Airlie main street submissions to the office of local MP Jan Jarratt have now closed, with the tourism minister expected to make an announcement by the end of the week.
At the time of going to press on Tuesday afternoon Ms Jarratt was in the process of reviewing more than 100 formal submissions. While the minister had yet to make a decision she also ruled out an extension, requested by the Whitsunday Ratepayers Association, until November 4.
“The original design concept has been out for discussion for more than a year and I have previously made it clear that October 31 would be the deadline for submissions. I have spoken with the Whitsunday Ratepayers Association committee’s president and committed to accepting their submission, provided it is received by tomorrow,” Ms Jarratt said.
“I believe our town needs an expedient resolution on this matter and I intend to deliver that,” she said.
Save Our Foreshore president Suzette Pelt said over 1,063 local people had signed objection letters (to the idea of a land swap and proposal for a four-storey hotel) to date.
“The public oppose this so-called land swap for good reason and have come out and made their wishes known. The Minister must consider the Land Act’s guiding principles which are founded on the duty of the State Government to “protect the public interest” in the use of State Land on behalf of all Queenslanders. There is clearly no overwhelming community support for the proposal for any public land swap,” Ms Pelt said.
“Last week’s successful four-day Reef Festival is just one example of how this site benefits the whole town and its organisers are to be congratulated. There is nowhere else like it,” she said.
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