Cruise ship terminal turnaround in Broadwater as David Crisafulli backs project

A HIGH-profile Gold Coast political candidate has thrown his support behind a cruise ship terminal at The Spit on the eve of Saturday’s election which could determine its fate.

THE LNP has changed course on the proposed Gold Coast cruise ship terminal with high profile candidate David Crisafulli in Broadwater strongly voicing his support.

The move is likely to divide voters in the key coastal seat of Broadwater.

THE TRUE IMPACT OF PROPOSED GOLD COAST TERMINAL

David Crisafulli at the Meet the Candidates meeting. Picture Mike Batterham

Mr Crisafulli, a former Newman Government Minister who replaced Verity Barton after a preselection battle in the seat in May, is the only candidate in the Coast seat to back Mayor Tom Tate’s pet project.

TERMINAL PROJECT ON ROUGH SEAS

Ms Barton in 2014, sensing a backlash in her electorate along with concerns about costs and dredging, was the only Coast LNP to oppose a cruise ship terminal inside the Broadwater.

The council’s proposed offshore Gold Coast cruise ship terminal. Photo: Supplied

At a Meet the Candidates meeting at Paradise Point on Tuesday night, a resident asked the candidates: “The Gold Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world, we are the tourist capital of Australia, where is our cruise ship terminal.”

POLL: PUBLIC BACKS TATE’S TERMINAL

Mr Crisafulli strongly supported the idea but with the proviso that both funding and location were “parked” at this stage as the council develops its offshore option and solves those challenges.

“Does the Gold Coast with all that is has to offer deserve to have a cruise ship terminal. Absolutely,” he told residents.

Mayor Tom Tate revealed his current plans for a Gold Coast cruise ship terminal before the March 2016 council elections. Pic by David Clark

“The argument that you should be packing up and driving to Brisbane is an absurd one. Because this city has been built on the back of tourism. This is the next wave of tourism.

“If the logistics of a terminal can stack up, if it can be done financially, if it can be done in the right place and overcome those planning hurdles that council is embarking on, this is a city of opportunity.

Cruise ship terminal gallery

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“The opportunity to have a base here all that is has to offer — the services and jobs for people, opening up the eyes of the world to this city — we should be grabbing it with both hands.”

HIGHER COST OF CST REVEALED

ALP Broadwater candidate Peter Flori said the Labor Government had decided to invest in a cruise ship terminal in Brisbane after lengthy studies on the costs and accessibility.

The offshore cruise ship proposal at The Spit.

“The Gold Coast will benefit from that. The cruise ship industry creates about 2700 jobs here in Queensland and with the upgrades to M1 it will be shorter trip for tourists to come from the cruise ship terminal.”

Tourist and transport experts agreed that Brisbane was the better option despite being “the ugliest stop on Earth”.

“We don’t have any infrastructure interruption to the ecosystems on the Gold Coast Spit as was originally recommended,” Mr Flori said.

Candidates for Broadwater at the paradise point community hall L-R Peter Flori, David Crisafulli, Daniel Kwon and Brenden Ball. Picture Mike Batterham

One Nation candidate Brenden Ball acknowledged there was a “strong will” among the community to see a cruise ship terminal but nearly “equally strong doubt about the validity of the proposed offshore model”.

“I think that until we know whether that is or not viable it’s really a moot point,” Mr Ball said.

Greens candidate Daniel Kwon said he believed there were better locations than the Coast from an environmental perspective.

“It is an estuary. A shallow place where sand and water moves in and out. It is not a harbour,” he said.

“It’s not Sydney Harbour or the mouth of the Brisbane River where large amounts of water can pass safely and we don’t have the issue of continuous dredging.”

He said he did not believe the cruise ship terminal would give the “best bang for our taxpayer buck”.