COMMUNITY group Save our Foreshore has criticised council after it voted to approve a request to extend the currency period of a development approval for operational works, at the Shute Harbour Marina Development.
The Shute Harbour Marina Development, as a concept, has a long history, with initial marina proposals being mooted in the 1980s and formal tenure provided in the early 1990s.
The development has been declared a ‘significant project’ by the Coordinator General of the Queensland Government, under the provisions of the State Development Public Works and Organisations Act 1971.
The approval has already been extended once and the applicant was requesting a second extension, taking the period to complete works to August 16, 2026.
The recommendation in the last council meeting, on October 30, 2024, was that council approve the request to extend the approval period for the Development Permit for Operational Works.
These include tidal works for construction of breakwater, dewatering and reclaiming land above and below high tide mark, including the removal of marine plants and vegetation, and works including civil works for the servicing of the future development area, including road access.
At the council meeting, Cr Jan Clifford proposed that the matter could be tabled, to allow for detailed investigation of their concerns.
Ms Clifford said it came down to access.
“I’m not anti it but I don’t want us ending up holding a bad asset,” she said.
“It would not be the State Government that gets blamed, it will be us.
“I would like to know their intentions. I’m not saying no, I just want clarification.”
The motion to table the matter was lost four votes to three with Cr Bauman, Cr Clifford and Cr Finlay voting against.
More discussion followed, in which other councillors also expressed concerns.
“This comes down to the intersection on Shute Harbour Road,” Cr Bauman said.
“What happens here comes back on us.”
Despite this, the resolution to extend the approval period was passed five votes to two, with Cr Clifford and Cr Bauman voting against it.
Save Our Foreshore said this was ‘not good enough’.
In a written statement, they said:
Save Our Foreshore watched our council in action at last Wednesday’s general meeting.
Although not unexpected, it was still extremely disappointing that, despite Division 1 Cr Clifford and Division 2 Cr Bauman raising significant issues with details of the plans provided by the proponents of the Shute Harbour Marina Development (SHMD), their resolution to table this matter, to allow for detailed investigation of their concerns, was not allowed by the majority of our councillors.
Also, in the application SHMD advised that some changes had been made since the last extension to this currency period.
But the suggestion that the proponent be invited to address council to explain these changes and the issues raised by Cr Clifford and Cr Bauman was ignored.
WRC is responsible for SHMD operational works and the buck will come back to all ratepayers in the Whitsunday Local Government Area, if details are not checked and council’s decision is found wanting in the future.
Yes, this would include Bowen, Collinsville and Proserpine ratepayers too.
Not good enough WRC!
