Environmental audit by Gold Coast City Council to determine next step in cableway plan
The next step towards a Gold Coast cableway has been mapped out, but not before more debate over the hinterland project. LATEST >>>
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THE Gold Coast City Council will launch an environmental audit into the planned cableway in the Springbrook national park.
After consultants had delivered an economic report at a full council meeting on Tuesday, councillors backed a motion by hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer to define the way forward for the project.
A pre-feasibility study by consultants Urbis costed the cableway at $170 million and suggested the project was of “merit” and should be pursued.
Cr Tozer’s motion called on council to:
■ Develop and execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Queensland state government and City of Gold Coast to consider a cableway in the Springbrook National Park and hinterland.
■ Include $500,000 to be considered in the 2021-22 budget process to assist with further studies.
■ Subject to the MOU being executed to council’s satisfaction, there would be a traditional owner consultation and environmental values audit.
■ Establish a method to progress a proponent-led development of a business case.
■ Provide a further report to council about the proposed approach to community consultation.
■ Be provided with all correspondence between councillors and the government. Ministers be included in an updated report.
The environmental audit would also include a summary of probable obligations of a possible future proponent under management for the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area and conditions provided by the Environment Department.
Cr Tozer said he believed all councillors would not want a development that negatively affected the world heritage area.
“We don’t want to lose that. It’s really important,” he said.
Cr Peter Young voiced concerns about the pre-feasibility report because it did not address wider environmental concerns.
He said the 2000 Naturelink proposal had raised concerns in a Coordinator General report about fire-risk and water-catchment contamination.
Officers said they were aware of the concerns raised in the Coordinator General’s report.
The motion by Cr Tozer was supported by all councillors apart from Cr Peter Young.
EARLIER
THE State Government has told the council it must embark on community consultation regarding its Gold Coast hinterland cableway project.
The Bulletin can reveal the acting Director General from the Tourism Department had written to the council providing the advice.
In a letter sent to the council CEO on March 26, the Director General confirmed receiving the council’s prefeasibility study.
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“The State sees a thorough and extensive community and traditional owner consultation process, led by council, as the necessary next step in determining the feasibility of a cableway,” the Acting Director-General wrote.
“The Queensland Government will consider the outcomes of this consultation as part of any later request for State Government involvement in the concept.”
The Acting Director-General said the study provided a “high-level outline” of the feasibility of the project but more consultation was needed.
Council officers, in presenting the study to councillors at an economy, tourism and events committee meeting on Wednesday, said the project had much “merit”.
Southport councillor Brooke Patterson suggested taking a broader look at eco-tourism in the hinterland.
A council officer in response admitted the cableway was “not a silver bullet” to improve tourism and a broader master plan for Springbrook was needed.
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Both Deputy Mayor Donna Gates and hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer support council first securing a memorandum of understanding between council and the State.
Cr Tozer was concerned about the lack of engagement with the Environment Department after learning it had amounted to an officer turning up to a workshop.
Cr William Owen-Jones supported a thorough investigation of the project but consultation with the State had to be “at the front of the transaction”.
He was concerned about council spending and suggested it should be made clear that council would not be involved past the “pre-feasibility and de-risk stage.”
Consultants in their report to council provided maps which show the study area extends across the valleys between Springbrook and Neranwood.
The Urbis report found the new tourist attraction would require a capital investment of $170m and ongoing operational costs at $5.1m and concluded it had “merit” in being explored.
But consultants warned the cableway needed to be eco-friendly and fit with the character of a national park. A section of their report noted the bushfire hazard.
Cr Tozer put forward a motion which was seconded by Brooke Patterson and backed by Darren Taylor and Daphne McDonald. Councillors Donna Gates and Bob La Castra voted against. Councillor Pauline Young was absent from the meeting. Councillor Owen-Jones and Cr Mark Hammel who took part in debate were not part of the committee and could not vote.
A majority resolved that council would obtain a memorandum of understanding between the State and council with regards to the cableway within the Springbrook national park.
Councillors also sought an”environmental audit” of the focus area between Springbrook and Neranwood, and for it to be onsidered in the context of a 2000 management for the rainforest area.
They also supported consultation with traditional owners. A budget of $500,000 has been set aside.
‘SHOW US THE DETAIL’ PLEA OVER CABLEWAY PLAN
THE State Government will require council to prove how a new cableway project will work in the Gold Coast hinterland before jumping on board the $170 million project.
Hinterland-based councillor Glenn Tozer, ahead of Wednesday’s council committee meeting to discuss the proposal, believes both the city and the State should undertake an environmental study before going to public consultation.
