Shenanigans at Shute?

Updated 1100 Tuesday 25 August 2009
Sourced entirely from ABC News - Melissa Maddison - full story

Lobby group urges (Shute Harbour) Marina lease probe

Suzette Pelt from Save Our Foreshore says since the former lease expired in 1999, there have been extensions granted but without the proper consultation and scrutiny.

She says the current lease was due to expire yesterday, but understands an extension has already been granted.

Ms Pelt says the Premier needs to take a tough stand against what may be seen as unethical dealings.

A spokesman for the developer says a new lease has not been granted.

Updated 0700 Monday 10 Aug 2009

Whitsundays Online
Partially sourced fromThe Sunday Mail, Daryl Passmore - full story
Image - Laurie Mills lmills@dodo.com.au

Jeff Smith, the central Queensland regional services director for the Department of Natural Resources, was granted leave without pay to work for property development company Port Binnli in 2003.

This same state government official, who signed an approval to transfer 45ha of state land to Shute Harbour Marina Development in 1998, is now the Chief Executive of Port Binnli, which owns half of the Shute Harbour Marina Development.

One month before Mr Smith left the Department of Natural Resources in August 2003, the 45 hectare Shute Harbour lease was renewed for another seven years – and backdated to 1999. Mr Smith told the Sunday Mail yesterday that he did not recall being involved in the lease renewal.

Patricia Julien, from the Mackay Conservation Group said, "A Most Appropriate Use Study' for the best long-term use of this land, as required under the 1994 Lands Act, has never been completed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."

Port Binnli joined the Shute Harbour project in March 2006.

Save Our Foreshore
Mackay Conservation Group
Port Binnli
Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Environment

Editors Note : Why is Mayor 'Moscow' Brunker so keen to have heavy industry in the Whitsundays, near Bowen? Is it because a Labor collegue's wife owns the land where the development is supposed to go? Chalco appears to have baulked on a Alumina refinery, and Gladstone has scored the liquid gas plant - what's next? Steel smelters?