To: Gold Coast City Council


Subject: Objection to Proposed Springbrook Masterplan &  Closure/Restriction of Local Waste Facility at 4 Carricks Rd, Springbrook QLD 4213

Dear Gold Coast City Council,

 We object to the Springbrook master plan moving forward.  The combined effect of the "Fast-Tracked" 2032 Olympic adgends that includes proposed changes from Parks and Wildlife, Main Roads, The proposed Eaglemont Super Tourist Hub, the proposed and expanded gondola Cableway,  Water Mining, and the new Eco tourism public acquisition of land legislation are all happening too quickly to assess the potential for permanent damage. The cumulative effects of so many proposed changes cannot be assessed without years and possibly a decades worth of investigation. You cannot bring this amount of changes to world listed world Heritage listed area without permanently changing the environment this cannot be undone, part of which is waste management. Well many of these things may not be within councils control. You are voting on the Kable way and on the rubbish dump and waste management and we expect you to listen to Democratic process except our petition and not move forward in these areas.

It has come to the attention of the local residents that you intend to effectively close by significantly restricted access to our only council-managed waste facility. We strongly oppose this decision. It has happened despite the fact that we submitted our petition. We ask you respectfully to reverse this decision as it is not working and it's costing the Gold Coast City Council money where before this our tip was making them $40,000 a year.

Our community has a long history of being self-sufficient and environmentally responsible. Every household manages its own rainwater collection, sewage, wastewater, and, in most cases, independent power supply through generators or solar battery systems. The waste facility provided by Council is the sole service of this kind available to us, and its removal raises a serious question: what exactly are we paying our rates for, especially after this year’s significant rate increases with no visible benefit to locals?

We formally request full transparency and access to the feasibility study that led to this proposal. The current waste facility is clean, self-managed, and cost-effective. Replacing it with a more expensive, restricted, and less accessible system does not appear to be a sound financial or practical decision. If Council cannot justify this change with clear evidence, it undermines the trust of ratepayers.

Further, the proposed changes will create real environmental risks. While permanent residents are diligent in managing their waste, casual visitors and campers are not always as responsible. If there are no accessible weekend facilities, illegal dumping becomes more likely—posing a direct threat to our World Heritage–listed rainforest. It should be noted that this listing places the area under UN jurisdiction, limiting Council’s authority and requiring community consent for eco-tourism or environmental policy changes. Proceeding without that consent could expose the Council to significant reputational and legal challenges.

This decision also contradicts the Council’s recent claims of supporting eco-tourism. Removing essential waste facilities while simultaneously encouraging more visitors is inconsistent, unsustainable, and counterproductive to environmental protection.

Our community collectively pays approximately half a million dollars per rate cycle. Should this facility be closed or restricted to the point of impracticality, we will be forced to reconsider whether continuing to pay rates is justified. Those funds could instead support our own independent waste management system—one that would be more effective, locally accountable, and better aligned with our community’s needs.

Finally, your proposal to restrict hours or eliminate the facility will cause unnecessary disruption and hardship, particularly for our elderly residents and those working locally in hospitality. Successful examples such as the Emporium recycling centre prove that clean, safe, and unsupervised community waste management is entirely viable. Why, then, is the Council proposing to remove recycling options, increase costs, and decrease access?
In summary, we demand that:

• No changes be made to our existing waste facility.
• Council release the full feasibility study for community review.
• Council demonstrate how this proposal aligns with both financial responsibility and environmental protection obligations.

 

We urge you to reconsider this decision and act in the best interests of both the community and the environment.

Please also see the attached petition, signed by residents, in support of maintaining our current facility without additional restrictions or costs.

Sincerely,


Dr. S. D’Montford


On behalf of the residents of Springbrook
____________________________

Petition: Retain Full Access to Our Local Waste Facility

We, the undersigned residents of [Community Name], strongly oppose the Gold Coast City Council’s proposal to close, restrict, or alter the operation of our only local waste facility.

Our community has always been self-sufficient and environmentally responsible. The current facility is:

• Clean, well-maintained, and self-managed.
• Essential for responsible waste disposal, particularly on weekends.
• The only Council-provided service of this type available to us.

Restricting or removing this service will:

• Increase the risk of illegal dumping in our World Heritage–listed rainforest, especially by visitors and campers.
• Place unnecessary hardship on elderly and vulnerable residents.
• Waste ratepayer funds by increasing costs while reducing access.

We, as ratepayers, contribute approximately half a million dollars  per rate cycle. We expect fair return on these contributions through continued access to the waste facility. Any attempt to remove or restrict it is unacceptable.

We therefore call on the Gold Coast City Council to:

• Maintain full public access to our waste facility, 7 days a week.
• Retain existing recycling and green waste services.
• Abandon any unnecessary and costly changes that reduce access or impose additional restrictions.

This petition represents the clear position of the community:

"The waste facility must remain open and accessible in its current form."