Cruise ship terminal in the broadwater

[Fast Break]

What does everyone think about the planned cruise ship terminal and development in the Broadwater?

I have been fishing the Broadwater all of my life and I have real concerns about what impact the planned development will have on the area.

My personal thought is why can't they just leave it alone so that the thousands of people who use that area will still have it to use for future generations.

I am concerned that the development will destroy fish habitat including the banks that we use to collect bait and may also affect access to the area.

Just wondering what everyone else thinks.

FB

[8astripey]

I'm with you on this one mate. not only will it destroy the natural flow of water etc thru the channel it is going to give the good citizens of the gold coast extra rates to pay for it. The dredging that will have to take place will be done every second year to keep the Chanel open. Remember that big flood every now and then, what is going to happen to the area when that comes through.
Still nobody would of thought the old White Shoe brigade would ever get back in to business in Qld again. How did a Premier get into power without any stated policy? where we that pissed off with Captain Bligh and her Kremins that we would take on Newman. Still i suppose all those old retirees that are getting thrown out on the street from the state run eventide homes will be able to look forward to Bruce Flegg gloating on the new multi-million dollar cruise terminal whilst he is in his apartment in the good old USA, wonder if he will sponsor a homeless pensioner to the nosh up when they announce it. Easy way to get the State budget into a surplus, (why do we need a surplus when every nation is in debt) because that is the only way the New kids will keep the key in 3 years. Closing down nearly every fish habitat group that has had only good benefits for the state will set the fishing fraternity back years. Still we did ask for it letting the Bligh clowns run for so long, maybe next election people will think twice about voting their MP back in because they are too lazy to get involved .

[Triple]

Rally is on tomorrow - http://www.saveourspit.com/

[PinHead]

I have no idea what difference the cruise ships will make but any talk about "natural flows" is all jibberish. The natural flow was altered in the mid 80's with the building of the seaway and wave break island..and to this day there is nothing natural about it as the sand is pumped away and over to Sth Stradbroke.

I can remember walking through scrub at the spit out to the end of it back in the old days..pre Sea World..there was a bird park I think it was on the other side of the road at that time. Everything changes with time and no one really knows what these changes will do to the environment..clearing the scrub on the Spit changed that forever.

[Lucky_Phill]

The terminal will be a disaster.

Have you seen the size of these ships ???

Board riders ( swimmers ) across the seaway will be sucked into the bowels of the cooling systems, all boating will be stopped when they enter the seaway ( terrorist threat ), they will be unable to turn around and basically will be a hazard. The Seaway is TOO narrow to accomodate these types of ships, anyway.

The Gold Coast has way too much traffic, both vessel and vehicular now, let alone having this floating " House of Debauchery " spewing out 2,000 victims in an hour and allowing another 2,000 on within the next couple of hours, not to mention the stock piling of " liquid personality " and food stuffs.

Bad idea................... and I highly doubt it will ever go ahead... simarily, the Space Rocket launching Station at the Cape York.

I might even head down to the protest after the Boaties Market.

LP

[cuzzamundi]

I had the same thoughts as LP - how the hell are they going to turn these rigs around??? Also, will the actual seaway be wide enough to get them in? It's a pi$$er all round as far as I can see, and I hope it gets canned. Bad for surfers, too.

Cuzza

[Fast Break]

That is my may concern Cuzza, how will they turn the ships around. There is only one way and there is only one way and that is to take big chunks, if not all, of the banks out of the middle of the broadwater. These are the banks that are habitat for the yabbies, soldier crabs, worms, whiting, bream, flathead and many other species of fish that form a part of the Broadwater ecology.

Pinhead, nice to hear from someone who has some of the same memories as myself. I well and truly remember jumping in the boat with my father on the Southport side of the Broadwater with the surf gear, driving across to the eastern side of the Broadwater and then walking across the dunes and through the scrub to fish for Tailor in the surf. This was way before Seaworld and Nara Resort and the development of what we now know of the spit.

The main channel used to run down the Southport side of the Broadwater with the biggest boats of the time, the fairies taking day trippers up to South Straddie, stopping at all the jetties along the way to pick up their passengers.

I remember the lives lost on the then notorious Southport bar which resulted in the development of the seaway, Wave Break Island and the creation of what is now the main channel that runs down the Eastern side of the Broadwater. You are right Pinhead this development did change the natural flows of the Broadwater.

The creation of the seaway and Wave Break Island did change the area for ever but in my opinion had a very minimal impact overall. As I said above, I fear that the removal of the banks in order to create a deep water harbor would just have to big of an impact and would destroy a magical piece of Queensland for ever.

My other fear is what access will the public of Queensland have to the area? You can bet that restrictions will come with the whole deal.

