Thank you for the opportunity to speak here today. Thank you to the previous speakers, Thank you to the organisers and Thank you to all of you who have joined us on the beach today. There’s a huge non-local component to the group on the beach today which shows that this beach has a place in the hearts of not only islanders but Brisbanites, Queenslanders, Australians everyone. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world for mine and it’s an honour to stand in front of you and talk about this issue.

I have to say that looking at you all here today brings home to me something  that I’ve believed for a long time and that is that in this community the things that unite us ( the beach, the beauty of the island, fishing, surfing etc) are far more important than the things that divide us - which is sadly something we forget sometimes. It’s fitting that we have the rainbow serpent here because I see people in front of me that are greenies, I see people that would stand in the blue corner at Jim’s pub, some that would stand in the red corner, I see people from the black fella community and people from the white fella community all coming together to see the right thing done by this beautiful beach.

The Council plan for Cylinder beach is wrong, wrong, wrong. It shows a total misunderstanding of the beach, a total misunderstand of why people go to the beach, a total misunderstanding of tourism and how it can benefit the area, a total misunderstanding of local traffic conditions and demands during the year. It is too much parking for non-peak demands and not enough for peak. It puts day tripper buses into the wrong area. It destroys the beach experience. It’s an expensive bit of infrastructure that we never asked for.

 But what really, really pisses me off is that having decided to do something, there was no excuse for Council stuffing it up. The local community was asked to come up with some ideas as to how it should be done, in good faith they told the Council and Council went ahead and came up with the worst of all solutions. I went to the community consultation meeting that Murray refered to, a lot of you who are here today did, we were assured that this time it would be different, that this time we would be listened too, and yet when I saw the plans they came up with, I couldn’t believe that they had been at the same meeting.

I stand before you as an opponent of this decision, but I also stand before you as a Candidate in the next election. I’m not a Candidate because I  think I’m the smartest person for the job, or the most popular person in town or any of those things . There’s a dozen of you who could do as good or better job than I could do of being Councillor. I’m not doing it because I thought it might be nice to have a V8. I’ve got a bloody good job now showing people around Moreton Island and I’m pretty happy. I’m a Candidate because I got sick and tired of decisions like this and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I got sick and tired of watching money wasted in this town on the wrong stuff. Got sick and tired of watching people move out because their rates were going through the roof. Got sick and tired of watching the Council divide and rule. Got sick and tired of Council ignoring good community input. Got sick and tired of watching the Council turn this place into their own version of mainland urban loveliness. Got sick and tired of Council’s lack of vision. Got sick and tired of watching opportunity after opportunity pass this place by. And got sick and tired of watching Council push inappropriate development over appropriate development.

Like most of you I have dreamed the dreams about what this place could be and what it could mean and I am sick and tired of having those dreams dashed and sick and tired of watching the dreams of others dashed.

It is the frustration that gives me energy to do it. At the moment I am out doorknocking in Cleveland. The political reality is that the future of Stradbroke Island and this beach will be decided by the people of Cleveland. It’s enjoyable in a way but it’s hot and  tiring, but every time I start to think about giving up I think of Cylinder Beach.

I don’t pretend to have all the solutions, but at least I can see the problems, and with your goodwill and help, now and into the future, I will do my best to see that the best of the Island, and the best of it’s people will see the light of day. I will do my best to see that the community is heard, that businesses thrive, that the natural environment is preserved, that your dreams about what this place could be are realised.

The Council proposal for the beach is wrong. It is bad for the environment, bad for the beach, bad for the community and bad for tourism. It is a sad, bad decision that has brought us here but it is a great day for us all, because not only are we drawing a line in the sand against this plan but in a way we also draw a line in the sand that says were sick and tired of being treated this way and were not going to take it anymore.

I love the beach and I love Stradbroke Island and it’s people. I can promise you that I will do whatever I can if elected to make sure that the proposed plan is never implemented. Thanks for your time…