Australia: Plans for four-storey complex condemned by environmentalists
Plans to build an artificial island on the Great Barrier Reef, featuring an underground café, waterslides and a wedding chapel, have caused more than a little consternation among environmentalists – unsurprisingly.
The Independent today reports that an outfit called Sunlover Cruises is aiming to build a four-storey island some 30 miles off the Queensland coast. The island would be roughly the size of a football pitch and would feature luxury accommodation, palm trees, and an art gallery.
However, campaigners are already vowing to fight the plans, condemning them as “a bad precedent”. A spokesman for the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre said the proposed island would cast a giant shadow over the sea floor and would create too much sewage. He added: “It sets a really bad precedent and it opens the door up for really tacky theme park ventures to settle on one of the most significant reefs on the planet.”
Sunlover, for its part, is claiming that the project would have “no discernible impact” on the environment, it would look like a real island, and would “blend in” with the surroundings. The decision on the proposal will eventually be taken by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority, which looks after the site.
