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Southport Spit, Queensland

 
Southport Spit, Queensland

 
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Southport Spit, Queensland
 
 
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The Southport Spit (also referred to as The Spit) lies opposite Southport
Southport, Queensland

Southport is a suburb and a business district near the mid-point of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and has one of the city's largest communities....
 to the north of Main Beach
Main Beach, Queensland

Main Beach is a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland. During the early years in which Southport, Queensland was the urban centre of recreational activity at the coast, visitors were ferried across the Gold Coast Broadwater to surf at the Main Beach so named because it was the main surf beach for the town of Southport, Queensland....
, Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast is a city and Local Government Areas of Australia in the South East Queensland corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the List of cities in Australia by population in the country....
. It is a permanent sand spit
Spit (landform)

A spit 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 Broadwater
Gold Coast Broadwater

The 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, Queensland to the southern section of the World Heritage Listed Moreton Bay along the eastern coast of Australia....
 from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
.

Today the Southport Spit is home to Sea World
Sea World

Sea World is a marine mammal park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, 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....
, Sea World Nara Resort, the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, as well as Palazzo Versace
Palazzo Versace

The Palazzo Versace is a luxury hotel jointly owned by Australian company Sunland Group Ltd and Emirates Investments Group Australia Pty Ltd, and is the world's first Gianni Versace S.p.A....
.






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Gold Coast (from the Spit)
The Southport Spit (also referred to as The Spit) lies opposite Southport
Southport, Queensland

Southport is a suburb and a business district near the mid-point of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and has one of the city's largest communities....
 to the north of Main Beach
Main Beach, Queensland

Main Beach is a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland. During the early years in which Southport, Queensland was the urban centre of recreational activity at the coast, visitors were ferried across the Gold Coast Broadwater to surf at the Main Beach so named because it was the main surf beach for the town of Southport, Queensland....
, Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland

The Gold Coast is a city and Local Government Areas of Australia in the South East Queensland corner of Queensland, Australia. It is the second most populous city in the state and the List of cities in Australia by population in the country....
. It is a permanent sand spit
Spit (landform)

A spit 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 Broadwater
Gold Coast Broadwater

The 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, Queensland to the southern section of the World Heritage Listed Moreton Bay along the eastern coast of Australia....
 from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
.

Today the Southport Spit is home to Sea World
Sea World

Sea World is a marine mammal park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, 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....
, Sea World Nara Resort, the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, as well as Palazzo Versace
Palazzo Versace

The Palazzo Versace is a luxury hotel jointly owned by Australian company Sunland Group Ltd and Emirates Investments Group Australia Pty Ltd, and is the world's first Gianni Versace S.p.A....
. 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 Oceanway
Gold Coast Oceanway

The Gold Coast Oceanway is a foreshoreway along beaches in Gold Coast, Queensland, Queensland. The Gold Coast Oceanway is a shared use pedestrian and cyclist pathway on the Gold Coast connecting the Point Danger, NSW/Queensland lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to the Gold Coast Seaway....
 and the Federation Walk
Federation Walk

Federation Walk is a 3.5 km pedestrian walkway on the Queensland Gold Coast, Queensland. 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 drift
Longshore drift

Longshore drift is a geology process by which sediments such as sand or other materials, move along a beach shore. It uses the process of swash to push the material up the beach and backwash down the beach; until it reaches a groyne or another obstacle....
, its growth and establishment as a landform saw demand for private leasehold title of land, along with applications for dredging
Dredge

Dredging 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 Seaway
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....
, thus preventing it from becoming a baymouth bar
Baymouth bar

A baymouth bar is a depostional feature as a result of longshore drift. It is a bar that completely closes access to a bay, thus sealing it off from the main body of water....
 connecting to South Stradbroke Island
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, Queensland....
. 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 Island
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, Queensland....
 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 marina
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....
 facility for superyachts
Luxury yacht

The 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 List of large sailing yachts or motor yacht....
, recreational and commercial boats. The US Navy has also been approved for the ability to dock military vessels in the terminal.

The State Government’s
Government of Queensland

The 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....
 vision
Strategic planning

Strategic 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

    Federation Walk is a 3.5 km pedestrian walkway on the Queensland Gold Coast, Queensland. 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
    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 vessel
    Commercial vessel

    A commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire. This would exclude pleasure craft that do not carry passengers for hire or warships....
    s at either the Marine Stadium or adjacent to Sea World
    Sea World

    Sea World is a marine mammal park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, 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....
    .
  • 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 ship
Cruise ship

File:MSMajestyOfTheSeasEdit1.JPGA 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....
 terminal on the basis of the EIS but is encouraging the public to participate in the consultation process.

See also

  • Spit (landform)
    Spit (landform)

    A spit 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
    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

    South Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast, Queensland....


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