Ray Stevens under attack about Hinterland cable way by former Mudgeeraba MP Di Reilly

FORMER Mudgeeraba MP Di Reilly has called on Robina MP Ray Stevens to resign from politics because of his role as investor on the new cableway proposal.

FORMER Mudgeeraba MP Di Reilly has called on Robina MP Ray Stevens to resign from politics because of his role as investor and adviser on the new cableway proposal.

Ms Reilly has remained out of the public spotlight since losing the Gold Coast Hinterland seat to Ros Bates in 2009 but intends to join forces with environmentalists to stop the latest cable car project.

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The former Labor backbencher believes the involvement of Mr Stevens in the controversial project will hurt the chances of Ms Bates maintaining her large support base because the cableway is being proposed for the heart of her seat.

“How much money has gone in,” Ms Reilly asked.

“How much money are they paying him as an adviser?

Ray Stevens has come under fire over his involvement in the cableway proposal. Pic Mark Cranitch.

“He should say that he intends not to run for the next state election.

“Say what you want about Peter Beattie (as a premier), but what he expected from government members and how we behaved was so much higher than Campbell Newman’s expectations.

“Beattie told all MPs, including backbenchers, they must divest any shares they held in companies that could in any way shape or form be impacted by a government ­decision.”

Mr Stevens, the Leader of the House, has not spoken on the proposed $100 million project since announcing plans for the 9km tourism ride during a speech in State Parliament late last week.

An artist’s impression of the Sky Ride proposed for Springbrook.

Ms Reilly said Mr Stevens had created an unnecessary political storm for Ms Bates, his Coast LNP colleague, in the lead-up to the next poll, likely to be held in March next year.

Ms Bates gained almost 62 per cent of the vote in the 2012 state election and has a margin of more than 25 per cent in the safe Hinterland seat.

“It will hurt Ros Bates. She works very hard,” Ms Reilly said.

“This issue will bombard her. It will become 80 per cent of her work.

“She has been taken pretty much by surprise about this.”

As the Labor candidate for the 2001 election, Ms Reilly spent 12 months campaigning against the then-Naturelink cable car project planned by a consortium led by Mr Stevens.

“It really split Springbrook,” Ms Reilly said.

“About 70 per cent of the people there were against it.”

After receiving strong support from environmentalists, Ms Reilly won the seat with an 18.4 per cent swing to Labor.

“I support genuine eco-tourism but my fear again is this will destroy Springbrook and we will lose our World Heritage listing,” she said.