Spit master plan closed door debate as council gets cruise ship terminal brief

Councillors will meet in closed session this morning as tensions rise between the council and State Government about The Spit master plan.

COUNCILLORS are to meet in closed session this morning as tensions rise between the council and State Government about The Spit master plan.

The Gold Coast Bulletin understands Mayor Tom Tate will attend today’s council planning committee meeting where the draft master plan is to be moved forward on the agenda for discussion.

A potential fisherman's markets at The Spit.

The debate will be about how council’s proposed oceanside cruise ship terminal at Philip Park fits in this whole process.

Councillors at last week’s full council’s meeting went into closed session to discuss the draft master plan but there was no discussion when they opened up the meeting.

Mayor Tom Tate is hoping to keep the cruise ship terminal alive with a new site to be at Philip Park. Pic by David Clark

The recommendations after those confidential discussions show council’s leadership group is furious about the time frame given to respond to the process.

The recommendation referred to “very significant issues” associated with the master plan and “the extremely tight time frame afforded to council to consider its response”.

Behind the scenes, it is understood the Government, while taking no position on the CST, during the draft master plan outlined the impact of the facility on Philip Park and surrounding open space.

Councillors have received a secret briefing that shows the impact of almost doubling the size of the proposed oceanside cruise ship terminal at The Spit.

The cruise ship location off Philip Park. Pic by David Clark.

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The Government briefing paper remains confidential but a graphic on the Spit master plan website explores the option of a 3750sq m terminal facility and another with a combined floor space of 5000sq m catering for 4000 passengers.

Cr Tate in his latest recommendation noted that council needed to finalise its position at the next full council meeting on February 12.

In the recommendation, he referred to the council having signed the memorandum of understanding with the Government which stated there would be “a collaborative approach”.

“The council is of the view that this approach requires a practical and realistic time frame for the council to properly discharge its decision-making responsibilities …” the recommendation said