Gold Coast second casino: Hands off our public land as residents rally
Gold Coast residents will rally today against controversial plans for a second casino. Furious at the multi-billion proposal, they have a simple message for the State Government.
Council
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ANGRY Southport residents have told the State Government and council to “keep your hands off public land” at Carey Park.
Protest organiser and former councillor Eddy Sarroff today with about 20 residents began banging in anti-casino signs around the park opposite the Broadwater Parklands.
The signs had a message which said “hands off our public land”.
Carey Park is tipped to be in the top three of 11 sites considered for the second casino.
A major rally is planned for 5pm on Thursday when organisers hope to attract hundreds of residents and workers opposed to the site being one of 11 considered by the government for a global tourism hub.
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Southport-based councillor Dawn Crichlow who is supporting the residents joined a meeting at 10am today where a resident interrupted her media conference.
“There is a casino two kilometres up there. We don’t near a bloody casino here. Get your act together. Politicians get your act together. We’re cranky,” a resident said.
Cr Crichlow told the resident: “I’m cranky too. Every time it’s just a waste of money. This is absolutely ridiculous. We’re standing on land that the council is trustee of, and the council voted 11 to 3 to keep this for the public.
“This is just a joke. Let’s stop this nonsense.”
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Southport resident Richard Goodisson said he was concerned about the loss of more public land given the population pressures on the Coast.
“An integrated resort or a casino is a commercial decision. If the figures stack up they can buy land private land, at the going prices, not expect to get land free from the government,” he said.
Southport couple Colin and Suzanne Green said the area was used by workers to park their cars during the day and meet their families for recreation by the Broadwater at night.
“It’s upset everyone in Southport. There are old people (living in our building) who can’t sleep at night because they are terrified a casino will go up,” Ms Green said.
Mr Sarroff is furious about having to stage a second rally after residents in October 2017 in a protest convinced council to protect the park.
“This is valuable public land. This is heritage listed. The message we are sending is we don’t support the resort on public land. We don’t support it on a parcel of land ruled out by the local council,” he said.
“However, that message from the council hasn’t been conveyed properly by the council to the State Government. I think there has been a level of dishonesty by the council not taking a strong stance and letting the government know that they didn’t support this site after the rally of 2017.
Southport MP Rob Molhoek, who met with the residents yesterday, said the concerns of locals was about the sell-off of public land rather than a second casino.
“Their main concern, which I share, is the selling of public land, impact on the bowls club and tennis club,” Mr Molhoek told The Bulletin.
“The simple message of residents is “hands off our public land”. For them, they just don’t want it there.”
But the Southport MP has bigger concerns, worried about the impact of a casino on struggling nearby community clubs.
“I don’t think we need a second casino on the Gold Coast,” he said.
As a director of Runaway Bay junior rugby league club for several years, Mr Molhoek has personal experience of how tough it can be for a club to trade out of a difficult situation.
He also has concerns about the impact of a casino resort on Surfers Paradise which would be placed in between The Star at Broadbeach and a new competitor.
The stand by the residents and MPs has infuriated many developers and tourism identities who see the Government’s planned global tourism hub as a chance for the city to get a world class tourist attraction.
State Cabinet is expected this month to make a decision on going to expressions of interest for a GTH.
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