Council told to stand firm on cultural plan
CAIRNS MP Desley Boyle has urged the city's councillors against going "weak at the knees" in the face of debate over the Cairns Cultural Precinct.
The Local Government Minister said she would "fight tooth and nail" to stop the $240 million plan from being derailed as LNP federal MP-elect Warren Entsch lobbied to have it scrapped.
Mr Entsch has proposed an alternative plan comprising a new performing arts centre and sporting infrastructure,
including a 20,000-seat rectangular stadium.
He said his Tropical Sports and Cultural Precinct plan would lead to the creation of jobs in a new sports tourism industry, and avoided the risk of "putting all our eggs in the one basket" with the waterfront theatre, museum and plaza
precinct.
Several councillors have expressed a preference for his plan, backing away from previous decisions supporting the original cultural precinct proposal.
"I’m very concerned that we are going to be sold short," Ms Boyle said.
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Ms Boyle said residents had "very valid questions" about costs and potential designs, but the solution was to run a transparent consultation process and inform the community.
"We need a major cultural precinct. How sad would it be just to have a more modern civic theatre and a few little sport
fix-ups," she said.
Announcing State Government support for the project in June, Premier Anna Bligh said her Government’s "money is on the table ready for the project to become a reality".
A State Budget package included the transfer of the Trinity Inlet site, and a further $80 million would be delivered in future budgets, Ms Bligh said.
Asked via her office if the money would be provided if Mr Entsch’s alternative went ahead instead, Ms Bligh said she looked forward "to having these discussions once the Federal Government is in office".
"The only thing that will motivate the Queensland Government is what is in the best interests of the people of Cairns," she said.
Ms Boyle said she would lobby the Premier to ensure the original plan went ahead.
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