Marist Brothers Darlinghurst
Opinions-5
Captain Kidding’s $600m Yarra Bay
cruise ship calamity!
Before the last
NSW state election, Premier Gladys Berejiklian,
clearly
stated no final decision had been made on the proposed Yarra Bay cruise
ship terminal. Speaking from the “bridge” at state parliament, she
announced that no decision on the terminal would be made without
community engagement. A public consultation process focused on
considerations of amenity; the environment, financing, fishing,
heritage, Indigenous culture, noise, social impacts and traffic.
Now we find that the Minister for
Transport and Rail, Andrew Constance, is pushing for the terminal to be
built at Yarra Bay. Andrew Constance – aka Captain Kidding –
showed his arrogance by refusing to meet the Labor member for Maroubra,
Michael Daley, to discuss the planned terminal at the treasured beauty
spot. Probably because the disastrous love boat project is being
proposed for a Labor electorate.
If this eye-sore terminal was to be
built in his Bega seat, he’d be making the project’s advocates walk the
proverbial plank. What’s more Andrew Constance wants taxpayers to spend
$600million on the proposed super-dock. A huge sum of money for a dock
which would only be used a few times during the year, while cash-starved
schools and hospitals are crying out for more funds.
What is more alarming is the
Cruise Industrial Reference Group (CIRG),
after an exhaustive examination into various options, stated Garden
Island was the most cost-effective environmental choice and tourist
friendly site for the planned terminal.
The committee
revealed such a location-friendly terminal – virtually moored in the
city center – would only be used as a standby dock for up to eight weeks
a year. Another reason they suggested Garden Island for the
terminal is because it is owned by the NSW Government and taxpayers and
the lease ends very soon.
Targeting Yarra
Bay is another state government fiasco in the making, just like Allianz
stadium where Lend Lease was only contracted to demolish the stadium and
not to build it.
Or just like the
Light Rail to Kingsford scheme which has blown out from $1.6billion to
$2.7billion.
If this project
goes ahead, beautiful Yarra Bay will be converted into a concrete
jungle: terminal in both senses. Just imagine passengers getting of the
Light Rail at Kingsford, hopping on to a 391 and getting off at Yarra
Bay’s Bunnerong Road stop, and then trudging down to the terminal.
Luckily for them
it is all downhill – just like this plan. Sink it now!
Tony Morrissey,
Chifley.