By KATHY MARKS in Cairns
Australian environmental groups have vowed to fight plans to build an artificial island featuring water slides, a wedding chapel and an underground cafe on the Great Barrier Reef.
Sunlover Cruises wants to anchor a giant concrete pontoon at Moore Reef, about 50km east of Cairns.
The
four-storey island, the size of a football field, would boast palms, luxury overnight accommodation, a health spa and an Aboriginal art gallery. It would be visible from 16km away.
Environmentalists said yesterday that the proposed EcoReef Centre would be an eyesore and would cast a huge shadow over the sea floor, depriving many marine creatures of sunlight. It would also generate sewage that would be difficult to dispose of.
"It sets a really bad precedent, and it opens the door for really tacky theme park ventures to settle on one of the most significant reefs on the planet," said John Rainbird, a spokesman for the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre.
The project has yet to win Government approval and opponents have started a fighting fund to cover the cost of a legal challenge.
The World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef - the world's largest chain of coral reefs - is one of Australia's premier tourist attractions, drawing thousands of visitors every week. Most take day trips out to the reef by boat. Sunlover has said the 3900sq m, fish-shaped island would have no discernible impact on the ecology. It would blend in with the scenery, and the buildings would be a maximum 17m high.
Managing director Terry Russell said the company had been managing and protecting Moore Reef for 12 years, pouring millions into its conservation.
- INDEPENDENT
Herald Feature: Environment
