Billionaires plans for a cruise ship terminal threatens Kirra and the Superbank
Billionaires plan for a Fort Lauderdale-style off-shore cruise ship terminal that could destroy Australias newest “National Surfing Reserve” have been leaked on the internet.
The concept images, leaked to the Gold Coast Bulletin, outline a $200 million vision that would deliver three hotels, a casino, three terminal berths, a water park, an underwater observatory, new North Kirra surf club and a superyacht marina. The confidential plan also includes a harbour master/customs office, dive centre, waterfront restaurant, bars and a beach stadium that could host the Australian Surf Lifesaving Titles. It would also provide space for US Navy ships to dock, delivering an extra financial boost when sailors arrive on the southern Gold Coast.
The plan showing the huge terminal which will affect sand flow up the whole coast.
Ironically in February of this year all the Gold Coasts point breaks were designated “National Surfing Reserves” by the Gold Coast Council.
Brad Farmer of National Surfing Reserves said:
“The proposed terminal is at Kirra (not Tugun) and in fact would replace the North Kirra SLSC. The structure would occupy 500 m of public beach and extend 500 m out to sea, complete with three hotels and a casino up to six stories high. The existing property owners would lose their beach frontages and the public would lose 500 m of public beach. It would totally disrupt the sand movement along Kirra Beach causing sand to accumulate against its long southern wall smothering Kirra and eventually Greenmount beaches and their surf. On the northern side North Kirra-Bilinga-Tugun and all beaches to the north would start to erode, starved of the natural sand movement from the south. The three berth shipping terminal and 500 berth marina would also generate massive boat traffic in the area, including the large passenger liners. It’s big, it’s massive, it’s environmental and the social impacts would be massive.”
