What its future should hold has split the community, sparked rallies and been a political football passed between administrations and decades.

A lack of political will, changing circumstances and an endless fascination with what could be have seen big developments, community masterplans and cruise ship terminals fail to make the journey from the drawing board to reality.

From the 1980s plan for resorts to the 2001 unveiling of the first cruise ship project, there have been plenty of big ideas.

Community consultation is ongoing on the current masterplan, which has already given some early feedback on what people want to see.

Its final results are expected to be known by April next year.

1981 — The Waterways Authority plan.

IT was the beginning of a new decade and the Gold Coast was at the edge of a renewed development boom.

The same year the iconic Grundy’s Entertainment Centre was launched, the Gold Coast Waterways Authority unveiled its pitch for what should be done with The Spit.

Chairman Keith Williams, a prominent developer best known for creating Sea World and also Hamilton Island resort in the Whitsundays, showed off the plans which included a resort hotel built on what is now Doug Jennings park.

The “international class tourist accommodation’’ was to have marina facilities.

The marine stadium would have been created further south of its current location while a large marina was to be built around the Broadwater side of Sea World.

This would have included another resort hotel, marinas and parking.

The Gold Coast Bird Park, then a major tourist attraction, was included while private marine-themed development was to be allowed.

Mr Williams told the Bulletin at the time the authority was searching worldwide for people who could be able to help develop The Spit.

“This does not mean we are calling for tenders before the public is given a chance to see the proposals or the guidelines for the environmental impact study,” he said.

It never went ahead after an outcry from locals and conflicts with the State Government, according to developer and then-councillor Norm Rix.

“To my knowledge it did not go ahead ultimately because the premier (Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen) himself was actually against it.”

1984-1987 — The Seaway

HEAVY erosion forced the creation of the Seaway to stabilise the entrance to the Nerang River.

Training walls were built south of the natural entrance, while Wavebreak Island, the marine stadium, finger and the south channel were created.

1980s-2000 — Development.

WITH the Seaway stabilised, several major projects and attractions were built on The Spit over a 20-year period, some still there today while others failed the test of time.

Long gone are two small-scale theme parks that were tourist favourites in the 1980s — the bird park and the Spanish-themed Andalusia Park. Neither would last out the decade.

The Fisherman’s Wharf complex was built in the mid-1980s and became a favourite music venue, eventually hosting acts such as Midnight Oil, Nirvana, Violent Femmes and Cold Chisel. Despite being popular, it was never a financial success and was demolished in 1998.

Developer Sunland built Palazzo Versace in its place.

Still remaining from the 1980s development boom are the Mariner’s Cove complex and the iconic Marina Mirage and Sheraton Mirage complex, built by developer Christopher Skase in 1987.

1997-2003 Harbour Vision 2020

THIS attempt at a masterplan for the Spit was developed in the late 1990s. It was an attempt to create a plan that could be implemented over a lengthy period of time to prevent a significant drain on the finances of either the council or the state government.

Various proposals were floated that would have seen significant low-rise development on the Spit.

These would have included an amphitheatre in Doug Jennings Park, a maritime museum, a floating restaurant, a water park and swimming enclosure, gardens and waterfront restaurants and a lookout.

The southern end of the Spit around Marina Mirage would have featured three-bedroom waterfront villas, restaurants and cafes, a beach cultural centre, a community centre, an Aboriginal culture park, a plaza and a swimming lagoon, many of which would have been situated in Philip Park.

These plans were later dismissed by councillors.

It was finally adopted in mid-2003 but few of its proposals were ultimately implemented and it has languished as a footnote.

Disappointed by its fate is former deputy mayor and Save Our Broadwater president Alan Rickard, who proposed the motion to adopt the plan while he was still a councillor.

“The idea was that if it was implemented, it would be done by 2020 and our plans even included a financial plan,” he said

“I left in 2004 and I believed it would be picked up by the next council. It needed a lot of fleshing out.

“Unfortunately it has gathered dust ever since.”

2001 — The Desmond Brooks proposal.

ARCHITECT Desmond Brooks wanted to build “the most unique cruise ship facility in the world’’.

In the late 1990s he developed a radical plan to capture a piece of the cruise ship market for the Gold Coast.

Under his proposal, a permanent “shipotel’’ would be created with room for 350 residents on The Spit.

Wavebreak Island was to be the epicentre of the project, with room for two large-scale cruise ships to dock, with a bridge linking to the mainland.

A large lagoon, a marina, a “boatel’’, a mega-yacht basin and five-star villas were to be built on the island.

Two small islands were also to be created in the northern Broadwater.

The Brooks proposal was not solicited by the state government and did not proceed.

Today, some business and civic leaders say they are disappointed there has been no success in creating a cruise ship terminal since Mr Brooks first put up his proposal.

According to a report by the Cruise Lines International Association, the Australian market has seen dramatic growth in the past decade, increasing on average by 18.5 per cent since 2008.

A report in late 2017 revealed that the value of the cruise ship industry had reached $5.3 billion in Australia

Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan, a long-time supporter of the cruise ship industry, said the city had missed out on “significant’’ investment by not proceeding with any of the previous proposals.

“In the time since (the first proposal was made in 2001) our tourism industry has grown dramatically,” he said.

