Marina company delays comment

6th February 2010

WHILE the Queensland government and Gympie Regional Council blame each other for the proposed Fraser Straits Marina at Tin Can Bay, the developer yesterday refrained from making comment.

Seymour Group CEO Tony Bellas said the company would wait until council had made its final decision before making comment.

Asked about the timeline for the project being passed on to federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett (for approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act), Mr Bellas said the company did have a schedule.

“But I’m in the USA at the moment,” he said, when The Gympie Times rang him on his mobile number. “I haven’t got the paperwork with me. I hope this call hasn’t cost you too much money.”

Mr Bellas said he would be back in Australia in a fortnight.

Meanwhile, council Planning and Development Committee chairman Ian Petersen took issue with statements published this week from the State Government’s Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) to the effect that approval of the project was entirely a council responsibility.

DERM’s Regional Services director Randall Hart said: “Gympie Regional Council’s own planning scheme sets out the proposed marina as an appropriate use within the designated State Boat Harbour.”

Cr Petersen said: “The state government designated the boat harbour, not us. The town plan also recognises the existence of the Pacific Ocean, but we did not decide on putting it there.”