THE cruise industry will receive some unwelcome attention on the Gold Coast this weekend, with a number of protests against proposed cruise terminals set to take place, Gold Coast City Council has backed plans for a cruise ship dock at Southport Spit, while a $2 billion private terminal proposal for...
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THE cruise industry will receive some
unwelcome attention on the Gold Coast this
weekend, with a number of protests against
proposed cruise terminals set to take place,
Gold Coast City Council has backed plans for
a cruise ship dock at Southport Spit, while a $2
billion private terminal proposal for Billinga by
businessman Bob Ell is also under
consideration.
A coalition of diverse groups including divers,
surfers, fishers and environmentalists have
reportedly joined forces to oppose the
expansion of cruise ship facilities on the Gold
Coast – despite a recent Gold Coast Tourism
report which found that the terminals could
inject as much as $180 million into the local
economy as well as creating thousands of jobs.
The protesters don’t agree with the
economic benefits, and are worried about the
potential to damage the marine environment
as well as privatise public land.
According to the Gold Coast Bulletin a
number of high profile protesters include 11
time surfing world champion Kelly Slater.
The Save Our Spit Alliance says it’s expecting
thousands to attend a rally this Sunday, while
another protest organised by the Save Our
Southern Beaches Alliance is planned for
tomorrow against the Ell proposal.
A spokesperson for the protesters said they
would “prefer Brisbane to be the major
destination for a cruise ship terminal”.
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