Broadwater Marine Project Media Release Introduction The Breakwater Group represents a dynamic assembly of industry leading professionals whom have come together to offer the Gold Coast and greater Queensland an expert solution to deliver a superior alternative for a Cruise Ship Terminal than was able to be offered through the recent Broadwater Marine Project Expression Of Interest campaign. That campaign failed to deliver a favorable proponent or a viable solution to deliver a responsible operational future proofed cruise ship port infrastructure for the Gold Coast. The Breakwater Group, and its team of consultants are experienced, specialised and predominantly based on the Gold Coast. A full feasibility and cost assessment has been completed on the master plan by arguable the most experienced coastal, ocean, hydraulic and environmental engineers in Australia. The Queensland Government and the Gold Coast City Council can depend and rely on this team to deliver. It has become apparent to most community and technical groups that the initial concept to locate the Cruise Ship Terminal within the Broadwater or the Seaway will result in poor outcomes and, certainly an unviable project. If the Queensland Government proceeds to support the community in its desire to establish a cruise ship terminal on the Gold Coast, then serious consideration ought to be given to Breakwater Group’s innovative and environmentally superior proposal. The Breakwater Group wishes to demonstrate to the State Government that their alternative development concept has the widespread support and endorsement of the local community and key stakeholders. The concept has been designed by locals whose desire it is to showcase this beautiful part of Australia to both local and international visitors. After further more comprehensive community consultation and research which took into consideration that the Gold Coast is the 6th largest city in the country a city recognised as the tourist capital of Australia it was decided to enhance our design to incorporate a well justified and deserving base cruise terminal facility. The major economic benefits for the Gold Coast and South East Queensland ranging from additional hotel room nights to supply of foodstuffs and support services needed to accommodate these superliners was an economical boost which could not be ignored. We view this Project as a generational opportunity which will deliver true benefits to the City of Gold Coast as a united community. It will be the embodiment of our shared vision; promoting beachfront lifestyle blended with lush parklands and unique attractions. This project will encapsulate the very essence of the Gold Coast. Current status The Breakwater Group understands that the Queensland Government is currently considering issuing a Casino License on an application for an integrated resort proposed on Wavebreak Island in exchange for delivery of an operational cruise ship terminal facility to be located at the eastern side of Wavebreak Island. The Breakwater Group and its expert consultant team are adamant that this cannot be achieved in an environmentally responsible way and in any event the limited scale of this proposed facility would render it obsolete in its capacity to cater to the current cruise ship market. With clear governing limitations recognised on the capacity of the Seaway, the necessary required ongoing dredging requirements would make it commercially unviable and the cost to maintain its operation would eventually be borne by the community once the developer was unable to maintain. The Breakwater Group were initially a participant of the Broadwater Marine Project Expression of Interest process but was initially overlooked as one of consortia shortlisted by the State to participate in the detailed proposal phase of the campaign for what at the time was viewed as a nonconforming submission. We chose purposefully to submit our Expression without a substantial financial/developer partner as we felt it was premature until such time as all of the financial fundamentals and project parameters were determined. It should be noted that we had great interest and firm offers at the time from capable suitors but felt it was not wise to rush to partner without fully exploring all the possible options available to source what we felt was going to deliver the best outcomes for the city. Outcomes such as the finest environmental and sustainable approach to responsible development, partners whose interest it was to utilise local expertise and contractors, partners who shared our vision to create the greatest development and give back opportunity to our city to our local development industry to become involved in this historical project. After all it was quite obvious to us that this project was far too important to the Gold Coast and South East Queensland to rush in and get it wrong. The Breakwater Group understands the sensitivity and probity issues that surrounded the previous process but that process is now at an end. It is time for the Government, and the broader community to become aware, that it is possible to deliver a world-class, innovative and sustainable project that will truly benefit the Gold Coast. This is a rare city-building project; an opportunity that the city and the state must consider. The alternative concept The Breakwater Group has developed a unique concept for a cruise ship terminal and harbour port. It is the Breakwater Group’s intention to demonstrate to the State Government that our proposal is not only innovative, environmentally passive, meritorious and commercially viable, but superior to the proposals we understand have been put forward in the past. The concept has been formulated on the basis of extensive consultations with planners, engineers, environmental scientists and the cruise ship industry. On the basis of that specialist advice, the Breakwater Group proposes the cruise ship terminal outside of the Broadwater area. It is our strong and considered belief that any proposal to bring vessels of