Tuesday 15 March 2011

Paul Freebody's $30 million Underwater World. It's a sign.

Over the last week some rather average wet season rains fell and the Barron River Delta did what it does best - started to flood.

The delta serves as the proposed site for Paul Freebody's Adventure Water Park, and the former Cairns Regional Councillor and now LNP candidate for Cairns insists it's still going ahead. Or is it?

Here's some snaps sent in by faithful CairnsBlog readers from the last few days, of the proposed site at the corner of Dillon Road and Captain Cook Highway, near Smithfield.

Let's remind readers what has happened numerous times in the last 100 years on the Barron River Delta.

In the late 70's two significant floods in a short period engulfed the entire river delta system. It was so substantial that you could have taken a boat from Smithfield shops to Sheridan Street. The then State government commissioned a 300-page report, showing that development on this land mass was not smart.

So here's what happen in some minor surface flooding in the last few days.

These photos show the proposed site Paul's Underwater World. He planned to start construction a year ago. In November Paul told me that he was going to build the 'bund' walls before Christmas. Nothing has happened. Nothing will. Makes those water-logged councillors that supported this pipe dream look like damp sewer rats.

Be mindful that the photos were taken in the afternoon last Monday, after the water level had dropped by around 1.2 meters. At its peak, this flood was still 2.5 meters lower that 1979 flood. In other words, 3.7 meters higher than the water level in these photos.

And Mr Freebody wants to plonk a development here? It's just not cricket.

NB: Paul Freebody's selection as the LNP candidate for Cairns, is subject to an internal party investigation over his previous business dealings and a death threat.




12 comments:

Unknown said...

I miss the old shark world and The aquarium at the pier, i hope it gets the go ahead, when there is a will there is a way

Bryan Outlaw said...

Paul Freebody is one of the dodgy-er business characters (I'm loathe to say businessMAN) in the far north. He could have easily had this waterpark up and running if he listened to the professionals and others. He was advised numerous times by numerous people that the project would easily get the tick if he'd locate it adjacent to Skyrail and Tjapukai. He refused, wanting all the dosh for himself and unwilling to have partners.

The project might have gotten finance ten years ago when money was flying around everywhere. There's no way now.

So, what does Mr. Dodgy do? He kicks out the purchasers of his car wash business so he can take it back over again, even though THIS business has no chance in hell of making it, either. Labor cost in Australia is too high for car washes like they have in the USA.

Freebody's a jerk. What goes around, comes around.

Bryan Outlaw said...

Paul Freebody is one of the dodgy-er business characters (I'm loathe to say businessMAN) in the far north. He could have easily had this waterpark up and running if he listened to the professionals and others. He was advised numerous times by numerous people that the project would easily get the tick if he'd locate it adjacent to Skyrail and Tjapukai. He refused, wanting all the dosh for himself and unwilling to have partners.

The project might have gotten finance ten years ago when money was flying around everywhere. There's no way now.

So, what does Mr. Dodgy do? He kicks out the purchasers of his car wash business so he can take it back over again, even though THIS business has no chance in hell of making it, either. Labor cost in Australia is too high for car washes like they have in the USA.

Freebody's a jerk. What goes around, comes around.

Me me me said...

Bryan Outlaw, who made you God? People like you really annoy me, do you even know the man or had any dealings with him? If i remember correctly the car wash cafe was advertised for sale late last year in the Cairns Post, no one wanted to buy it and it went to auction, but still no one was willing to buy it, so Paul decided to buy it back. If i'm correct still there was mention of the owners wanting to sell the car wash before they went on a cruise? The car wash opened back up before xmas employing a few staff members employed by the previous owners.
Funny how you say it doesn't have a chance in hell of making it, ever driven past it and seen the queue of cars in the drive, i have on several occasions to me that shows a rather thriving business. I have also had my car washed by the previous owner and the current owner and must say the standard now is 100% better than before.
I hope the water park is built and soon, to see how many freebody haters actually go and spend their money there.

Bryan Law said...

to me me me: mi mi mi

Unknown said...

Hahaha Me Me Me.... Freebody just give up and stop trying to make comments with fake accounts! Your bloody so Obvious its not funny.
A Cruise??? with what passports did they use?

Me me me said...

Me me me said...

Why is it when someone sticks up for Mr Freebody that everyone jumps to assumption that it's him.

I was only commenting on what i remember reading in the paper, maybe someone should hunt out that edition of the cairns post and then we'd all know what was written.

The residents of this town love to see the down fall of others, just look at the comments on cairns.com.au of the Glenwood collapse.

KitchenSlut said...

I don't believe 'Me me me' can possibly be Freebody as there are insufficient grammatical, spelling and literacy bloopers?

Most significantly note correct usage of 'there' and 'their' in the same sentence. This would not be possible for Freebody unless an unintentional outcome of an attempt to parody himself?

Michael P Moore said...

PS: The sign lasted for four days before being "free-bodied"...

???? said...

Hi Mike,

Have you heard anything new about Adventure waters??
Do we know if Freebody is still chasing the go-ahead? Are the Cane farmers still appealing the councils decision?

And just a thought - sometimes it takes someone "dodgey" to get things happening, if it was left to all the "straight" people Cairns would never have anyhting!

???? said...

Hi Mike,

Have you heard anything further on Adventure waters and Paul Freebody???

Would love to know if this is going ahead or not, and When?