Resort site not parkland
“The founder resided on the Isle of Capri. The company’s core business was drilling for many major wharves for a number of ports on the east coast of Queensland,” Mr Christmas said.
“It is a commercial area located between the Palazzo Versace Hotel and Sea World Theme Park and Sea World Nara Hotel, which qualifies the land for hotel, resort and entertainment use due to the current zoning.
“The site is not parkland. Eighty per cent of The Spit is parkland and will remain parkland.”
The real estate pioneer, who supports a master plan for the Broadwater, recalls the commercial zoning for that section of waterfront on The Spit was gazetted in the 1970s.
In the past 12 years the government had issued two tenders for development of the land and on each occasion received five or six submissions from national companies with substantial holdings.
“The State Government did not accept any of the tenders submitted,” he said.
The Opposition suspects that when a deal is struck it will involve a 100-year lease.
On the State Development page for the ASF project, the Government says it “is not pro- posing to give away Crown Land” and will consider leasing it to “achieve broad community benefit”.
“The Government leases other Crown Land for private commercial operations on The Spit, on either side of the proposed Integrated Resort Development site, including to Village Roadshow (Sea World), Marina Mirage, Palazzo Versace and the Southport Yacht Club.”
One Nation’s Queensland leader Steve Dickson asked Ms Palaszczuk if she would put a stop to the project given 70 per cent of Gold Coast residents surveyed in a recent poll were opposed.
She replied: “I have made it very clear I will listen to what the community has to say.”