the size currently utilised by cruise ship operators into the Seaway and the Broadwater creates the risk of unacceptable, unknown and unpredictable environmental, hydrological, economic and social impacts. The Breakwater Group’s concept has been formulated and refined with the specific objective of avoiding, minimising and mitigating those risks to the community and public use of the Broadwater. The key benefits of The Breakwater Group’s alternative concept are as follows. Key community benefits • The Breakwater Group’s Cruise Ship Terminal concept removes all the damaging environmental and social concerns of establishing a CST within the Broadwater and embraces a sustainable approach to development. This proposal delivers the Gold Coast a proper cruise ship base port deserving of the 6th largest city in the country a city recognized as the tourist capital of Australia. • No loss of beaches. Beach length measurement is increased by over 100 metres in comparison to current length. • Highly landscaped finishes to all public open space parklands with ample parking along beaches and foreshore • The proposal involves an upgraded sand-bypass system plus a new back pass sand pipeline that will provide a supply of sand for the ongoing nourishment and restoration of beaches along the Gold Coast, without the need to dredge the Broadwater. This newly designed system will include the latest technology to minimize the operating costs of the system and reduce the cost to the community. • The proposal will deliver a traffic solution for an existing and increasing congestion problem in the City. Creation of a direct vehicular link a dual carriageway from the Spit to Wavebreak Island (tunnel) and onwards to the mainland (bridge) will alleviate existing traffic issues on the Spit and the single access point through Main Beach. This traffic solution will benefit the City as a whole with no navigational impact upon the local boating traffic. • A designated future light rail corridor to follow along this vehicular route • Critically, the proposal does not require the Seaway to be closed during the arrival and departure of cruise ships and allows for unrestricted open ocean access to be maintained at all times. • Recreational boat traffic will continue to have unrestricted access to the Broadwater through the Seaway. • The proposal completely eliminates potential safety issues associated with conflicts between recreational boat users, surfers and cruise ships within the Seaway during arrival and departure times. • Council studies have shown that dredging the Seaway could reduce the wave height at the existing surf break on South Stradbroke Island known as TOS (The Other Side). The proposal does not require the dredging of the Seaway and therefore avoids the risk of affecting the TOS break. • The dog beach is proposed to be retained. • The proposal offers a safe and contained security zone around the cruise ships at berth, a solution not able to be offered within the Broadwater or the Seaway without impacting on the enjoyment and recreational use within this area • There will be no impact upon the existing scuba diving sites within the Seaway. In fact, our environmental scientist believes the planned artificial reefs to the east of “The Cove” will quickly become colonised by encrusting hydroids, bryozoans, ascidians, sponges and soft corals, and will develop into attractive diving areas which complement the existing dive sites and enhance the local scuba diving industry. • The utilisation of the public open space currently located at Doug Jennings Park for the proposed Gold Coast City Harbour will be offset by the creation of a new significantly upgraded larger in area Doug Jennings Park on Wavebreak Island “South” offering spectacular views through to Main Beach and the skyline of Surfers Paradise. This new extensive park area is mooted for major community events with amenities commensurate to its intended use. • The transformation of Wavebreak Island with its own public beach into a world class city park accessible by all forms of transport will provide an alternative destination for cultural and community based events as well as a destination for families to enjoy this pristine environment. • The proposal upgrades and extends the Federation Walk experience. • The proposal upgrades parking and public toilet facilities along Sea World Drive. • A new marina to be located on Wavebreak Island • The proposal maintains and enhances the public anchorage locations to the north of Wavebreak Island and the Marine Stadium. • A new desirable destination island offering safe anchorage further “North” of Wavebreak Island designed to provide weather protection for the recreational boating community. • The proposal includes a commitment to the proper care and management of any recognised environmentally sensitive zones located within the project area. Key environmental benefits • This scheme, with its proposed location of the Cruise Ship Terminal outside of the Seaway and the Broadwater, is superior to alternative designs as it removes the need to undertake widespread, disruptive and expensive dredging within the Broadwater and the Seaway, in perpetuity. • Removing the need for a major, ongoing dredging program within the Broadwater will minimise the impact to existing coastal processes that would otherwise result from changing the existing contours of the sea floor and continually re-suspending sediments. • The proposal will not impact on tidal regimes or flows in the Broadwater or its adjoining canal system. Council’s preliminary studies have shown that the tides are expected to increase by between one and five centimetres if a terminal is located in the Broadwater or the Seaway. This proposal eliminates any concerns that may exist in regards to the damage to revetment walls in the Broadwater and its adjoining canal system. • Council studies have shown that the dredging of the Seaway has the potential to increase storm surge impacts in the Broadwater. The proposal will have no effect on the