Last week a group of locals had the opportunity to get an update on the progress of the Currumbin Eco Park. The Queensland Department of Economic Development had invited members of Gecko Environment Council and Friends of Currumbin to an information session and brief walk up into the Blackbutt forest. Read more…
A recent Yarning about the Waters of Gondwana was held by Hinze Dam, featuri3ng diverse speakers sharing personal and local tales to positively re-imagine the management of water. This yarning brought together voices of encounters with nature, of regeneration, of solutions and cultural ways of being and knowing, all toward Read more…
Cruise terminal tribute to Prince Philip or a promise to save the park named in his honour?
It is time for the Mayor to abandon the Oceanside cruise terminal. The terminal is totally inappropriate on the Philip Park site or anywhere in the Broadwater and Gecko Environment Council’s success, at long last, of getting the PwC Business Case Report, released in full, clearly reveals that. The Mayor and most Councillors should be held to account for failing to release all of this report, especially Appendix E which lists all the risks involved in this proposal. See wwewe.gecko.org.au for more info.
The Spit continues to be very popular with residents and visitors as a place to relax and recreate especially in the challenging year that was 2020. Its value to the Gold Coast community cannot be disputed as the public sought to enjoy our green and blue recreational areas. The commitment of so many in the community since 2003 to protecting The Spit has been justified over and over again and they will continue to watch over it during the implementation of the Master Plan and beyond. There are many positive happenings on The Spit, but still some issues that require on going advocacy and vigilance. The positives are the projects relating to the adopted Master Plan and issues relate to the cruise terminal in Phillip Park and helicopter flights.
The main campaign to save Black Swan Lake at Bundall reached a successful conclusion late in 2020 when Council voted to retain the remaining 20% of the lake for wildlife and community benefit. However the future management of the Lake remains undecided.
Following several letters from Gecko asking about the future of The Spit master Plan the Government finally put forward a Bill “The Implementation of The Spit Master Plan” and called for submissions from the public which closed on 16th December 2019. Gecko made a submission
Gecko is generally pleased with the result with the exception that Philip Park is still at risk of being taken over by the cruise ship terminal. Since the completion of the Master Plan the Government has committed $60 million to its implementation over 4 years and recently announced initial expenditure of $6.8 million to improve access to the Spit.
Cruise Ship Terminal – Now Called the Oceanside Terminal – the next stage In the 2019-2020 Council Budget a sum of $1.2 million was allocated to continue to gather information for various reports on the cruise terminal and an Initial Advice Statement was lodged with the independent Coordinator General to Read more…
Generally Gecko members are pleased with The Spit Master Plan which provides for all of the public open space to be retained and enhance with either native planting and, where appropriate basic public facilities.
The final Master Plan was accepted by all participants and the State Government in May 2019. The Spit is 8 times the size of Southbank parklands so it has enormous potential to be the showcase parkland for the city. It is essential that it is managed sustainably and is not loved to death.