Public consultation for Sunland’s $600m project

SUNLAND boss Soheil Abedian has confirmed bridges and tunnels are on the cards to help move traffic on and off The Spit.

SUNLAND boss Soheil Abedian has confirmed bridges and tunnels are on the cards to help move traffic on and off the Spit.

Community consultation on Sunland’s $600-million The Mariner project began yesterday as locals, both for and against the controversial twin tower development, have their say.

While much of the concern raised has focused on traffic issues to the Spit as well as the development’s 44-storey height, Sunland says both will be addressed before their application is assessed by the Gold Coast City Council later this year.

Sahba Abedian, Chairman, Sunland during the special event held at Palazzo Versace to reveal their proposed Mariner's Cove project for The Spit, Gold Coast. Picture: Regi Varghese

Dr Abedian said all ideas would be considered through planning for the project which will include a museum, arts centre and aquarium.

“No matter what, we need to address traffic and I believe water taxis is one of the answers we could have,” he said.

“A bridge could be another or maybe the tunnel everyone is talking about.

“As for the arts centre, I believe that as a member of this city we deserve to create something for the betterment of the community and art is something important for future generations.

“The business community leaders and some of the councillors are very much for the project but we will not know until D-Day if we will get approval or not but we genuinely believe that the city deserves to go into the next stage of development.”

Sunland’s proposed project. Pictured: supplied

More than 150 people attended the unveiling of the project earlier this week.

Opponents of the project have dismissed Sunland’s project as a “landgrab”.

Save Our Spit Alliance is actively campaigning against the development while the Save Our Broadwater group says it wants to preserve the Spit’s nature as a low-rise space and ensure “open spaces are protected”.

Others, including one of the leading members of ASF Consortium, have welcomed the “visionary” development.

The consortium hopes to develop its own large-scale project further north on Seaworld Drive but ASF Group executive director David Fang said the neighbouring project was a good example of what was needed to develop the Spit.

Artist Impressions of Mariner's Cove by Sunland. Pictures: supplied by Gold Coast City Council

“Of course there will be various hurdles to overcome and the community will give its final judgment,” he said.

Ray White Surfers Paradise boss Andrew Bell said Sunland’s plans set the benchmark for Australian architecture.

“It will set the pace for modern architecture for Australia and it will be an iconic building that will make the Gold Coast a drawcard,” he said.

“We’re blessed to have such a visionary development in our midst.”

An artists impression of inside the proposed development. Picture: supplied

A public information booth opened at Mariner’s Cove yesterday as part of a public consultation process being run by the developer.

This consultation includes an online survey asking people their opinion of the project and other elements.

The results will be used as part of Sunland’s submission to the Gold Coast City Council before the proposal is considered by the city planning committee.