To Be or Not To Be - - - Yorkeys Knob will change for ever

Asqis Mega Strucure

As I write this article I must say that I am undecided and until  some of the question have been answered so I cannot say that I support the project.

The announcement of the proposed new Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort and Casino has created great interest with the people of Cairns for and against the proposal or remain undecided.

It will be sometime before soil is turned if given the OK and with Kerry Packer (Oct 3, 2013 news) looking at sites for his proposed casino in Brisbane and as the Treasurer stated on the TV news approx' 2 months ago there is only one gambling licence  available in Queensland so this could make things very interesting.

The 4.2 billion dollar project will change Yorkeys Knob forever and one has to ask “is Yorkeys Knob ready for a project of this magnitude and are the promises of the thousands of jobs a reality or will the owners fly in it's own people".

When one looks at the overall project is becomes mindboggling with suggestions that Mr Fung will:

(1). Increase the 2 lane road to four lanes from Captain Cook Highway to the 60kph at the entrance to Yorkeys Knob,

(2). Raise the road by a metre to alleviate the flooding,

(3). Construct a road from the proposed resort to the Caravonica roundabout where they will construct over and under passes which probably won't go ahead as the Captain Cook Highway belongs to the Dept of Main roads

Everyone really needs to sit back and ask questions to suit their ideals, we must be positive in deciding of :

1. does this project go ahead in it's present form.
   

2. should the project be downgraded.
   
   
3. with land values likely to increase will the residents be able to afford the sky- rocketing rates?.
   

To look at the various statements listed in the brochures we need to read, ask questions and answer all the relative details separately.


Unemployment in Cairns is a problem and will this project overcome these problems?


Let's look at the items in question:

1. Suggested general economic benefits to Queensland:
   

The 9,000 full time employment during construction is hard to visualise and one has to ask is this an understatement.


The 10,000 full time jobs once operational is a staggering figure and hard to fathom.


The other items of:


Total cumulative Gross State Product during construction


Annual gross Product $1.5 billion during construction, and


Annual Gross State Product $2 billion once operational


These figures could be questionable because until this project has commenced and  is completed and functioning no one really knows the total income keeping in mind that Cairns has a population of only 150,000 to 160,000 so  the figures as suggested would require of a lot of “fly-in” workers and visitors.

2. Revenue Benefits to the state of Queensland:
   

During construction:

Annual state payroll receipts increase by $14million and

Annual GST distributed back to Queensland also increase by $11 million.

Keeping in mind that the GST is a Federal Government policy so that could either increase or drop.

Once operational:

Annual state payroll tax receipts increase by $31 million;

Annual GST distributed back to Queensland also increases by $16 million;

and

Gaming taxes and charges increase revenue to Queensland by an estimated $95 - $280 million per annum

Now let's look at the resort etc:

1. 3,750 Hotel rooms across nine luxury hotel brands;
   

We have at the present time aprox 22 hotels/Taverns including resorts in and  around Cairns who have a approx' total of 5000+  rooms which are hard to fill year round, so why is there a need for an extra 9 hotels in one complex?

2. 1,180 managed apartments:
   

Most of these will be unaffordable to the average family in Cairns or will these be for workers.

3. 130 Managed villas:
   

with the number of hotels and resorts is there a need for extra villas.

4. An international class casino:
   

Cairns already has a casino so why another one, do we want to become another Les Vegas?

Financial hardship is rife in Cairns so why encourage people with another casino where their money goes into the pockets of overseas companies.

5. One of the world's largest aquaruims.
   

It has now been announced that the 2 local people are going ahed with the proposed aquarium with plans and application being forward to the council.

Again do we need duplication as we seem to be having with the announcement of the proposed Aquis.

6. 13,500m2 of high-end retail shopping

Do we need all this retail business when Cairns businesses are closing doors every week, we need to look after our local businesses before allowing a large overseas retail business to open here.

Of course the CEO of the Cairns Chamber of Commerce is drooling that this business may open here – what about looking after our own back yard first.

7. a 25,000 seat sports stadium

What is the cost going to be for locals to use this venue and will it be available for NRL and AFL matches and at what cost.

8. a 45,000m2 convention and exhibition centre

Cairns already has a convention centre so why duplicate.

8. A 20Ha reef lagoon

10. 2 x 2500 seat theatres

There are number of theatres around Cairns eg Grafton St, Cairns Central and Earlville and one is being considered for Smithfield.

11. A cultural heritage centre

We already have a cultural centre namely Tjapukai so why again duplicate it would seem that the government is allowing Cairns to be sold off to the foreign investors.

12. An 18 hole championship Golf Course

Golf Course

Again duplication as Yorkeys Knob already has a golf course, with anothers at Paradise Palms and Novatel.

Will the locals be able to afford the fees to play on this course and more importantly what will the consequences be for the existing golf courses?.

Water Park

It is also intended to build a Water Park on land between Dunne Road  and the entrance to Yorkeys.

One has to ask, it's a "FLOOD PLAIN" area and some years ago the government

were looking at building community housing on that land but it was  shelved because of the flooding that occurred in our wet season.

It has been suggested that Mr Fung is going to build a 4 lane road from the Captain Cook Highway ending at the 60k speed sign at the entrance to Yorkeys.

Also I was told by a staff member at the display centre in Cairns Central that a road also is going to be built from the resort to the Caravonica rounabout.

When I question this and stating that it is a bottleneck now at the Caravonica roundabout the staff member said “ we are going to build over and under passes.

Then a week later while attending a meeting 

I was informed by a government worker that this is NOT going to happen.

So what is the overal truth of the intending structure? Will it go ahead if the gambling is not issued as the treasurer stated on TV "that there is only one licence available in Queensland" and with Brisbane wanting another licence it is more logical that it will go to Brisbane and that being the case the intending investor will walk away from the project.

Even business people are not convinced that it will go ahead as there so many processes to go through and it is possible that there will be a stumbling block that will rise up and put a stop to it.