The Gold Coast is coming....

Some years ago the former Mayor of Cairns Kevin Byrnes said on radio "there will not be a Gold Coast while I'm Mayor of Cairns"

Artists impression of the new building

Well that's about to change with the announcement of a multi-story apartments and shopping centre to be built on Spence St opposite McLeod Street.
While one supports the unemployment issue the concern would be the shops to be included in this complex.
With so many shops now closed in the CBD this project may see other shops closing or the shops in this complex may not attract the continuing patronage and that is a big concern.
It has been said that this complex will be built whether or not Aquis goes ahead and where are all the people coming from to fill the units within the complex, are they going to ask people to move here when they know that there is little work available in and around Cairns,
There is not enough jobs for the local residents already living here in Cairns, we are a tourist destination with no real industrial industries to support any large increase in population.
What industries Cairns did have either moved or went into liquidation and being so far away from any major city creates many problems such as transport that could get goods to destinations within reasonable times so the ability to create a large industrial work area to employ high numbers of people is really out of the equation.
Cairns really has to expand and build on what they have already TOURISM and provide affordable accommodation and tours and by doing that Cairns could possibly see an expansion of tourist from larger cities.
These overseas investors are only interested in making money and really don't care about our local business houses if the locals go broke great it's a big benefit to them and their investors.
The Cairns Chamber of Commerce should be seriously considering the pitfalls that could and probably will occur if these large high rise apartments and shopping centres are allowed to take over the CBD.
The first line of care is to the local businesses not overseas projects that will have severe impact on the locals.