A Critical Analysis of the AECgroup’s Business Case
Final Report Summary for a Gold Coast Cruise Ship Terminal
The following report is an analysis of the AECgroup’s published findings entitled:
Gold Coast Ship Terminal Information Summary – Gold Coast City Council. Final Report,
December 2012.
The elements discussed in this critical analysis refer principally to AEC’s focus on the proposed Cruise Ship Terminal component and associated commercial developments contained in a concept commonly referred to by the current Queensland State Government and Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) as the ‘Broadwater Marine Project’. This project is in the process of being studied for its potential to be located on the Broadwater and Southport Spit, Gold Coast, Queensland.
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Big cruise ships unable to use new cruise terminal
TONY RAGGATT | April 6th, 2013 Townsville Bulletin
LARGE cruise ships will be unable to dock at Townsville’s new $85 million cruise ship terminal because of safety concerns.
A media release from the Townsville Bulletin (6.4.2013) highlights several similar problems with their terminal that Gecko has raised about the issue of a cruise terminal in the Broadwater. Like Townsville the the Seaway and Broadwater channels are narrow and subject to variable winds, swell and tide flows making it a potential safety issue for the larger ships that the State Government and
Council anticipate coming here.
Townsville Bulletin also notes that it may not be economical to “widen or deepen”the channel which mirrors the Broadwater concerns where figures of an initial dredging cost of $92 million followed by an annual cost of $6 million for dredging have already been revealed. No developer in their right mind will sign a contract to pay $6 million every year forever unless they think they can offload it onto ratepayers a few years down the track.
Gecko has been saying for years that cruise liner passengers do not spend up big in ports and the figures put out by the cruise industry themselves confirm this. Townsville Enterprise chief executive David Kippin said “they (cruise passengers) they don’t spend a lot of money,” As a result of these problems only 6 cruise ships are booked for a brand new terminal facility in Townsville compared to 40 for Cairns.
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2013/04/06/378841_print.html
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News article from Gold Coast Bulletin 6.3.2013
Asian cruise terminal plans most ambitious
Matthew Killoran and Shannon Willoughby | 08:27am March 6, 2013
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TWO Chinese groups have been shortlisted to build the Gold Coast cruise ship terminal with ambitious plans that dwarf rival bids from Australia and New Zealand.
Eight original submissions have been cut to the four, which include some cashed-up Chinese investors, a casino operator and also international developers.
Each group on the shortlist must now submit detailed information to the State Government and the Gold Coast City Council.
The winner likely to be known by the end of the year.
It is understood all four are in negotiations with casinos, or have included a casino as part of their proposal.
Wavebreak Island has been included in some of the proposals, but others are sticking to the Spit.
Two – ASF Property and Ridong – are offering a masterplan for the whole Broadwater.
ASF Property Consortia includes China State Construction Engineering, the third largest construction company in the world which builds airports and hotels.
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Part of that consortium is one of the world’s largest dredging and land reclamation companies.
Another on the shortlist is Chinese-backed company Ridong (Gold Coast) Developments, responsible for the $1 billion triple tower Jewel project in Surfers Paradise.
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It is understood its proposal would have a multi-billion dollar end value, with its roll-out being touted as a 25-year plan to include several “game changing” projects.
Azure Consortium includes Brookfield Multiplex, which took over the Surfers Paradise Hilton Hotel, and New Zealand casino and
gaming company Skycity Entertainment, which has casinos both in NZ and in Australia.
Former National Party state secretary Mike Evans heads the fourth consortium, Australian Cruise Ports International, which has made previous bids for a Gold Coast cruise ship terminal.
Ridong’s Steven Haggart said the proposal that his group had put forward took a “holistic” look at the Broadwater.
“We have long-term aspirations for the Gold Coast and this is a very holistic approach,” he said.
“We see this as an opportunity to masterplan the area, rather than deliver another fragmented approach to development.
“We have looked at how the existing assets and the future assets can support each other and what is the appropriate roll-out for the Coast.
“What happens now with the Broadwater is a massive opportunity for the Gold Coast to consolidate.”
Mr Evans yesterday said he was “delighted” his proposal was once again in the forefront after a turbulent period from 2001 which saw the proposal quashed in 2006 by the former Labor Government.
He said the project had not altered from the original concept, which at the time had used a raft of experts to find the most suitable location for a terminal.
It included retail outlets, an eat-street wharf precinct, commercial offices, a relocated fishing fleet, superyacht moorings and an indigenous tourist centre, as well as the terminal located at the northern end of The Spit.
He also said his links to the National Party would not put him ahead of the game.
“We are all professional businessmen dealing with government,” he said. “We will be judged on our merit.”
The other two parties would not comment on their proposals.
Gold Coast MPs are yet to see the expressions-of-interest proposals from the short-listed companies, but will be briefed on them later on during this week.
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said the four consortiums should have submitted their detailed information process should by mid-year, at which point a rigorous assessment period would begin.
He said a winning bidder may or may not be chosen from that.
“It’s still early days in this whole process and there’s much hard work ahead,” he said. “If this project proceeds it will be built and funded by the private sector.”
If a winning bidder is chosen, the project will then still have to go through an assessment and approval process, like any other proposed project would have to.
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said the multi-billion dollar project would create jobs and boost the city’s economy.
“Mayor Tom Tate won an election as an advocate for this project, so it’s clear the Gold Coast community supports a cruise terminal,” he said.
Southport MP Rob Molhoek said it was important whichever group was chosen was able to start construction straight up and not just sit on the land.
“It appears on the surface we have substantial players with the capacity and balance sheets to do something,” he said.
“I’ve always felt that there was a need to do something with Wavebreak Island.”
Independent MP for Gaven Alex Douglas said that a cruise ship terminal in the Broadwater would never happen because of engineering issues.
“They may as well raise the white flag now,” he said.
ASF Property Consortia proposal includes:
Cruise ship terminal and casino
Residential and resort elements
Footprint would cover all three parcels of land offered up by the State Government
Ridong (Gold Coast) Development proposal includes:
A “holistic” vision including the entire Broadwater
A cruise ship terminal and the possibility of multiple casinos
A multi-billion dollar proposal over 25 years
Hotels, businesses and residential elements
Azure proposal includes:
Cruise ship terminal, casino and hotel
Footprint limited to just one of the land parcels offered up by the State Government
ACPI proposal includes:
Cruise ship terminal in the Seaway
Possibly a casino, marinas and villas
The beautification of Doug Jennings Park
For more on the companies behind the proposals, see today’s Gold Coast Bulletin