Friday 18 September 2009

Freebody takes his propaganda to Councillors today

It's been a big week at Cairns Regional Council

Today, waterpark developer Paul Freebody will take his sales spin to a private session with Cairns Regional Councillors, in an effort to convince them that they should support his plan.

At this stage, there has been no formal Council planning officer's report presented, which is expected to be given to Councillors in the next few days.

For the developer to present to Councillors, without them having any background information in advance, makes this a waste of time. It merely becomes a sales beat up.

CairnsBlog has called for a moratorium on development in the Barron River and Thomatis Creek Delta. Incremental development, including the massive sand excavations over the last 15 years which are seeking extensions into neighbouring sugar cane farms, are having a massive effect on the river system, and how the annual wet season flooding is changing the river system and affecting local beachside communities.

For the last five months or more, the Cairns Post has blindly supported the waterpark proposal, publishing a series of pre-written articles and letters from the developer, without undertaking any independent investigation into the proposed site.

Councillors Blake and Cochrane, along with Bonneau are known to be strong advocates for their former colleague. When they heard about the concerns and objections from submissions, and discussions on CairnsBlog, they were defiant that this was going to be a good economic opportunity.

Seems they don't understand nor care about the Barron River and Thomatis Creek Delta. I bet they wouldn't even know that Thomatis didn't exist 70 years ago, but now is on the verge of becoming the main mouth of the Barron.

A leaked source from Council's planning department, say they're "far from satisfied about the site chosen."

Freebody's application will be formally heard by Council next Wednesday.

10 comments:

portmultimedia said...

Mike, 99% of the rest of us disagree with you, the proposed Adventure Waters development will have a state-of-the-art water recycling plant. Extensive hydrological studies have been done in a year when we got above average rainfall and the environmental footprint compared to the economic benefit of such a proposal is small by comparison.
I can’t help but feel it is not so much the environment you bleed for rather than an inflated sense of self importance and a desire to destroy anyone that disagrees with your personal opinion. This Water Park on the scale that is being proposed will not work anywhere else other than on the site specified and would be a great drawcard to Cairns for entire families not just couples and singles.

Jude Johnston said...

Have a read of the Officers report and the reasons why this Water Park should not be built on this site. I guess I must be the 1% that agrees with Ross, Mike and the submitters who oppose this development. As for this not "working on any other site", seems there could be plenty of areas up on the Tablelands where it would work. Mind you a 27m tower will stick up like the proverbial dogs.... no matter where it is.

Matt Heirink said...

Well portmultimedia, it seems that your 99% figure is a bit shaky, because even the Council planners are recommending that this application be refused - see:

Counil Freebody Development Application

And as for the "great drawcard to Cairns", I would have thought the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforests are the real drawcards for Cairns. People can go to water parks anywhere.

portmultimedia said...

The proposed Adventure Waters water park is a good, sane economic low impact development that will have very little effect on its surrounds. The "Technicalities" put forward to the Cairns Council by the Planning department are preliminary and would be the same standard off the shelf reasons they give with any other development of any kind. This project will employ hundreds of people in both construction and production for many years to come.
I hope this project goes ahead, it is such a low impact development and the economic benefits would far out-weigh any negatives. Again, I think it is more about WHO is doing the development rather than the development itself... Sad really.

Matt Heirink said...

Read the report portmultimedia. These are not technicalities, or off the shelf reasons. Council planners have identified eleven major planning issues that this development contravenes.

Actually, give the track record on Council planners' willingness to endorse development approvals on the northern beaches, this report is especially damning of the water park project. It's nothing to do with who the owner is either. Clearly from a planning perspective, the project doesn't stack up at that location and no amount of tinkering will make it compliant.

It will be interesting to see which Councillors will vote against the advice to refuse.

Paul Taylor, Maryborough said...

Well "portmultimedia", Paul Freebody typed all those words and put you up to it to post as a comment.

They are not your words at all.

It's his sales spin he's been using for weeks and months.

Are you on a kick back as well Mr Brendan Fitzgerald of Port Douglas?

What's in it for you?

portmultimedia said...

Listen to the Paranoia; it is not a sales blurb Paul Taylor. I come in here occasionally just to have my 10 cents just like most other folks. I am not sure how this issue this will effect you down in Marybough but I can assure you, there is nothing in anything for me and personally I have never ever met the man. But I do think this project is a great opportunity for Cairns at a time when not a lot is happening. I also know some students at the campus who are looking forward to part time jobs. Mr. Taylor you use my real name as if you are trying to 'dob me in' for being some kind of radical Waterparkian who should be burnt at the stake. Well Mr. Taylor, I would not be using my profile if I was not prepared to stand up for what I believe in! I do think there is a tad to much “Land Rights For Gay Whales” in here sometimes. When you see ill-informed people trying to sink a hundred or so Cairns jobs at a time when our unemployment is at 12.5% I just get pissed off…next!

Trisha said...

i can't see why council wouldn't approve this "because it doesn't approve with the CairnsPlan". hasn't stopped them before, has it.

1846 said...

Yes i agree this park will be the best thing to happen to cairns.. kathy plath is only a board member not a investor.. im guessing she would be getting around 30k a year for her work.. this park will flood cairns with money more that the delta could offer you Chow
(posted at 1:03am)

nocturnal congress said...

No-one is against the Water Park, however we agree with Simon Clarke in his report that the nominated situation of the Park "poses a risk to the community." This is the issue. We believe it should be located elsewhere. And, believe it or not, most of us commenting here will be patrons!!!