This piece of water has been used by Queenslanders for generations, I am sure there are many families out there that are like mine whose grandparents and parents fished the Broadwater. My father taught my brothers and I to fish there and I have spent the past 48 years fishing there and I am now teaching my sons to fish there. I am sure there are many families like my family. My sons 11 and 12 are devastated that they may not get to use this area in the future, they too have already come to love this area and treasure the place.

Lucky Phil I am hoping that you are right and that the logistics of it all will mean that it will not get off the ground.

My use of the area is for fishing and I acknowledge all those other Queenslanders who use it for boating, jet skiing (even though you drive me crazy at times), kite surfing, diving and wind sailing. I think that this area should be left for all to use.

I appreciate that everyone is entitled to their opinion, just thought that I would share mine.

FB

[NAGG]

Who did the feasibility study (engineer Newman himself by the looks of it) ? - I just cant picture how it would work when you consider that the Brisbane river is only just suitable for these cruise ships .

The economic benefit would be hardly worth it when you look at the caveats placed on the developers ......... I would be surprised if this even goes ahead

Chris

[Mike Delisser]

Pinhead, nice to hear from someone who has some of the same memories as myself. I well and truly remember jumping in the boat with my father on the Southport side of the Broadwater with the surf gear, driving across to the eastern side of the Broadwater and then walking across the dunes and through the scrub to fish for Tailor in the surf. This was way before Seaworld and Nara Resort and the development of what we now know of the spit.

The creation of the seaway and Wave Break Island did change the area for ever but in my opinion had a very minimal impact overall. FB

Up until they constructed the Seaway we used to be able to target and get good catches of squire, parrot & sweetlip at a few deep spots inside the Broadwater. Most of those spots are less the a few feet deep now and even dry at low tide.



40 years ago when I was a kid my father had a beach permit to drive on the Southport Spit and we'd take the old Series II up to the bar fishing for tailor. We walked it a few times after they stopped the permits, bloody long way.


The Mayor down there wants to turn the Gold Coast into the next Vagas but surely this terminal thing can't happen, Campbell & MP Mark told us all at the Tinnie and Tackle Show just before the election that their's will be a fisherman friendly Government.

[Mike Delisser]

From today's Australian.....
"The Newman Government has called for a multibillion-dollar, integrated cruise ship terminal, casino, residential development and resort to be built on public land next to the Broadwater."


Also I believe Dept Premier Jeff Seeney and Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate will hold a press conference today. It's hard to believe the LNP would try to do this. At least one of their members (Dr Alex Douglas) split ranks and was there supporting the protesters today, he also said this in State Parliament about 3 months ago.........
"The Broadwater is a shallow estuarine combined-river mouth that is unsuitable for major shipping. The Seaway walls at Southport were not designed or built for cruise ships to enter the Broadwater,” Dr Douglas continued. “The Seaway is 320 metres wide and relatively narrow for the entry of cruise ships. Tom Tate’s support for a terminal for 300-metre plus ships on land adjoining the Broadwater will require massive dredging and blasting of the seabed coffee rock.” This would result in massive upstream problems along both the Nerang and Coomera Rivers".

[wayno60]

yes dodgy tom has no frickin idea. and he calls himself an engineer. he thinks that the CST, will be were the money comes from. WRONG! why build a hotel?? all the people on the ships will be staying back on the ship of a night.Why a casino? theres always one on the ships..........when a ship pulls in to any port the passangers are only aloud 6 to 8 hours on dry land befor they have to be back on the ship. Also if, but i really hope not how are the locals going to get to wave break isl oh yes he'll have to build a bridge too. Total idea just sux......

[Triple]

This proposed development by ASF of the spit and wavebreak is still on the cards - http://www.broadwatermarineproject.com.au/index.html - and they are having a protest rally on dec 7th.

From the save our broadwater facebook page.

WHEN: SUN 7 DECEMBER
PLACE: Southport Broadwater Parklands - The Great Lawn & Stage
TIME: 11 AM sharp

BE THERE - the decision makers will be watching & they think the community are asleep.. TIME is running short.

TAKE ACTION NOW:
GO TO www.saveourbroadwater.com/how-to-help (http://www.saveourbroadwater.com/how-to-help) TO:
- sign/share the petition
- send the auto quick email to the politicians who decide
- order our official Save Our Broadwater placard
BUY rally tees/ hats here: www.holyshirt.com.au (http://www.holyshirt.com.au/) (under 'SOB')

For more info -
https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurSpit (https://www.facebook.com/save.exec/info)

https://www.facebook.com/save.exec/info

[Lucky_Phill]

An important factor that has been overlooked is that the Seaway is a spawning ground for dusky flathead (Oct-Apr) and yellowfin bream (May-Aug). These species are very specific in terms of their actual spawning locations.



