Car parking along the Seaway wall to be removed under new top of The Spit plan

Car parking spaces are to be removed from the northern tip of The Spit in a planned move which has sparked angry opposition from residents.

Carparking spaces are to be removed from the northern tip of The Spit in a planned move which has sparked angry opposition from residents.

Community consultation by the Gold Coast Waterways Authority on a top of The Spit precinct plan includes an option which will remove at least 50 spaces from the northern ring road facing the Seaway.

GCWA plans say 113 car parks in total will be lost but 211 gained by building a new car park on the east-west road near the Marine Stadium and another area near the western Broadwater.

The master planning suggests the perimeter road between Doug Jennings Park and the Broadwater would be reconfigured to become a “shared space” replacing vehicles and allowing safer access along the water.

A new plan for the northern end of The Spit. It includes removing car parking along the Seaway wall.

GCWA research found 60 per cent of visitors to arguably the city’s most popular tourism asset are from within a 20km radius, arriving from Upper Coomera, Southport, Pacific Pines, Helensvale and Coomera. They drive to The Spit, as no bus service is available.

But surveying undertaken by the Main Beach Association, of similar numbers, shows their members want the northern car park to remain.

MBA leader Sue Donovan said 297 (94 per cent) of the residents who responded to their survey said they were opposed to the removal of the road and parking area at the Seaway.

“The majority of respondents to the MBA survey live in Main Beach or nearby,” Ms Donovan said.

“However, we are confident that visitors from suburbs such as Upper Coomera, Helensvale and Southport, who according to GCWA’s own survey, are the most frequent visitors to this area, would share the opinion of those who live in closer proximity to The Spit.”

Car parking at the northern end of The Spit near the Seaway. It could be removed under a new plan.

The MBA survey found 95 per cent of respondents had driven to The Spit and parked in the area overlooking the Seaway wall.

But just less than half were aware of the draft precinct plan. About 40 per cent reported difficulty walking.

“We ask GCWA to take seriously the objections of the community to the removal of this very popular amenity and to modify the design for both options of the draft Precinct Plan in accordance with public opinion,” Ms Donovan said.

Save Our Spit (SOS) in a Facebook post called for all current parking spaces on the southern Seaway wall at the northern end of the car park and on the Ring Road to remain in place.

SOS suggest that if possible, more parking should be added when the roundabout is moved slightly southward. The group is also strongly opposed to creating more events space.

Leader of the Main Beach Association, Sue Donovan, concerned about potential car parking loss at the northern end of The Spit. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

“Current evidence shows that recreational access particularly in the early morning for the predominant users – walkers, divers, surfers, fishing enthusiasts – should be the priority in this area and any loss of parking will inhibit their usage,” SOS said.

Federation Walk leader Lyn Wright on the eve of consultation finishing on Sunday called on GCWA to honour the legacy of former Southport MP Doug Jennings who fought to protect The Spit from overdevelopment.

Mr Jennings in early 1983 demanded the State Government and GCWA ensure the area was maintained for surfers, boaties and other recreational users.

He described The Spit as a place where “the traditional family can have an outing and enjoy themselves away from the hurly burly and business tourist areas and this is the way it must be maintained”.

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