Southport Spit development

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> First look at ambitious plan to revamp Southport Spit on Gold Coast

A MUCH-loved but neglected slice of the Gold Coast is set to be transformed into "Central Park by the ocean" under a game-changing multimillion-dollar overhaul.

The Sunday Mail can reveal the blueprint for the rejuvenation of the Southport Spit including a superyacht marina, an "iconic" selfie tower, underwater sculpture garden dive site, new low-rise tourist resort accommodation and more than 130 hectares of conservation and open space over seven precincts.

The notorious traffic snarl leading into the area will also be fixed as part of a new gateway to give tourists a "sense of arrival" with allowances made for a future Gold Coast light rail link to the area

Other public transport options will be improved with e-scooters, bikes and potentially autonomous vehicles to be catered for as well.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the blueprint – which follows 18-months of consultation with the community – as a game changer that was Queensland's answer to parks like New York's Central Park and London's Hyde Park.

"The open space areas on The Spit will be more than eight times the size of Brisbane's South Bank parklands, 12 times the size of the public spaces in Barangaroo, Sydney, and two-and-a-half times the size of Mt Coot-tha's Botanic Gardens," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"And the Gold Coast Ocean Park has something none of them have, the Broadwater and the surf.

"Our plans will make this not just a jewel of the Gold Coast but for the entire state."

State Development Minister Cameron Dick said plans for the future of the Spit had been contested for "many, many decades".

He said this blueprint was a "once-in-a-lifetime" plan that had been designed by the community for the community with more than 2,500 attending consultation sessions and more than 21,100 pieces of feedback received throughout the consultation period.

"It is a part of Queensland that is greatly loved but the current land use is not keeping up with the community's love for it.

"It has lost its shine and we want to bring one of the jewels of the Gold Coast crown back to life."

The blueprint was signed off by Cabinet last week.

The seven precincts include the Top of the Spit, Wave Break Island, Federation Walk coastal reserve, Muriel Henchman Park, the Village centre, Philip Park and the Southern gateway where the new welcome mat will be rolled out.

Curlew Island will be preserved as a curlew habitat, low-impact facilities including small-scale camping facilities will be built on nearby Wavebreak Island.

Other conservation areas like the Federation Walk coastal reserve will be improved and further protected with plans for a the establishment of a littoral rainforest and better dune protection.

Lookouts will be built above the dunes while hides will positioned throughout the reserve so visitors can birdwatch.

Services like the coast guard and volunteer marine rescue will be given new homes with existing infrastructure like the kiosk, boat ramps and the marine stadium at the top of the spit to be maintained and improved.

Walkways and cycleways will also extend the entire length of the park.

Indigenous culture will also feature with the plan including a new public area fronting the Broadwater "that includes an event space associated with an Aboriginal cultural centre and provides informal spaces for picnicking and watching the sunset".

The blueprint states the project will "unlock the potential for 1800 new jobs and the delivery of more than 800 additional short-term accommodation rooms on The Spit".

Ms Palaszczuk said the Government would ensure all the things Queenslanders and tourists loved about the Spit like buying prawns straight from the trawler fleet would be maintained.

The Government said the blueprint remained "agnostic" when it comes to the Gold Coast City Council's contentious cruise ship terminal plan with a potential area zoned as parkland that will be upgraded for public use.

Exactly how much the overhaul will cost and when work could start is yet to be revealed.

The community has until the end of the month to have their final say with the project expected to be considered in this year's Budget.

This is a bold project for everyone, writes Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

WE all know the Gold Coast's special. Today's unveiling of our vision for The Spit shows we want to make it extra special – and keep it that way.

The Commonwealth Games, the Logies, widening the M1, rail and light rail projects and the Global Tourism Hub show my government's commitment to this exciting part of our state. And we're not finished yet.

Getting the dream of an international-standard Ocean Park to this stage has been a triumph of teamwork with more than 21,100 pieces of feedback from groups, Gold Coast City Council and people who just love The Spit.

It preserves, protects and improves everything we love and sets it up for an even brighter future ... which is what we want for all of Queensland.

