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Comments by elected representatives
Tower Holdings and their attitude to Great Keppel Island
Tower Holdings and their attitude to Great Keppel Island
Kirsten Livermore, Federal MP for Capricornia said in parliament in October 2008
"One could hardly call Tower Holdings a good corporate citizen of Central Queensland." This was in response to the closure of the resort causing the island's three daily ferry services from Yeppoon to be reduced to one, roads falling into disrepair, visitor numbers dropping dramatically and of course the loss of the jobs of those who worked at the resort.
Department of Natural Resources and Water DNRW (now Department of Environment and Resource Management DERM) In a media release the DNRW stated on 25th November 2008:
"The Department of Natural Resources and Water has completed its assessment of the most appropriate use and tenure of Lot 21 on Great Keppel Island. The department has determined that the most appropriate use of Lot 21 be “conservation”.
Media release by Minister for Infrastructure and Planning The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe on 28 August 2009
"The declaration of a proposed tourism development on Great Keppel Island as a 'significant project' by Queensland’s Coordinator-General was not an indicator of government support", Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said today. The Coordinator-General will now oversee a whole-of-Government assessment process through a rigorous Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at the proponent’s cost.
“This declaration marks the start of a thorough assessment and community engagement process around this new proposal. It will consider the project’s environmental, economic and social impacts, to determine whether it is acceptable,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
Paul Hoolihan MP, State Member of Parliament for Keppel said in the Daily Mail on 30 August 2009 if local wishes were ignored, he would "get pretty savage".
Bill Ludwig,Councillor on Rockhampton Regional Council said in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin on 26 September 2009 "I would like to see Tower get on with the resort because the plan looks to me like a smokescreen for a real estate development."
And his interpretation of the proposal to build hundreds of luxury villas around a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course on the island was supported by Deputy Mayor Rose Swadling.
Cr Ludwig said he thought Tower had to battle a huge credibility gap because of the way it had abandoned the resort.
“My understanding is that the company is in breach of its lease if it is not running a resort,” he said.
“I would also like to know how it can conduct a residential subdivision on leased land. What will the rating system be?" he said.
"One could hardly call Tower Holdings a good corporate citizen of Central Queensland." This was in response to the closure of the resort causing the island's three daily ferry services from Yeppoon to be reduced to one, roads falling into disrepair, visitor numbers dropping dramatically and of course the loss of the jobs of those who worked at the resort.
Department of Natural Resources and Water DNRW (now Department of Environment and Resource Management DERM) In a media release the DNRW stated on 25th November 2008:
"The Department of Natural Resources and Water has completed its assessment of the most appropriate use and tenure of Lot 21 on Great Keppel Island. The department has determined that the most appropriate use of Lot 21 be “conservation”.
Media release by Minister for Infrastructure and Planning The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe on 28 August 2009
"The declaration of a proposed tourism development on Great Keppel Island as a 'significant project' by Queensland’s Coordinator-General was not an indicator of government support", Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said today. The Coordinator-General will now oversee a whole-of-Government assessment process through a rigorous Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at the proponent’s cost.
“This declaration marks the start of a thorough assessment and community engagement process around this new proposal. It will consider the project’s environmental, economic and social impacts, to determine whether it is acceptable,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
Paul Hoolihan MP, State Member of Parliament for Keppel said in the Daily Mail on 30 August 2009 if local wishes were ignored, he would "get pretty savage".
Bill Ludwig,Councillor on Rockhampton Regional Council said in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin on 26 September 2009 "I would like to see Tower get on with the resort because the plan looks to me like a smokescreen for a real estate development."
And his interpretation of the proposal to build hundreds of luxury villas around a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course on the island was supported by Deputy Mayor Rose Swadling.
Cr Ludwig said he thought Tower had to battle a huge credibility gap because of the way it had abandoned the resort.
“My understanding is that the company is in breach of its lease if it is not running a resort,” he said.
“I would also like to know how it can conduct a residential subdivision on leased land. What will the rating system be?" he said.