Join and WIN! Sign up for our newsletter and receive updates on promotions, coast specials, holiday tips, and more. Everyone registered on our newsletter is eligible to be entered into the draws... Learn more...

Online Advertising Special Promotion We have proof that continued adverting works, especially when times are tough .... as a testiment to our continued high ranking in search engines... Learn more...

<< Back to articles view

This is an archived copy of an article that has already passed. It is online for informational purposes only.

Sea Side Suffering

Some bureaucrats in the state capital have consulted giant computers fed by discredited UN climate models to draw up a Grand Plan which will dictate who can live where and do what, all along the Queensland coast. These Big Nannies say they will save sea-siders from the dangers of inundation and erosion caused when global warming melts the ice caps and causes sea levels to rise. To cope with this vague future threat to property values, they have caused certain destruction of property values now with their anti-development plans.

There are risks and attractions attached to any property, and those features are reflected in the property's value. Most towns and cities are located on or near flood plains. These plains, formed by past floods, will be inundated by some future flood. That risk is far more certain than those generated by manipulated models of future climate.

All land is subject to some risks which may include dangers from bushfire, cyclone, drought, erosion, earthquake, tsunami, plagues and pests, all of which will affect more properties within the lifetime of anyone living today than will be damaged by rising sea levels.

Queensland's Coastal Management Plan is not a protection for sea-side properties – it is land sterilisation that will immediately erode the value of all such properties. Every land owner has to balance risks vs attractions for any piece of land. Some will win, some lose. Some will be stupid and pay the price of stupidity; some will insure and relax; others will knowingly accept the risks in return for lower purchase price.

With the coastal management plan, all sea-siders will suffer and have no choice in the matter. Bureaucrats should butt out and concentrate on ensuring that any government infrastructure like roads, railways, water supply, airports and electricity can withstand inevitable risks such as floods, fires and giant waves.

Letter to the Editor
Viv Forbes, Rosewood
7th February 2012
Sea-side Suffering

Permanent Link: Sea Side Suffering
Publish Date: 07 Feb 12

Article Contact Details

Letters to the Editor & Opinion Pieces : View Full Profile
Have Your Say About Stuff In Our Backyard, Sunshine Coast Wide

Email: Email this business
Website: www.mysunshinecoast.com.au

Comments / Have your say

Opinion writer Forbes may not be aware that it was a lack of coastal planning (not cyclone Yasi) that directly led to "Port Hinchinbrook's" recent marina and canal estate disaster. In 1994 Queensland had no Coastal Act (enacted 1995), never mind a Coastal Plan.

Now the Port Hinchinbrook company and residents want taxpayers and ratepayers (double load for Cassowary Coast residents) to pick up the tab for THEIR predictable, ongoing and unresolvable problems: sewage, roads, dredging.

The development was approved on the basis that these costs would never fall on the local community - by legal documents and much publicity.

The pre-Coastal Act Bjelke Petersen "right line" boundaries of the "Port Hinchinbrook" Channel houseblocks were pegged out below highwater mark.

The biggest present problem is the ongoing prohibitively costly dredging, predicted in 1977 by the Queensland Department of Harbours and Marine and later confirmed by other scientists.

But without a Coastal Act, this information was no bar to developers making quick subdivision dollars out of "land" too lowlying for housing and water too shallow for boating.

Now "Port Hinchinbrook" developer, residents and speculators are crying poor, humbugging us that their long existing, predictable, excessive dredging costs are due to Cyclone Yasi.

Shame on them all. The access was already well silted up.

We all need an effective Coastal Plan, to ensure that future subdivisions fully pay their way, can't create unresolvable problems for their residents and can't fall back on the public purse.

Margaret Moorhouse of Nth Ward Townsville

1 of 124th February 2012, 8.00pm
You can't post on an expired article.

Any comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited or refused. Include your name (or alias for those who wish to be anonymous), and email address (only used for verification), your location is optional. ( Publication guidelines / disclaimer for article and comment content ). Any comment that is; is offensive, includes profanity, only a personal attack, is illegal, meaningless (spam), or contains obvious factual errors, will not be posted, at the sole discretion of our staff.

All articles submitted by third parties or written by My Sunshine Coast come under our Disclaimer / Terms of Service