I can't wait to see this dream become a reality.

[verbatim9]

Well development is inevitable along the spit. This seems to be a reasonable proposal from all that have been suggested Casino Cruise ship terminals etc......

Hope they extend the bus route from the SeaWorld terminus to the end of the spit as previously called for.

[verbatim9]

https://twitter.com/7NewsGoldCoast/status/1104659273722691587

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Gold Coast Spit Masterplan: $205m of commercial development to unlock billions in spending

MORE than $205 million of commercial development is set to be created across The Spit as part of its long-awaited revamp and could be the catalyst for billions to be spent.

A briefing document developed for the State Government by Colliers International Brisbane and obtained by the Bulletin reveals the projects to be built across four state-controlled sites would be just the beginning.

"The construction cost across these development sites is estimated to be in excess of $205 million," the Colliers report said.

"To put this in context, the total value of the Metricon Stadium development was $144 million at the time of construction.

"Development of these sites will also act as a catalyst for upgrades of privately controlled sites such as Marina Mirage, Sea World, The Sheraton Grand Mirage and Mariners Cove."

Infrastructure Minister Cameron Dick said the masterplan would create jobs for the Coast.

"Consensus on the future of the Spit means certainty for the private sector to invest," he said.

"The community have said they want to see the Spit preserved north of Sea World, but they also recognise development potential to its south.

"I'm really excited to see what the private sector brings forward as we finalise the Spit masterplan."

The government sites include:

• Site A (27,000 sqm) — immediately south of the Sea World theme park car park

• Site B/C (10,996 sqm plus a substantial wet lease area) is set aside for the Aboriginal cultural centre site next to Carters Basin

• Site D (6,317 sqm plus a substantial wet lease area) — immediately north of the State's regional office

• Site E (9,156 sqm) — immediately south of Sheraton Grand Mirage resort

Site A is expected to featured restaurants and bars, with around $95m in facilities expected to be built.

Site B will become home to an Aboriginal heritage centre while neighbouring site C will become a fresh seafood sale outlet and dining area, with around $24m in works planned. A building will also houses short-term accommodation.

More than $21m will be spent on site C which will feature a new marina, for boats and superyachts.

A low-scale 16,000 sqm resort will be created on site E next to the Sheraton Mirage at a cost of around $65m.

Village Roadshow parks CEO Clarke Kirby said the Sea World and its assets were not threatened by further developments on its doorstep and were keen to join in.

"We aren't concerned at all, we hope to be part of the commercial development," Mr Kirby said.

"The master plan preserves our car park and its overflow which guarantees our growth and further jobs," he said.

But not everyone is impressed — Soheil Abedian, the founder of development giant Sunland, which owns the Mariner's Cove site, says he has no plans to revamp the land as part of the masterplan.

Mr Abedian said he did not believe a commercial project on the site would be feasible or gain the backing of major banks.

"As for whether Sunland will develop this site right now the answer is no," he said.

"With a height limit of three storeys and the land value of that site, it would be commercial suicide for anyone to invest a single cent," he said.

"No bank in Australia would give any money to any developer to do something like that.

"I hope I am wrong but after 38 years on the Gold Coast I believe I have some insight into the future of development."

The Gold Coast light rail will be extended north to Sea World, with at least two new stations built.

Mayor Tom Tate welcomed plans for the new link.

"I'm pleased a comprehensive master plan for this strategic piece of land within our city is finally being delivered," he said.

"Seeing a future light rail spur as part of the mix underscores what we have always known — that light rail is vital in our city's broader transport spine."

[Stillwater]

Why am I reminded of Muriel's dad, the real estate developer in the movie, Muriel's Wedding, and all of his grand plans for "Porpoise Spit". 

[SurfRail]

This will keep on going indefinitely I think. 

In terms of transport, there are much higher priorities for light rail extensions notwithstanding the congestion in the area.  The main benefit for the rest of the system is that it could conceivably free up a fair bit of revenue KM by allowing the 704 to terminate at Southport and the 705 to maybe terminate at Tedder Ave - they are both every 15 minutes during the day so it's nothing to sneeze at.