Hinterland residents mount ‘pop-up’ Cableway protest outside MP Ray Stevens’ office

HINTERLAND residents opposed to the cableway have begun staging a pop-up protest outside the electorate office of Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens.

Opponents of the cableway project protest outside the office of Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens. Picture: Jerad Williams

MORE than a dozen hinterland residents opposed to the cableway have begun staging a pop-up protest outside the electorate office of Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens.

Residents began gathering outside the MP’s office on the Gold Coast Highway just before 7.30am and plan to continue their protest during the morning.

Mr Stevens and his staffers had yet to arrive but the protest sparked support from pedestrians and the attention of motorists driving north to Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise in the peak hour traffic.
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Opponents of the cableway project protest outside the office of Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens. Picture: Jerad Williams

“Where is Ray,” a local resident on a morning walk asked the protest group which immediately sparked a chant from the cableway opponents.

They were holding placards with various slogans including “Don’t let Ray take you for a ride” and “trees not towers”.

Cableway No Way group spokesman Ceris Ash said the pop-protest was organised to alert voters in the Mermaid Beach electorate about the hinterland proposal by their MP.

Mr Stevens told Parliament in late October last year that he was part of a consortium which planned a $100 million cableway on a 9km route to Springbrook.

Despite numerous requests from the Bulletin, the Leader of the House has refused to provide details of correspondence between himself and the Integrity Commissioner about the project.

Opponents raise signs in opposition to the Hinterland cableway project outside the office of Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens. Picture: Jerad Williams

Cableway No Way spokesman Ceris Ash said opponents would continue to ask Mr Stevens to release details of the letters.

“The majority of proposed route is on State-owned land including the World Heritage listed Springbrook National Park and the Hinze and Little Nerang dams,” Ms Ash said.

“Ray is the face of Skyrail. We’ve decided to come down to his electorate. This would seem to a huge conflict of interest yet he will not release the advice form the Integrity Commissioner. Why is he hiding.”