Casino fears grow after plans unveiled for arts centre and Dunwich redevelopment

Plans to build an indigenous cultural and arts hub on a southeast Queensland island have sparked fears a casino will follow.

A map showing plans for Dunwich.

Plans to build an arts and cultural centre on Minjerribah, North Stradbroke Island, have sparked fears of a casino and a massive tourist hub.

The federal government allocated $610,000 to the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation to build the arts hub at Dunwich, also known as Gumpi, last week.

The main street in Gumpi-Dunwich will be given a facelift under the master plan for the township.

The federal cash is on top of $16.5 million in this year’s state budget for the Gumpi arts hub, which will be called Quampi, along with $2.5 million for a whale watching station at Point Lookout.

Fears grew of a massive tourism development, linked to casino operators, after the state government last month released its master plan for the area.

However, the state government has ruled out any casino on the island ever.

Quandamooka man Wesley Enoch, brother of Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch, will oversee the arts centre project.

Wesley Enoch has moved to Minjerribah North Stradbroke Island to oversee the project.

Mr Enoch moved to the island for the project with a start date yet to be set.

A draft of the Gumpi-Dunwich Master plan shows upgrades to the Junner St ferry terminal with a tree-lined walkway linking to the arts centre, which will be built next to the former Sibelco storage wharf overlooking Deanbilla Bay.

Wesley Enoch discusses the Quampi Arts and Cultural Centre with ‘Speedy’ Delaney and Bowman MP Andrew Laming, who said the centre was part of the island’s transition to self-determination with QYAC expected to take on a larger role on the island.

The plans also include transforming the former state primary school into a cultural tertiary education centre.

Straddie Chamber of Commerce said the arts centre was welcomed and so was a push for greater tourism and new hotels.

However, chamber president Colin Battersby said the local community “drew the line” at a casino.

A map of Gumpi-Dunwich showing the Junner St ferry terminal and the link to the Quampi Arts and Cultural Centre.

“The plans do not indicate a casino at the moment, but there was a delegation to China in 2019 when Jackie Trad met with senior government officials and hoteliers and that sparked paranoia that a deal was done for land to be allocated for eco-tourism at Dunwich,” he said.

“That could mean Chinese investors putting in money for hotels to be built on the island, which would definitely serve many of the casino tourists going to Brisbane when the new Queens Wharf casino opens.

“But the state government has not been clear about its plans for Dunwich or Straddie and many people are unhappy with the whale station at Point Lookout.”

An artist impression of the Quandamooka Art, Museum and Performance Institute planned for Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island.

Mr Battersby was speaking out after local community group Save Straddie said the arts hub and the multimillion whale watching station at Point Lookout were precursors to large hotel chains, such as casino giant Star Entertainment, moving on to the island.

In a public statement last week, the group said developers and hotel chains were eyeing off Dunwich ahead of the opening of Star Entertainment’s $3 billion Queens Wharf project.

The group also said land was being rezoned so it could be cleared for development.

“Star Entertainment also has two Chinese companies as partners in the (Queens Wharf) development intended to attract gamblers and other tourists from China,” the group said.

“Star Entertainment’s CEO Matt Bekier focused considerably on Stradbroke and Moreton islands when he spoke at a business lunch in 2016 and subsequent actions by the Palaszczuk Government indicate Star appears to be pulling the strings.”

A supplied artist impression of the main entry for the retail precinct of Queens Wharf, which is owned by casino giant Star Entertainment.

But Star Entertainment Group said it had no plans to build or buy a hotel on North Stradbroke Island.

The Star’s group executive external affairs Peter Jenkins said: “We have no intention of developing a hotel or any other project on North Stradbroke Island, and certainly not a casino.

“We have the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf project in Brisbane preparing for completion late next year and a $2 billion plus master plan in the Gold Coast underway with two towers currently under construction.

Construction of the Queens Wharf casino in March this year. PHOTO: John Gass

“Our resorts will attract more than a million additional visitors to Queensland every year. That’s where the opportunity lies for Straddie to drive increased visitation. But we have no plans for the island at all.”

Federal MP Andrew Laming told residents at a series of meetings last week that the arts hub was part of the island’s transition to full self-determination, which he said could one day include the indigenous body QYAC taking on a larger role.

“My vision is a harmonious and thriving Minjerribah, with a constellation of tourism and arts offerings by the 2032 Olympics,” he said.

“Worldwide, there is nothing like Minjerribah and facilitating every element of the visitor experience has to be our top priority after giving confidence to locals about the long-term future of this island community.”

Mr Laming urged residents to make their views known during the consultation period for the Dunwich master plan.

The next three-level of government community forum will be in Point Lookout on September 16.