Pictured above: Site Plan of the former Amaroo Holiday Apartments at Bremner Point.
Assistant Minister for Defence Matt Thistlewaite met with community groups on Monday, announcing he would be pressing pause on the sale to engage in community consultation.
A David and Goliath battle between Magnetic Island Residents and the Department of Defence.has been ongoing since the beginning of the year, with some residents strongly objecting to the sale of the former Amaroo Holiday Apartments at Bremner Point.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence and Federal MP Phillip Thompson has been working with the residents of Magnetic Island to help voice their concerns, after the Department of Defence announced it would be disposing of the land without cleaning up the site.
The MCN understands the former holiday units contain asbestos and residents want the site to be cleaned up.
While much of the lot was planned to be folded into the Magnetic Island National Park, the waterfront area overlooking Geoffrey Bay was to be sold on the open market, which upset some locals as well.
Herbert MP Phillip Thompson told the MCN it was a positive step but it was clear more work needed to be done “I’ve attended meetings with the Magnetic Island Residents and Ratepayers’ Association (MIRRA), written multiple letters, met with locals and visited the site.
Mr. Thompson went on to say “Proper community consultation from the beginning would have saved the community a lot of grief about what’s going on with publicly-owned land in their backyard.”
Magnetic Island Resident and Ratepayers Assoc. will be holding their November meeting this Saturday at 10am in the RSL Hall Hayles Ave, Arcadia.
Pictured above: Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence and Federal MP Phillip Thompson at the Amaroo Holiday Aparments site.