A letter from Mayor Karen Williams to Senator Matt Canavan inviting him to a personal briefing on the Birkdale Community Precinct and the Redland Whitewater Centre was recently published by the Senate Inquiry into Australia’s preparedness to host Commonwealth, Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Senator Canavan is the chair of this inquiry and he has presided over hearings in Brisbane, Victoria and Canberra at which dozens of witnesses have provided information to the Inquiry.
At the Brisbane Hearing on 22 August representatives of four Redlands community groups explained why there was no need for a Redland Whitewater Centre and that it would make more sense for canoe slalom events at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics to be held at Penrith NSW in accordance with the IOC’s ‘New Norms’ policy designed to avoid wasting money on ‘white elephant’ facilities which become burdens on their communities.
The letter from Mayor Williams to Senator Canavan is dated 24 August, two days after the Senate inquiry’s Brisbane Hearing.
What Mayor Williams could have done is made a proper submission to the inquiry and offered to appear as a witness at a hearing of the inquiry to explain why Redland City Council has been so keen to pursue development of a facility which will be costly and probably unprofitable for Redland City Council to own and operate.
The drawbacks and downsides from doing this are that:
- Evidence to senate inquiries is normally provided publicly; and
- Senators at a hearing can ask probing questions which may be awkward to answer.
So instead, Mayor Williams dashed off a charming letter to the chair of the Senate Inquiry inviting him to get a personal briefing “to get a deeper appreciation and understanding of the promise this venue brings for our city”.
“It appears that the Senate Committee hasn’t been afforded the detail around the process and the work involved in legacy planning for our Olympic Venue” says the mayor in her letter.
Well the Senate Committee is not alone. The long suffering residents and ratepayers of Redlands have yet to see any evidence that the Redland Whitewater Centre will not be a financial burden on the city for decades.
Letter to Senator Canavan
Here is the letter from mayor Karen Williams to Senator Matt Canavan.
What the community thinks
Residents’ dissatisfaction with the proposed Birkdale whitewater stadium is being expressed through a petition to Queensland Parliament.
The number of people signing this petition greatly exceeds the number of people who engaged in any of Redland City Council’s consultation processes for its proposal to develop an Olympic whitewater stadium at Birkdale.
Redlands2030 – 13 September 2023
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
4 Comments
In the first paragraph of her letter to Senator Canavan, the Mayor highlights the benefits of the very site she is prepared to destroy for a white water rafting facility by both the construction process on the site and the finished product. The community would like this “62- hectare site (that) has been quietly hidden away; surrounded by untouched protected bushland and Koala habitat that provides a backdrop that is uniquely Redlands” to remain a beautiful environment for Redlanders and visitors to enjoy since “the Birkdale Community Precinct truly captures the essence of our Naturally Wonderful Redlands Coast”.
Why did the Mayor think she was so privileged to have Senator Canavan attend a “personal briefing” rather than present herself at the Senate Committee Hearing at the appropriate time and place like all other interested parties?
Mayor Williams refusal to speak to the Senate inquiry is typical of her. She dances to the tune of the Pied Piper, leading the hapless residents of the Redlands into disaster after disaster without a care. Roll on the next election.
As a retired marine biologist and a long term resident of the Redlands I have been disappointed by many of the recent decisions of the Redland City Council (RCC) led by Mayor Karen Williams. It was obvious from last Wednesday’s Council Meeting, on video record, that Mayor Williams has a vested interest in having the white-water rafting facility at Birkdale, even if the cost blows right out. She is hoping to go on the Olympic Committee for 2032 and it appears she doesn’t care about the cost of having a local white-water facility when there is already an operational white-water facility at Penrith. Most residents are very much against such an expensive facility at Birkdale because it is to be used for just two weeks. A number of councillors expressed their concerns about the costs but only four of them then voted against a construction at Birkdale. Councillors such as Cr Paul Golle, expressed their concerns about costs which are still unknown. But then they were convinced by the Mayor to vote for a Birkdale construction anyway. Many residents are losing faith in our Council.
Mayor Williams’ letter to Senator Matt Canavan reads well, if only what is written in it were true. A day on site with Senator Canavan she promises would be ‘enriching and exciting’. Really?
My own lasting memories, having lived within walking distance of Birkdale Community Precinct, I noted had been changed to Birkdale Whitewater Centre, are of several developers pictured in local newspaper jumping up and down on the land wanting to build a housing estate, but Federal Government refused to sell to Redland City Council. Reason for this was because of the WWII Radio Receiving Station, best location US Army found to build it and in perfect condition today. Mayor’s close friend and ex-Federal Member for Bowman, Andrew Laming, had worked, on behalf of Redland community, with the Feds to release the land for,,,what we thought would be…solely for community use. Redlanders were unaware deal had been done to build a Whitewater canoe-racing facility for 2032 Olympics, until shocked hearing Premier Palasczcuk announce on Channel 9 six o’clock news, after first day of the two, we the people, were permitted to view the site writing wishes on boards provided, that she would be hosting it!. No interest was shown for prominently displayed Whitewater facility by young and old local residents. Willard Homestead, now State Heritage listed, Mayor Williams was heard by listeners on ABC radio saying Council had ‘condemned’..as it interfered with design of the Master Plan for the land.
Everyone I know agree with Senator Canavan’s common sense approach to host the 2032 Olympic canoe-racing event at an already established facility at Penrith, NSW, rather than forcing Redlands Community to accept what is expected to be, as in other places, a future ‘white elephant’…and costly ongoing burden on shoulders of Redland ratepayers.. .