Focusing on Ray’s little chicken dance to avoid a journalist’s questions about his perceived conflict of interest is missing the point. Mr Stevens has been lobbying for the cableway since 1998 when he first proposed it. It was rejected by the Beattie Government, despite his lobbying, after three long years of assessment. Firstly, it was deemed to be illegal under the Nature Conservation Act and, secondly, it was found to have too many potential impacts upon the tiny, fragile, very special World Heritage listed Springbrook National Park and the head of the Gold Coast’s drinking water catchment. The facts are that this area is too small, its species too rare and threatened, its roads too narrow, its waterways too precious, its soils too erosion-prone and its forests too flammable to allow a theme park ride through the middle of it. If Mr Stevens had bothered to read the Coordinator-General’s Report, he would know these facts and not have the audacity to propose such a monstrosity again. Being an elected Member of Parliament and voting to change the legislation to suit his interests is evidently okay with the LNP; ignoring the facts of the matter should not be.
Focusing on Ray’s little chicken dance to avoid a journalist’s questions about his perceived conflict of interest is missing the point. Mr Stevens has been lobbying for the cableway since 1998 when he first proposed it. It was rejected by the Beattie Government, despite his lobbying, after three long years of assessment. Firstly, it was deemed to be illegal under the Nature Conservation Act and, secondly, it was found to have too many potential impacts upon the tiny, fragile, very special World Heritage listed Springbrook National Park and the head of the Gold Coast’s drinking water catchment. The facts are that this area is too small, its species too rare and threatened, its roads too narrow, its waterways too precious, its soils too erosion-prone and its forests too flammable to allow a theme park ride through the middle of it. If Mr Stevens had bothered to read the Coordinator-General’s Report, he would know these facts and not have the audacity to propose such a monstrosity again. Being an elected Member of Parliament and voting to change the legislation to suit his interests is evidently okay with the LNP; ignoring the facts of the matter should not be.