The City Council of Queensland’s Gold Coast has voted to back a proposed casino and cruise ship terminal over the opposition of environmentalists and residents.
A poll of more than 800 people on goldcoast.com.au showed 82% of locals opposing a casino against 18% in favor. But Mayor Tom Tate, who supports the development, successfully pushed for council to take a “no cost, no risk position” on a short list of interested developers, in effect removing the casino issue from the debate on the grounds that council had already affirmed their support for it at previous meetings.
The mayor now plans to write to Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney requesting that council be allowed to have a “confidential review and approval opportunity” once an evaluation team completes its report to the state.
Earlier debates showed 11 of the 15 councillors registering their support for the casino, which is proposed for either Wavebreak Island or a coastal area known as the Spit.
Preservationists, led by the Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council, have joined residents in calling on council to oppose the project in the wake of a report published locally that values the island and its 37 hectares of undeveloped land at more than A$611 million and describes it as one of the coast’s significant environmental assets.
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