HOPE FLOATS BUT ENOUGH OF THIS SHIP
Plans for a CST have been making waves for decades. It’s time to either get it built or sink the idea for good
SURELY it’s time for our ship to come in.
Yet it seems that even after decades of debate over whether the Gold Coast should get its own cruise ship terminal, it’s still far from being anchored in reality.
Yes, Queensland’s Independent Co-ordinator General has given “coordinated status” for the project, meaning the next stage of planning can now begin with the council to launch a public consultation process, but haven’t we been here before?
It’s the same ship, different day.
I guess hope floats. And for good reason.
On a recent trip to Sydney, staying at The Rocks, I watched just how fantastic an opportunity a CST can be for a city.
But then, the NSW capital must surely offer the best docking location in the world – nestled between the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, it’s literally a tourist’s wet dream.
Almost every day we watched yet another giant of the seas cruise in and, within minutes, watched hundreds of tourists pour into the city.
Even if it was only docked for a few hours, it was time enough for families to spend their money – whether climbing the bridge, exploring the markets or just dining beside the harbour.
Personally, I’d love to see a cruise ship terminal for our city. My God, if Brisbane can make it work in a site set next to a sewage treatment plant – call it the Poo-rt of Brisbane – anywhere on the Gold Coast could top it in terms of good looks.
I have no doubt that ships (or rather, tourists) would rather visit our fair shores than Brisbane’s dirty docks, we just need to decide whether an offshore terminal is really practical.
Obviously environmental questions must also be answered, but given the proliferation of cruise ports around the world, I think we can manage to adopt bestpractice policies.
What concerns me is that, unlike Sydney Harbour, the proposed site at Philip Park on The Spit is not a natural fit.
Details provided by the Government show the proposed project includes a 950m jetty, a wharf with a swing basin, mooring and berthing areas, and a platform to transfer luggage, passengers and supplies.
A 780m breakwater running parallel to the shore at Main Beach will need to be built to “protect the terminal and ships from ocean swell”.
Initial costings have the project estimated at between $400 million and $650 million – an awful lot of money to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Beyond the physical practicalities, it’s not a project that is a good fit in terms of bringing our city together either.
Indeed, even as the CST surfaces as a key council poll issue, candidates are reluctant to state their positions on the project – such is its polarising effect.
That’s not to say it should be sunk. After all, many progressive steps that we praise now were historically fought by a segment of the public. Change is never easy
after all, and not everyone can have vision.
Honestly, I would love to see a CST for our city. I would love to see the jobs and the money it could bring.
And I hope the due diligence will show that it is indeed workable.
But I also think this has to be the last time we float the idea.
It’s been decades of time and money spent on various proposals.
Sometimes you have to own up to the fact that it just might not be the right place … even if it is the right time.
By all means, if this doesn’t work out, let’s keep dreaming of big and bold projects for our city rather than continue to be distracted by the one that got away. One day our ship will come in … it just might not be an actual boat.