“But when the music starts, you have to be on the dance floor but if we don’t have infrastructure then we are not going to be able to take advantage of it.

“We have to have skin in the game or otherwise we are missing out to other places.”

2003 — 2006 — The Beattie/Bligh Era proposals

BY 2003, then premier Peter Beattie decided to back calls from tourism and business leaders to invest in the cruise ship market.

A feasibility study was commissioned by the state government in 2003 in response to various unsolicited cruise ship terminal proposals for The Spit, Wavebreak Island and on the ocean side.

Five options were considered — in the Seaway at Doug Jennings Park, the north side of Wavebreak Island, inside the Marine Stadium, just north of Sea World, and an offshore jetty at Philip Park.

The offshore option from this study was determined to be the most expensive.

Among those agitating for this development was a consortium led by former National Party state secretary Mike Evans.

His proposal included plans for two 300-metre berths with provision for another two berths in the future, retail outlets, an eat-street wharf precinct, commercial offices, a relocated fishing fleet, superyacht moorings, an indigenous tourist centre and a light rail connection.

It was this era of proposals which led to the creation of the Save Our Spit Alliance (SOSA), which has been at the forefront of opposition to development on the Spit since 2003.

In November 2004, then-state development minister Tony McGrady confirmed the government was “firmly committed’’ to the project.

The design put forward by Mr Evans was revealed in April 2005 — a $1 billion, 20-year masterplanned development that included a cruise ship terminal, superyacht facility, 500-berth marina, a new bridge linking Southport to Main Beach and a hotel.

By February 2006, nine major consortiums, including Raptis Group, Sunland and Multiplex, had submitted expressions of interest for the project. Then-deputy premier Anna Bligh said it was a vote of confidence in the economic viability of a terminal on The Spit.

But the backlash against the project was extreme, with thousands of people rallying in opposition just months out from an election the Beattie government feared could force it from power after eight years in office.

Cruise ship terminal gallery

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Nonetheless, the government pushed ahead and in April 2006 released its vision for the Spit, which would have seen the terminal built at Doug Jennings Park and a 345-berth marina inside the marine stadium.

Then Labor suffered a by-election scare, losing Gaven to the Nationals candidate. The Opposition had used the terminal controversy in its campaign.

Ultimately the Beattie government shelved the project entirely in late 2006 ahead of the state election.

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2007-10 — Failed proposals

THE state government received multiple detailed submissions from the market for proposed developments on the southern side of The Spit.

These proposals would have seen a new marina promenade road on the Broadwater side of Sea World and large-scale marinas built.

The 2008 global financial crisis saw multiple consortiums fail and no commercial outcome achieved.

The state government took the proposal to market again in 2009 and held detailed negotiations with Brookfield Multiplex and Sky City, but these discussions failed to generate an outcome.

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2012 — Council’s cruise ship terminal proposal

FIRST announced by Tom Tate as a mayoral candidate just days before the 2012 council election, the council considered five options, including an offshore plan.

This process was ultimately abandoned when the Newman government launched its Broadwater marine project.

2012 — Sembawang

SINGAPORE-based Sembawang announced a $4.9 billion redevelopment of Wavebreak Island to create a cruise ship terminal in July 2012.

It unveiled a proposal for a cruise ship terminal, six-star hotel, casino, cultural centre and superyacht terminal.

It was to be capable of docking two 300m luxury ships, or four smaller vessels.

A new island was to be built next to Wavebreak to house a masterplanned residential and tourist community.

However, this did not last long and Sembawang pulled out in late 2012 before the Newman government announced its plans for the Broadwater marine project.

2012-13 — LEDA’s Bilinga proposal

REVEALED in July 2012, developer Bob Ell unveiled his own cruise ship terminal proposal — this time near the Gold Coast Airport.

The $200 million project was to feature three ship terminals, three hotels, a casino, water park, underwater observatory and superyacht marina. It even had the capacity to berth US Navy vessels.

A significant outcry from the community, led by prominent surfers, led the Newman government to rule out allowing it to go ahead in 2014.

2014-15 — ASF and the Broadwater Marine Project

THE product of the Newman government’s Broadwater marine project, ASF was unveiled in early 2014 as the possible preferred proponent for the development, which would have included Doug Jennings Park and Wavebreak Island.

The highly controversial project sparked strong opposition which led ASF to redesign the project to remove the terminal from The Spit.

Despite the controversy, the Newman government was preparing to approve the project when premier Campbell Newman unexpectedly called an election for January 31.

The LNP government lost power unexpectedly and the new Labor administration waited four months before terminating the project in April 2015

2016-present — The Offshore terminal and master planning process.

UNDETERRED by the failure of several previous projects, Mayor Tom Tate unveiled his own offshore terminal project which he took to the 2016 council election.

Another controversial project, the jetty would be built off Philip Park at an expected cost of up to $526 million.

An expert feasibility report revealed there were 23 significant risk factors involved in the project that could derail it.

ASF meanwhile unveiled its own $3 billion integrated resort in December 2016, which was proposed for a site on The Spit just north of Sea World.

The seven-tower development did not feature a cruise ship terminal and attracted criticism before it too was shelved in August 2017

The State Government instead launched a masterplanning process, during which several community sessions have been held.

The feasibility of the offshore terminal will be analysed during the next stage of the process before the council submits a development application to build it.