Kirra groyne extension hits a hurdle

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Surfpolitik

Just two weeks after work on the Kirra groyne extension was announced the project has hit a hurdle. Yesterday Swellnet learned the Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) haven't been granted development approval despite stating on the 29th July that "the first of hundreds of boulders will be moved into place today."

It appears the GCCC have gotten ahead of themselves in the approval process. For the groyne to be extended the GCCC are required to submit a development application with Queensland's Department of Environment Heritage and Protection (EHP). A spokesperson for the EHP told Swellnet they were in receipt of the application yet are still assessing it against applicable laws and policies. Until the application is approved no boulders can be moved.

Last week the EHP reached out to Kirra Point stakeholders asking their views as to whether there is "a demonstrated public interest to support the extension." It's understood that despite the celebration from surfers there's been concern from some parties about possible shoreline erosion north of the Kirra groyne.

The EHP has asked all stakeholders to reply by the 19th August though at least one group has asked for an extension to this deadline. It would appear that the Kirra groyne extension, if it were to even go ahead, is still a few months away.

A spokesperson at the EHP was asked about the possibility the project would be terminated altogether though they've yet to make comment. Likewise, no-one at the Gold Coast City Council would offer comment about the premature announcement and application oversight. One of the Kirra point stakeholders said of the situation, "this is a pretty embarrassing mistake by the GCCC."

Stay tuned for more information.

Comments

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 10:49am

wow, thats a major fuckup, what happens if it gets refused ? big penaltys also for commencing without the right approvals, good for the landowner who has already cashed his $220k cheque for supplying the basalt.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 10:56am

now wondering because it was kept so quite if the groyne shortening had the app approvals ?

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 10:59am

The 'on hold' message at the GCCC phone line is news the Kirra point extension is happening and will be finished in December 2013. It took years for the council to act and now they're rushing it through without proper approval.

A strange situation indeed...

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 10:59am

"now wondering because it was kept so quite if the groyne shortening had the app approvals ?"

Really good point.

wellymon's picture
wellymon's picture
wellymon Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 11:31am

Sorry to say but, GCCC are a bunch of fucking idiots,
Try getting a renovation approval done up here, money plus absolute crap.
They bend rules to suit themselves. $$$$$

yoohooo's picture
yoohooo's picture
yoohooo Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 2:42pm

more bureaucratic bullshit and red tape. They're just fucking rocks FFS.
I reckon we just start moving the rocks ourselves, every time you pass the groin, just throw another small rock out off the end.

fly's picture
fly's picture
fly Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 7:07pm

So let me get this right. Build a groyne at Kirra. A bit later take some of it away. A bit later, put some back. These gccc coastal cowboys blow few more million bucks - they have NFI what they're doing.

Mayor Tate calls all surfers dropkicks. The state vs Tate rotates beach management like a roulette wheel.

He's out chest beating about being the surfers' champion !

The GC coastal stakeholder process would be a joke. If it actually existed!

Thank Christ the GG surfers have formed a Surf Council.

dave_anning's picture
dave_anning's picture
dave_anning Wednesday, 14 Aug 2013 at 9:29pm

This made me laugh, thanks Stu.

Doubt there would've been much planning oversight sought or required when the rocks were removed

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 11:45am

No, that whole business in 1996 (the shortening) is awfully shady.

Anyhoo, seems the MSM is on the case now:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-15/approvals-process-stops-work-on-ki...
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2013/08/15/456445_gold-coast-news.html
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/08/15/3826030.htm

There are some very funny quotes from Mayor Tom Tate in amongst them, including this: "I don't know why they can't just get on with it and look at the drawings we have sent them."

Keep in mind Tom Tate is a civil engineer.

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 12:01pm

---that whole business in 1996 (the shortening) is awfully shady.---

yep, when Kirra morphed from being an iconic surf break to becoming a new highrise above a "surf" shop owned by nameless councillor. hmmmm .

the hawaiin shirts were always a give.

abc-od's picture
abc-od's picture
abc-od Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 12:14pm

There's a line in the story above "It's understood that despite the celebration from surfers there's been concern from some parties about possible shoreline erosion north of the Kirra groyne."

