Saturday 23 August 2008

Yacht Club demolition: one month to go

At 9am on Monday, Member for Cairns, Desley Boyle will be presented with a petition of more than 10,000 signatures, in opposition to demolition of the historic Cairns Yacht Club.

Wendy Richardson, representing the community action group from People Against Demolishing the Yacht Club, today wrote to the leader of the Opposition, Lawrence Springborg.

The aim of PADYC has been to save the old building in the spot on which it has stood for the past 100 years, for the community.

"Currently it appears to me we are getting insufficient response politically," says Ray Taylor, a long-time campaigner for the preservation of the building. "I therefore suggest, in the time now available, we urgently concentrate all our efforts in making our representatives at both levels of Government, to act.

Ray Taylor says the facts are clear.

  1. The decision of the Queensland Heritage Council is a rort.
  2. The objection to Heritage Listing was conspiratory in nature and not "Separate" as described.
  3. The signatories to the Trinity Inlet Management Plan failed in all their Objectives.
  4. The intent of the Wet Tropical Coast Regional Coastal Management Plan was very clear in relation to the Cairns Yacht Club building.
  5. The threats applied by the Cairns Port Authority to the Cairns Yacht Club in order to achieve their will.

Over 10,000 have signed a petition, the third time the community has now petitioned the State government on this. "This includes the e-petition but does not include people from outside Queensland or ineligible entries such as no signature, says Wendy Richardson. "As far as we can tell, these are all legitimate signatures."

Wendy Richardson has written to the State opposition, namely Mark McArdle, Leader of the Liberal Party, and Lawrence Springborg.

"With only a month left until demolition of the Old Cairns Yacht Club Building, your supporters, disenchanted Labor voters and many swinging voters in the Far North are watching anxiously to see what you are going to do to help us on this issue," she writes.

"I have been aware, but so have many people who have spoken to us, that the real issue here is the fact that the Labor Government is not representing the community. They are arrogant and will not listen or be brave enough to stand up to Anna and co, says Richardson.

"However, you are our opposition and we need you to help us to unashamedly apply as much political pressure as possible in the coming days and weeks on the Bligh government (including John Mickel and Andrew Fraser, the two shareholders of Cairns Ports)."

"You can demonstrate your resolve that you will be a party for Northerners who feel overwhelmingly neglected by the Government. Your silence or a lack of involvement now will speak volumes in a negative sense."

"I urge and request you as strongly as I possibly can to consider what you can do to make these people stop and think what they are doing before it is too late. 10,300 people have signed the petition and that was in about 5 weeks. These signatures will arrive on your doorstep on Monday, and we expect thousands more. Each one of these 10,000 people is aware of the issue and feels attached now to the outcome," Wendy Richardson says.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I support Wendy Richardson in all her good work. But writing to Opposition Leaders McArdle and Springborg is a waste of time. I understnd neither one can read, so I reckon Wendy will be waiting along time for a reply!

Anonymous said...

I disagree with Lance T. Royce above. The Yacht Club represents "the people versus the Government" and is a grim test of democracy.
We haven't been listened to on our urgent and dire need for more cancer treating facilities, nor our urgent need for a larger hospital and increased health services. We have been steadily disenfranchised, much as if we were tourists in our own city. That is the issue at stake here.

Anonymous said...

The Dish Pig is right. If a community can not win the fight to protect and save its own “cultural heritage” then it will never succeed on any issue. That’s the bottom line.