Save Smiths Beach

An Artist's Impression of possible built impact at the beach

In the absence of updated information, which was supposed to be provided to the community on the visual impact of the development, the campaign has had to resort to creating an artist's impression on best current knowledge.

As a reference, a short visual 'fly over' of the proposed development was shown on the ABC Four Corners investigative report: The Dark Arts (aired in the week starting Monday 30 April 2007). The developer's own images screened in that computer generated fly over appear even more impacting than the artist's impression above.

The repeatedly proposed "Beach Club Resort" hotel is an example of particular interest for a closer look, for more reasons than its dominant position overlooking the beach.

The vegetation it is proposed to be built over is low coastal heath. Look at the coast in front of the hotel. There are granite rocks at the western end (bottom of picture) of the beach. Then consider:

• Low coastal heath vegetation grows in shallow soils.
• Below shallow soils is granite rock.
• Granite rock limits the ability to excavate an area to build on.
• To build on an area of shallow soil may require in-fill of soil.
• In-fill soil will increase any proposed building height.

The result of building upon sloping areas that have had in-fill soil added on top is a more visually impacting development, over and above the inappropriate impact at the start.

(If you're able to get down to Smiths Beach; An example of near-by in-fill site preparation has been shown in the caravan park redevelopment next door. Visitors can see the height of the retaining walls used to hold the in-fill).

You may ask yourself some questions based on the facts before your eyes:

• Will the developer 'discover' the shallow soils after the development is approved and then seek 'in-fill' permission to build the hotel on?
• How will adequate indigenous vegetation be grown in the shallow soil to screen a 7.5 (to possibly 10m) tall building(s) in the areas where the soil only supports 1m tall vegetation?

For more background information on where these questions came from, review the Corruption and Crime Commission transcripts* (click).

The photograph below shows the scenic rocky granite headland. The rocks are visible through the vegetation and soil. The type of vegetation indicates the soil depth.

* ref: CCC transcripts: 7/11/06, p43 Hanley PJ XN (1024) 1005am = morning session.