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But the Bulletin understands the Government is reluctant to proceed with a “green” check because the proposal lacks a private enterprise backer at this stage and specifics on the route along with infrastructure.
Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon told the Bulletin: “Springbrook National Park already has in place a management strategy, which recognises its World Heritage Status and environmental values.
“In the absence of any detailed proposal, outside the initial preliminary feasibility study, it would be difficult to specify environmental impacts and mitigation measures.”
In 2000 an assessment report was made in relation to the Naturelink Cableway Project which recommended the project not proceed, outlining a number of issues.
“The State Government is happy to work with council to explore eco-tourism opportunities however any new cableway project would need to detail how any future proposal would differ from the last.”
The Co-ordinator General in 2000 recommended against the Naturelink project after reading an Environment Protection Agency review, environment impact statement and public submissions along with legal advice.
The cableway, which was to be supported by 44 towers, covered a route from 4kms west of Mudgeeraba to Springbrook crossing private land, water reserves and the world heritage-listed forest.
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The Co-ordinator General said the material raised concerns about an “increased fire hazard”, threats to the Coast’s potable water supply and potential threat to World Heritage values.
Cr Tozer believes an environmental audit could be undertaken on the latest proposal because a report by a consultant had identified a “target area”.
Maps show the study area extends across the valleys between Springbrook and Neranwood.
The Urbis report found the new tourist attraction will require a capital investment of $170 million and ongoing operational costs at $5.1 million and concluded it has “merit” in being explored.
But consultants warned the cableway needs to be eco-friendly and fit with the character of a national park. A section of their report notes the bushfire hazard.
“The Springbrook hinterland contains extensive areas of vegetation that is capable of supporting high-intensity landscape fires beyond the capacity of emergency services to control. Locating the facility in non-bushfire prone land may not be possible,” the report said.
Cr Tozer has referred the Bulletin to a more recent report where a strategic management overview of world heritage rainforest reserves in 2000 gave similar warnings.
The strategic threats included “uncontrolled or inappropriate use of fire” and “inappropriate recreation and tourism activities” including the development of infrastructure.
EARLIER: CALL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY
THE Gold Coast City Council and State Government is being asked to fund an environmental study as residents voice grave concerns about the proposed Gold Coast hinterland cableway.
Mudgeeraba-based councillor Glenn Tozer has written to Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon and asked the Gaven MP to consider supporting a shared funding commitment to explore the environmental impacts before starting community consultation.
The Bulletin in an exclusive report on Friday revealed a consultant had given the council the green light to back a cableway. In a prefeasibility report the consultant concluded there was “merit” in investigating the city’s potential newest tourist attraction.
Cr Tozer shared the report on his Facebook page and residents immediately responded with their concerns.
“I can’t believe this is being considered again. World Heritage listed national park should be completely off limits,” a resident posted.
“Our irreplaceable natural world is continually being taken down by developers. Absolutely heartbreaking. We already have theme parks without making our most beautiful, environmentally sensitive rainforest into another one.”
Springbrook resident Ceris Ash said the main concerns for managing the Gondwana rainforests were climate change, the high levels of visitation, effective fire management and mitigating the effects of invasion by pest species.
“The recent fires of 2019-2020 have been unprecedented and their longer-term impacts are still being evaluated,” she wrote.
Cr Tozer in a post told residents: “What frustrates me most is not the consideration of major projects, but the cherry picking of relevant information to determine the community view. “Frankly, without a thorough assessment of the environmental value and impact of development in the target area, the economic benefit or cost is impossible to determine, regardless of what a consultant might say.”
In his letter to Ms Scanlon he said he was “neither for or against a cableway at this time” but the community needed comprehensive information on environmental economics and impact.
Urbis in their report found the new tourist attraction will require a capital investment of around $170 million, and ongoing operational costs estimated at $5.1 million but warned it needs to be an eco-friendly project that fits in with the character of the national park.
Cr Tozer told Ms Scanlon his personal view was that community consultation, at this stage, would be “unproductive” without material showing the environmental impact.
“The community are already aware of the supposed-assessed economic benefits, which is all we have to offer the public in any supporting material for any proposed community consultation,” he wrote.
Cr Tozer at a council committee meeting on Wednesday when the report will be discussed says he intends to ask councillors to commission a report so “mitigating measures could be better quantified”.
Recommendations in a council officer’s report suggest councillors endorse the proposed way forward which would see the council CEO “be given delegated authority to do all things necessary to progress the project”.
Part of that will include consultation with the community and traditional owners and creating a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and council to progress a proponent-led development of a business case.
Councillors will also debate ticking off $500,000 in funding from the 2021-22 budget.
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