillors at the Gold Coast Airport. They had been alerted to a prior meeting there about an Integrated Resort Development (IRD) opportunity.
Cr Crichlow supported an IRD but maintains she had no idea of the location. It included Carey Park, the Southport Bowls Club, where she is a regular, and the Queens Park Tennis Club Centre.
The Mayor, and his office, understood Cr Crichlow supported an IRD in Southport, and in the wake of the ASF decision he wanted to move quickly to secure another location, project and jobs.
Critically, the discussion was held without a report being prepared for council and the area councillor being there. No official vote was taken.
A day after the airport meeting, before full council met, council bureaucrats in the major projects office were finetuning a letter from the Mayor to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
The proposed casino resort would overlook the “worldclass Broadwater Parklands” and “interface well with the adjacent properties and the broader CBD environment”.
The Mayor would use words like “I am keen to propose this publicly sooner rather than later, as part of retaining investor confidence in the city and Queensland”.
The council would assist the Government in informing the market process for the IRD and ensure appropriate infrastructure contributions were made to address the relocation of community services.
A week after the full council meeting and the Mayor’s letter to the Premier, Cr Crichlow on August 14 herself wrote to the Premier and sent off emails to Cr Tate and all councillors expressing her strong opposition.
“While I support an IRD on an appropriate site in Southport, at no time before Monday’s meeting (at the airport) had I been shown this map or had any knowledge of, or discussions with anyone about this proposal for that site which is completely unacceptable to me for an IRD,” Cr Crichlow wrote.
An email trail from a senior council property officer reveals Carey Park is Crown reserve land and “open space” for recreation. The bowls and tennis clubs are reserves under council control as trustee.
Their leases run to 2026. The 104-year-old bowls club is used by more than 30 community groups.
If the IRD was approved, the bowls club would relocate to reclaimed park land just north of the Southport Aquatic Centre. Tennis could be moved to Helensvale’s Discovery Park or the Golf club, or Miami’s Pizzey Park.
Four days after Cr Crichlow’s letter, councillors discuss their private recollections about the airport meeting.
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates wrote to her: “The Mayor was sure he had your support for an IRD in Southport – and this is a great chunk of State land and, if utilised, also addressed new and upgraded facilities for bowls and tennis. Would you share with us your reason/s.”
Her old colleague, Gary Baildon, wrote: “From my understanding, Mayor Tate showed us the map indicating the carpark between the Gold Coast Highway and Marine
WHILE I SUPPORT AN IRD ON AN APPROPRIATE SITE IN SOUTHPORT ... THIS PROPOSAL FOR THAT SITE IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. CR DAWN CRICHLOW
Parade as the proposed site and that you (Dawn) had agreed with the proposal”.
Cr William Owen-Jones advised Cr Baildon the Mayor had indicated he would discuss the planned areas with Cr Crichlow and then write to the Premier.
“Tennis and bowls was proposed to be relocated to the Broadwater Parklands in front of the tourist park – there has been no talk about tennis to Helensvale. None,” he added.
Peter Young recalled the Mayor advising that Cr Crichlow had sent a text indicating she could not attend the meeting and that “she supported an IRD in Southport”.
“When we took the informal vote to gauge support for the plan he showed us, he stated he counted Cr Crichlow in support,” Cr Young told her.
At the next council meeting on August 22, Cr Crichlow proposed a motion that no further action be taken to alienate the public land.
She lost having only gained support from Cr Glenn Tozer, Cr Owen-Jones, Cr Baildon, Cr Daphne McDonald and Cr Peter Young.
In an email, Mr Scott gave Cr Crichlow his recollection of events. After the Government terminated the ASF project, the Mayor had a “verbal discussion” which led to the creation of the IRD maps.
The maps were prepared as a “market sounding process” which could facilitate an IRD licence, he said.
The Bulletin has since obtained internal council correspondence on two other maps of the site which show potential obstacles for the project.
Council cultural heritage officers confirm “heritage listed mature significant figs and paperbark trees” can be found on the southern section of Carey Park. A heritage boundary includes a sea wall.
Premier Palaszczuk has yet to respond. Opponents of the casino project believe the Government must investigate the heritage listings before giving the development a green light.