A major development will have impacts on these fish stocks throughout southern Moreton Bay due to disruptions of spawning aggregations.

Has this fact been addressed by the developers ? I think not. :(

[wayno60]

Phill,
Im with ya 100% but do you really think they will take into consideration where a few flathead and bream spawn??I think not..

some reading material
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/gold-coast-cruise-ship-terminal-proposal-includes-making-wavebreak-island-three-times-its-current-size/story-fnj94idh-1227114948476

and

https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurSpit/photos/a.456200667728781.121061.446579082024273/973266369355539/?type=1&theater

[Crunchy]

L (http://www.brisbanetimes.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/will-gold-coast-oasis-resort-and-cruise-hub-get-green-light-20141120-11obyf.html)ink didn't work - write up in todays Brisbane Times

[hungry6]

I know I should be going against the terminal because I fish, but I wont. Sometime, its about the entire community, and based on that I'm all for it and even will buy a unit there when it goes up. "put on flame suite"

[Triple]

What benefit will it be to the diving, surfing, boating, fishing community let alone the environmental impact. Brisbane is getting an updated terminal and I know where the insurance companies will want their boats to berth due to the risk involved in the Broadwater. Jobs will be chinese labour with chinese materials with all required local infrastructure to cope with it to be paid by the Gold Coast rate payers. I don't think the community down there needs another casino and 4 more night clubs.. Giving away public owned land that you will never get back to a dubious chinese consortium is a benefit to who?

[wayno60]

This might be what The Qld Govt is thinking, lease it to them. But whats the good of a 99 year lease to me, my kids and their kids..

http://www.strongchoices.qld.gov.au/decisions

[Charlie]

The driving force behind this is the newer cruise ships which can't fit under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, your looking at the cruise ships going up north or relocating a large part of the navy so they can use Garden Island, either way your loosing part of your bay to fishing.

[Seahorse]

You take your life in ur own hands now in the broadwater. Boats of all sizes going every direction.

the surfers are a pain in the arse anyway. How one of them havnt been run over.

got to better than the brisbane river.

[Gon Fishun]

Has the dredging of acid sulphate soils and dumping of same been thought out yet?

[Triple]

The driving force behind this is the newer cruise ships which can't fit under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, your looking at the cruise ships going up north or relocating a large part of the navy so they can use Garden Island, either way your loosing part of your bay to fishing.

Going off the report any ship longer than 268m has to be assessed individually to fit within the seaway (depending on manoeuvrability etc) From what I've read it won't take anything larger than 320m and most new ships are 350m. Brisbane can accomodate all.

[Triple]

Sums it up - http://theworldinplainenglish.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/what-is-wrong-with-cruise-terminal.html?m=1

[Andy H]

I'm all for it. I think it's a brilliant idea. The fish will come back and there will be heaps more structure to fish around. Then there's all the jobs it will create during and after construction.

[bennykenny]

You actually think they will let you fish around it?? There will be security everywhere. Not to mention the continual dredging of the seaway making the waters murky. A stupid idea, really stupid.

[Mike Delisser]

Like whats posted above, you wont be able to fish near it, same as the docks for international ships in Brisbane. So that alone means about 400mts of the broadwater that we used to have will be inaccessible to anglers. Just as concerning is all the surrounding "PUBLIC" land which we will lose for associated facilities and more highrise, and that could also include Wavebreak Island.

[wayno60]

Andy, andy, andy


Then there's all the jobs it will create during and after construction.

During construction....!!!! their shipping in a couple of hundred chinese workers to do the work...

yep the fish will be back.....don't think so
http://i935.photobucket.com/albums/ad197/mjack60/CST_zps5f4ff0c8.jpg (http://s935.photobucket.com/user/mjack60/media/CST_zps5f4ff0c8.jpg.html)

so if its a run in tide the whole Broadwater and Nerang river will be mud...
next time your on FaceBook serch this name and have a good read, "Save Our Spit"

[Triple]

Reminder that the public rally to save the broadwater is on this Sunday from 11am in the broadwater parklands opposite nerang st.

[wayno60]

Ill be there...

[Bonus]

I have signed the petition against the development. They will have oil spills like the Brisbane River. Can you imagine the damage? I have fished the Broadwater for 53 years and it will be the end to this fragile environment. I have shared it on Facebook and Twitter. Russell Densley owner Moreton Island Accommodation.

[sharkymark2]

What will happen to the pipe that goes across the sea walls? Can you imagine bringing in a ship of that size through the seaway? would be a tense experience.