impact of storm surges in the Broadwater. • Council studies have shown that dredging of the Seaway creates the risk of higher concentrations of recycled water occurring along the western shoreline of South Stradbroke Island. The proposal will have no effect on recycled water discharge. • The proposal will have no effect on wave propagation in the Seaway. Council studies have shown that dredging of the Seaway will increase the waves propagating through the Seaway. • The proposal will have no effect on the existing navigation channels in the Broadwater. Council studies have shown that the dredged footprint will generally be an area of net sediment accumulation. • The proposal will have no hydrodynamic or morphodynamic impact on the Broadwater. Council studies have shown that the layout that minimises dredging within the Broadwater is likely to have the lowest hydrodynamic and morphodynamic impact. • The proposal would not impact on the existing Seaway walls and would cause minimal disruption to the unique community of marine wildlife which utilises this area as feeding and breeding habitat. This will also preserve the existing diving sites within the Seaway which are popular with local divers. • The exclusion of dredging activities from within the Broadwater will minimise the impacts of sedimentation on sea grass beds and algae growing in the vicinity of the sea walls both of which are utilised as foraging areas by juvenile marine turtles. • The proposal isolates the cruise ship docking bay from the Broadwater, and of major importance, pollutant spills within the docking bay can be contained without risking contamination of the Broadwater or the ocean. • The separate entrance to the cruise ship docking bay will minimize the ongoing maintenance dredging required as the new harbour will have negligible tidal flows compared to the existing Seaway. • The proposal isolates cruise ships from other vessels utilising the Seaway and the Broadwater, reducing the risk of a pollution spill resulting from a collision. Key economic benefits • The proposal represents a unique opportunity to establish world class tourism infrastructure that will have lasting economic benefits for the City. • Major economic benefits for the Gold Coast and South East Queensland ranging from additional hotel room nights to supply of foodstuffs and support services needed to accommodate these superliners. • The design eliminates the requirement of cruise ship operators to plan arrival and departure times around the tides. This is an enormous benefit that a terminal in the Seaway or the Broadwater cannot offer and one that will give the Gold Coast a unique competitive advantage. • The proposal has the ability to cater for the berthing of super yachts; a growth market to which the Gold Coast currently has limited access. • The retention of TOS will ensure that the proposal does not detrimentally impact upon the local surf industry. • Existing commercial fishing operations will not be burdened by potential restriction of access to the open ocean during the arrival and departure of cruise ships. • The proposal offers a safer navigational alternative for large cruise ships given that the new entrance is proposed to be wider than the existing seaway. The port will cater to the largest of cruise ships in the market today and the foreseeable future. No longer will the Gold Coast be bypassed or ignored as a destination by this lucrative tourism sector. Its design will future-proof the Gold Coast to an industry that continues to grow exponentially. • The creation of The Cove will provide a safe and sheltered area for water-based recreational activities and will be the focal point of a new residential and mixed use development. • The proposal delivers a wide range of complementary uses that will ensure that the development remains a tourist attraction at times when no cruise ships are present. • The proposal will make efficient use of beachside land and create new development opportunities for permanent and short term accommodation facilities. • The proposal involves a planned upgrade to the facilities for the fishing trawlers cooperative. • The proposal is sensitive to the original tribal heritage of the area and will incorporate a cultural theme throughout with its artworks in defined areas. • The vision for land reclaimed to the west of Wavebreak Island is for a themed tourism and urban destination including a casino that re-establishes the Gold Coast as Australia’s tourism capital. Local employment and stimulus The Breakwater Group itself is firmly committed to using where possible local expert consultants and building contractors based on the Gold Coast. The Breakwater Group’s design intention is to invite local, national and international development groups to participate directly in the built form of the Broadwater Marine Project. By developing land with high level designated planning codes which will be offered back to local national and international developers. This process creates a variety of architectural diversity. This method of development will provide a kick start to the Gold Coast and Queensland’s economy, revitalising the construction industry and reinforcing the economic pillars of the State. Summary The Breakwater Group’s vision is the creation of a sustainable world-class marine, leisure and living destination that forms an attractive and distinct gateway to the Gold Coast. The vision embodies the following aims: • to create a development that is unique in quality and sense of place. • to create a flexible mixed use centre and the catalyst for major investment on the Gold Coast. • to create a development that establishes multiple connections with the mainland. • to create a development that embraces the environment, design, excellence and sustainability. ________________________________________________________________________________ Further Information Media enquiries Craig Perry Managing Director Breakwater Group Pty Ltd
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 03:12:21 +0000