The
Southport Spit (also referred to as
The Spit) lies opposite
SouthportSouthport is a suburb and a business district near the mid-point of the Gold Coast, Australia and has one of the city's largest communities. At the 2006 Census, Southport had a population of 24,097....
to the north of
Main BeachMain Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Main Beach had a population of 3,324....
,
Gold CoastThe Gold Coast is a city in the southeast corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is also the most populous non-capital city in the country...
. It is a permanent sand
spitA spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, while at the far end they exist in open water. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
that separates the
Southport BroadwaterThe Gold Coast Broadwater, also known as Southport Broadwater and Gold Coast Harbour, is a large shallow estuary of water reaching from the locality of Southport to the southern section of the World Heritage Listed Moreton Bay along the eastern coast of Australia...
from the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
.
Today the Southport Spit is home to
Sea WorldSea World is a marine mammal park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.-Park History:Sea World was founded by...
, Sea World Nara Resort, the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, as well as Palazzo Versace. Adjacent to The Spit is the Gold Coast Sand Pumping Jetty, a popular destination for fishermen and part of the Gold Coast Seaway's Sand Bypassing System.
The
Gold Coast OceanwayThe Gold Coast Oceanway is a foreshoreway along beaches in Gold Coast, Queensland. The Gold Coast Oceanway is a shared use pedestrian and cyclist pathway on the Gold Coast connecting the Point Danger lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to the Gold Coast Seaway...
and the
Federation WalkFederation Walk is a 3.5 km pedestrian walkway on the Queensland Gold Coast. It is operated as a community project that was launched through efforts of the Main Beach Progress Association and the Friends of Federation Walk to celebrate the Centenary of the Federation of Australia in 2001...
provide opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists to explore the Spit's environments.
Formation
As a product of
longshore driftLongshore drift, sometimes known as drifting, longshore current, LSD or littoral drift is the movement of sediments, most often sand, along a coast parallel to its shoreline....
, its growth and establishment as a landform saw demand for private leasehold title of land, along with applications for
dredgingDredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing of them at a different location....
rights of mineral sands. The Spit was later stabilised in 1986 by the construction of the
Gold Coast SeawayThe Gold Coast Seaway or Southport Seaway is the main navigation entrance from the Pacific Ocean into the Gold Coast Broadwater and southern Moreton Bay and is one of Australia’s most significant coastal engineering projects...
, thus preventing it from becoming a
baymouth barA baymouth bar is a depositional feature as a result of longshore drift. It is a spit that completely closes access to a bay, thus sealing it off from the main body of water. These bars usually consist of accumulated gravel and sand carried by the current of longshore drift and deposited at a less...
connecting to
South Stradbroke IslandSouth Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 21 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland. The island has hundreds of wild wallabies...
. The Gold Coast Seaway was the first entrance in the world to include the construction and operation of a permanent sand bypassing system at the same time that the entrance was trained. The new entrance and sand bypassing system opened in 1986 and pumps about 500,000 cubic meters of sand from the spit to
South Stradbroke IslandSouth Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 21 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland. The island has hundreds of wild wallabies...
each year.
Proposed development
There is a proposed marine development of the Southport Spit which includes the provision of recreational facilities for the construction of a
marinaA marina is a sheltered harbor where boats and yachts are kept in the water and where services geared to the needs of recreational boating are found....
facility for
superyachtsThe term luxury yacht refers to a very expensive privately owned yacht which is professionally crewed. Also known as a Super Yacht, a luxury yacht may be either a sailing or motor yacht.-History:...
, recreational and commercial boats. The US Navy has also been approved for the ability to dock military vessels in the terminal.
The
State Government’sThe Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
visionStrategic planning is an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy, including its capital and people...
for the Southport Spit includes:
- A preservation program for Doug Jennings Park and the western section of The Spit known as the Marine Stadium that people go to play football in.
- The provision of recreational facilities for public use.
- A protection and enhancement program for the 93ha Federation Walk
Federation Walk is a 3.5 km pedestrian walkway on the Queensland Gold Coast. It is operated as a community project that was launched through efforts of the Main Beach Progress Association and the Friends of Federation Walk to celebrate the Centenary of the Federation of Australia in 2001...
and Nature Reserve areas east of Seaworld Drive.
- Construction of a marina
A marina is a sheltered harbor where boats and yachts are kept in the water and where services geared to the needs of recreational boating are found....
for recreational and commercial vesselA commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
s at either the Marine Stadium or adjacent to Sea WorldSea World is a marine mammal park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.-Park History:Sea World was founded by...
.
- The development of 6.2ha of State land south of Sea World.
This proposal has strong local support from some parts of the community and vehement criticism from others due to the effects the development will have upon the landform, seascape and environment of the location.
The Government has withdrawn a proposed
cruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with millions of passengers each year...
terminal on the basis of the EIS but is encouraging the public to participate in the consultation process.
See also
- Spit (landform)
A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, while at the far end they exist in open water. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
- Gold Coast Seaway
The Gold Coast Seaway or Southport Seaway is the main navigation entrance from the Pacific Ocean into the Gold Coast Broadwater and southern Moreton Bay and is one of Australia’s most significant coastal engineering projects...
- South Stradbroke Island
South Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 21 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland. The island has hundreds of wild wallabies...
External links