Sid, what odds would you give me 'the other PT' is one of those concerned parties?

z-man's picture
z-man's picture
z-man Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 5:36pm

'bureaucracy' comes to Oz! Ain't life grand blokes? Cheers!
Buy a D-8 Caterpillar w/snorkel and do it yourselves. Ask Luke Egan to foot the bill. I'm sure he will?
Pay the fines 5 years later after lengthy litigation; meanwhile you get 5 years of Kirra.
In the interim ask surfers to pay a $1 surf fee- all the blokes on the dole will be glad to pony-up?
There's the solution! Who says surfers don't think out of the box?

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 6:01pm

very short odds, abc.

but "concerned parties" would be numerous in the new age of cafe latte' set, Clubbies and RE parasites which rule the roost in downtown K.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 6:23pm

yeh of course louey egan will contribute, his tweed penthouse is up for grabs $2mill + pricetag

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 6:41pm

ha, he'd be down that plus some on his BBG holdings, without a doubt.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 at 6:58pm

but its all coming back via kommune keramas 5 star prices....very handy with the Oakley comp fully booked , probably covered near half the construction costs.

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Monday, 19 Aug 2013 at 6:57am

have any approvals been granted, perfect weather conditions for the extension.

stunet's picture
stunet's picture
stunet Monday, 19 Aug 2013 at 8:15am

Nah, not yet. The Dept of EHP asked stakeholders to reply by the 19th yet I know one party has applied for an extension till the 28th. Not sure how long the assessment period will take - weeks? months?

fergus-mcdingo's picture
fergus-mcdingo's picture
fergus-mcdingo Saturday, 24 Aug 2013 at 5:37pm

Everyone aware of the Kirra groyne saga would know the real story behind the removal of the end section of Kirra groyne. It's a story about a bloke who used his trusted position to have the last 30 metres ripped off big groyne in 1996, purely for his own dirty ends. A man who betrayed his kind for simply more money and who was motivated by simple, grubby developer greed. One day this unnamed shit bag will be held to account for his corrupt behaviour which will now cost rate payers $750K to rectify his damage, plus the cost of doing the original damage.

sidthefish's picture
sidthefish's picture
sidthefish Saturday, 24 Aug 2013 at 10:05pm

fuck fergus. In a nutshell. Copy that.

pure Champ .

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Tuesday, 22 Oct 2013 at 4:59pm

So, what's going on with the Kirra Groyne Extension?

wellymon's picture
wellymon's picture
wellymon Wednesday, 23 Oct 2013 at 12:05am

Yeah Ben, I drove past that ways a week ago, I did not see any action out on the groin itself, i.e Excavators dropping rocks etc. The area was still barricaded off with fencing and danger tape. Some big rocks waiting to be put in place.
I did notice though the beach had looked like it has eating back up in to the dunes more! Right up in the corner, It could of been the tide maybe, anyone correct my sightings as I did not stop and fully check it out....???

dave_anning's picture
dave_anning's picture
dave_anning Thursday, 24 Oct 2013 at 9:45am

Hit another hurdle. Not enough 15t rocks available.

yocal's picture
yocal's picture
yocal Thursday, 24 Oct 2013 at 1:39pm

Byron bypass project is full of 15t bogies floating in all that red dirt, they would be trying to offload them for sure

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Thursday, 24 Oct 2013 at 5:46pm

basalt is what there after, over $220k worth has already been purchased for the extension.......do they need more ? very hard to source in a large size

dave_anning's picture
dave_anning's picture
dave_anning Thursday, 24 Oct 2013 at 9:03pm

There weren't enough big basalt boulders around, they are using greenstone from Petrie. I think there was a delay in getting them out of the quarry.

Final DA approval was given in late August.

wellymon's picture
wellymon's picture
wellymon Thursday, 24 Oct 2013 at 11:39pm

Greenstone from Petrie?,
Classic.

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Wednesday, 13 Nov 2013 at 11:41am

Looks like they're back in business. There's a big excavator on the end of Kirra Point, and a crane moving up along the groyne too. Our surfcam is panning across it every minute or so.

Live vision: http://www.swellnet.com/surfcams/snapper-rocks

thermalben's picture
thermalben's picture
thermalben Saturday, 14 Dec 2013 at 7:43am

Have they finished? If so, here's a before-and-after series of stills from our surfcam (Sep 5 and Dec 14):

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Saturday, 14 Dec 2013 at 8:09am

wayne dean save kirra pt he'll know

EDIT: please don't post personal mobile numbers Udo!