Master Plan set to guide expansion of Marine Infrastructure

The State Government has committed more than $500,000 to prepare a Marine Infrastructure Master Plan to cement the Gold Coast’s position as one of Australia’s great marine hubs Premier Peter Beattie announced today.

“Business is booming for the Gold Coast boating industry and we need to manage the growth to ensure the industry keeps expanding,” Mr Beattie said.

“The boating industry provides more than 4,000 jobs on the Gold Coast and there is potential for thousands more in the years ahead.

“The Marine Infrastructure Master Plan will cover the area from the Southport Bridge to Southern Moreton Bay, including the Coomera and Logan Rivers upstream to the M1 Motorway.

“We are looking ahead and planning ahead. We have to accommodate both commercial and recreational needs of the boating industry and we have to do it in an ecologically sustainable way.

“The Marine Infrastructure Master Plan will help map the likely expansion of the industry, identify future industrial sites that would be the most suitable for boat building and the best locations for marinas.

“The Master Plan will be developed in consultation with industry and community stakeholders.

“The industry has told us that recreational boating is growing rapidly and that the marine industry and associated marine-related infrastructure, including dredging, needs to keep pace with this rapid growth.

“As of 30 June 2007 there were 26,269 recreational vessels registered in the Gold Coast region – 12.4 per cent of all registrations in Queensland.

“Since 2000 vessel numbers on the Gold Coast have surged 7.8 per cent a year compared with the State average of 5.1 per cent growth.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure Anna Bligh said the Master Plan would examine current and future needs of the marine industry and develop an overarching strategy for its ongoing growth.

“The Master Plan will consider the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the area and will include findings from the Gold Coast Waterways Needs Access Study, currently being jointly undertaken between the Department of Infrastructure and the Department of Transport.

“The Master Plan will also identify a network of major channels of a depth that will ensure the safe passage, including manoeuvring capacity, for a range of vessels from the Broadwater to Moreton Bay,” said Ms Bligh.

The Department of Infrastructure will lead the development of the Master Plan and undertake the study over coming months.

The dredging study will help identify the needs of industry and recreational users and will include a long term strategy that addresses the ongoing role of government, industry and users.

Media contact: Premier’s office 3224 4500

Deputy Premier’s office 3224 4379