SPIT and a history of ‘polish’
From pioneer Keith Williams to disgraced businessman Christopher Skase, golf courses, bird parks and building height wars ...
MORE than $500m in development is in the pipeline for The Spit.
The Spit Masterplan, developed over several years with significant engagement from the community, has allowed for development in the southern areas while keeping the area north of Sea World free of the towers.
This year has been a hotbed of activity for the area, including the unveiling of two developments and opening of a longawaited superyacht terminal.
In December 2021, developer Gordon Corporation, headed by experienced builder Tim Gordon, filed plans with the council for Village Centre, a $100m, three-storey residential project to go on an empty site next to Mariner’s Cove.
This week, Melbournebased developers Pelligra Group and Giannarelli Group revealed they were planning to build a three-storey precinct that would include a six-star branded hotel, floating beach club, more than 5000sq m of restaurants and bars and a “white glove” superyacht marina.
The developers have bought the precinct’s lease in an off-market sale from its owner Ridong, which was planning its own $100m Chinese-themed seafood market, dining precinct and aquatic entertainment centre.
They are the latest steps in more than 50 years of controversial development plans.
In 1971, developer Keith Williams secured 50ha on The Spit from the state government to build his Skiland park and dredged out an artificial lake.
The doors opened on October 30, 1971 and it proved an immediate hit.
Less than a year later the attraction’s name was changed to Sea World and it grew into one of the Gold Coast’s biggest theme parks.
Fast-forward to the early 1980s and another theme park joined the fray.
The site of the Bird Life Park was bought in 1981 by Hans Van der Drift, a veteran Gold Coast small goods manufacturer who wanted to try his hand at something radically different.
With a theme park in his possession, Mr Van der Drift shifted focus away from birds to Spanish horses and the redeveloped site became Andalucia Park.
Andalucia Park was heavily featured in marketing for the Gold Coast through the early 1980s in conjunction with its contemporaries – Magic Mountain and Grundy’s.
But like the former, it was beset by financial problems and struggled with rapidly rising costs, despite entertaining big crowds.
Mr Van der Drift, facing financial difficulties, filed a development application with the Gold Coast City Council to build The Lagoons, a three-storey resort on the 4.23ha site that would feature up to 400 rooms.
The project was approved and international chains were wooed for the project through 1984.
The Sheraton was one of the interested parties.
In 1985, publicly traded company Qintex, headed by business mogul Christopher Skase, bought the site from Mr Van der Drift for up to $9m.
Skase announced he would spend $50m to build a resort, something he realised two years later with the opening of the luxurious Sheraton Mirage.
But Skase dreamt of something far larger – he wanted to transform the entirety of The Spit into a golf course in a bid to cater to the highly lucrative Japanese tourist market of the era.
Council approved the Mirage in 1986 but told Skase he had no hope in hell of getting his golf course approved.
Alderman Athol Paterson blasted Skase for attempting to push the envelope.
“Tennis courts, a pool and a golf course were all sited on land that belongs to the public,” he said.
“We were told that Mr Skase had a proposal for an international golf tournament to be played on the course.
“It was explained to the architect that council would never approve such a plan and that the developer should revert to his original proposal.”
Conflict again erupted in 1987 when it became clear the Gold Coast Waterways Authority and the council had conflicting development plans for the area.
In May of that year, the Waterways Authority called for tenders for the “world’s most beautiful golf course’’ on 50ha reclaimed on the tip of South Stradbroke Island.
It was expected the Sheraton-mirage Hotel would seek this to add to its concept of a “total resort’’.
Queensland University town planner Phil Day called it a “planning monstrosity’’.
In 1989, the council moved to rezone the island to prevent the golf course from being built.
Planning committee chairman Alderman Lester Hughes said it was time to halt speculation on the island’s future.
NEXT WEEK: GIANT TOWERS AND RESORTS