Inside story: what next with the cableway and cruise ship terminal on the Gold Coast

Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon and the LNP’s Sam O’Connor are on the front benches after their State poll wins. Their new environment portfolios at first glance seem a great fit. But there are political time bombs ahead with the promotions of both these young MPs.

• Which major project will be the Gold Coast’s next big thing
• Ask our reporters the big questions about major Gold Coast issues

LABOR’S Meaghan Scanlon and the LNP’s Sam O’Connor are on the front benches after their state poll wins. Their new environment portfolios at first glance seem a great fit. But there are political time bombs ahead with the promotions of both these young MPs.

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon has attended her first cabinet meeting as Environment Minister. Photo: Supplied

Ms Scanlon was Assistant Minister to Tourism Minister Kate Jones, and tipped to replace her.

Labor political strategists knew giving the Gaven MP the tourism portfolio would have led to daily media questioning about border closures and the impact on Coast businesses.

Being Environment Minister should be as breezy as a hinterland eco-tourism holiday.

But city councillors, most likely after the New Year, will get a report on a cableway.

In a mail out to her electorate, Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates found 73 per cent of residents supported a cableway as long as it met environmental standards.

The cableway being investigated by Gold Coast City Council would likely be similar to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway at Cairns.

When questioned by the Bulletin on the cableway and the proposed offshore cruise ship terminal at The Spit during the campaign, Ms Scanlon said: “Both projects have had a number of proposals put forward, none of which have been broadly supported by the community or have not stacked up on environment or economic grounds.

“If a serious, credible proposal for each project is put forward, that is supported by local communities, we will assess them on their economic and environmental merits.”

The council report should provide some baseline data on the numbers of tourists the city is attracting to the hinterland, and what can be done to heat up undercooked eco-tourism treasures like the Nerang forest bike trails.

The Spit master plan – showing a potential cruise ship terminal.

A council source said: “The report should provide us with an idea of how to better deal with our national parks. It will put Meaghan and Ros at odds with each other.”

In the shadow cabinet for new leader David Crisafulli, Bonney MP Sam O’Connor will be spokesman for the Environment, the Great Barrier Reef, Science and Innovation, and Youth.

Environment is a key challenge for the LNP, an area the party can pick up more of the youth vote and improve its performance in southeast Queensland.

When asked on the Coast about Mayor Tom Tate’s planned CST at Philip Park on The Spit before the poll, then LNP leader Deb Frecklington indicated that in government she would “work with council on this job-generating project” but it must stack up environmentally, economically and have community support.

Mr O’Connor was subsequently torpedoed by Save Our Spit, which effectively campaigned against him with images on their Facebook page picturing him in front of a cruise ship liner.

The young MP has built up a friendship with Gold Coast Shorebirds Group convener Bob Westerman, the “birdwatcher and passionate conservationist” who has worked to protect the Eastern Curlews and Broadwater sandbanks where the regular Siberian tourists breed.

Bonney MP Sam O'Connor with Gold Coast Shorebirds Group convener Bob Westerman on Curlew Island in the Broadwater on the Gold Coast.

In a post this year, Mr O’Connor talked about the Spit Masterplan and “the good news” about it protecting Curlew Island. In the parliament, his older colleague, Ray Stevens is more passionate about dredging the sandbanks for the safe passing of commercial vessels.

Whimbrel Migratory birds from Siberia on sandbanks in the Broadwater

Watching where Mr O’Connor and Mr Crisafulli sit on the offshore cruise ship terminal project, along with Mr Stevens, Rob Molhoek in Southport and John-Paul Langbroek in Surfers Paradise, will be fun.

The LNP boat, when it gets out on the water, well, it rocks a bit.

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