WHEN A BRANCH STARTS TO SPLIT

No to a cruise ship terminal but yes to a 44-level tower plan raises questions about the vagaries of progress

BEFORE the V8 Supercars roar through Main Beach, the Priscillas of Tedder Ave paraded the streets.

Carlotta and her drag queen crew were part of a special promotion designed to bring back trade to the Main Beach restaurant precinct.

The Main Beach Progress Association (MBPA) is headed by enthusiastic, vocal and hardworking volunteers focused on promoting the once exclusive dining strip, now struggling after losing three eateries, four clothing boutiques and the TAB.

On Sunday, the fanfare continues with the road from Hughes to Cronin avenues closed from noon to 10pm for a fashion parade and glamour Gatsby Experience with charleston dancers as part of the GC600 festival.

On your way to the race, take a look at the trees on the sidewalk where the council has installed fairy lights to brighten the place.

In its latest newsletter, MBPA noted: “When the trees were planted many years ago, they were planted above the ground in planter boxes.

“Now the major roots are growing above the ground, the planter boxes are breaking up, and with the best advice from professional arborists, the only remedy is for the trees to be removed.”

All of this is a roundabout path to talk about the grassroots community politics at play along Tedder.

One of this city’s oldest and most influential lobby groups, MBPA was an outspoken opponent to the Broadwater cruise ship terminal. Residents fearing traffic gridlock applauded the stand.

But The Spit’s latest fight has the MBPA, after some schmoozing with Sunland’s Soheil Obedian, supporting his twin 44-level tower development at Mariner’s Cove.

Your columnist contacted resident and businesswoman Susan Donovan, who admits she admires Mr Obedian as a developer and understands the MBPA is about progress. She adds that she is not linked to any green groups.

If you read Ms Donovan’s objection among the many on council’s planning online system and another by her body corporate at the Admiral North tower, it raises questions about MBPA’s stand.

When asked about MBPA, she replied: “The body corporate doesn’t seem to know about them or have any dealing with them.”

Ms Donovan told council planners the site “was bought very cheaply” by Sunland and a low-level development which fits the three-storey height limit for The Spit, similar to Palazzo Versace, would be viable for the developer.

Referring to Sunland’s plans for a museum, she wrote: “And by all means develop a Zaha Hadid building on the Coast, but not on what is the only oasis of natural land on the northern part of the Coast.

“The busloads of Chinese tourists who visit Main Beach every day are here for the natural beauty, not the highrise towers they can visit in Singapore or Miami.”

The body corporate asked for an extension of the October 16 deadline for submissions to the development for another six weeks.

“At this stage, we absolutely oppose this development and intend to consult with all owners,” the body corporate told council.

So, remember those planter boxes, the roots growing above the ground, the trees breaking up?

That is the risk for a community group when it splits from its grassroots supporters.

The body corporate doesn’ t seem to know about them or have any dealing with them