Community to rally again over Rainbow Bay Surf Club as protest campaign evolves

PROTESTERS will return to Snapper Rocks on April 18 for a second rally against the proposed redevelopment of the Rainbow Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.

The earlier protest drew crowds from across south-east Queensland and the Northern Rivers, united in opposition to plans to demolish the ageing clubhouse as part of a broader foreshore masterplan.

 

 

Led by Save Our Southern Gold Coast president Kath Down, the rally challenges Gold Coast City Council’s decision to progress the precinct-wide redevelopment, which includes replacing the existing surf club building.

“We need to scrap that master plan because it is actually flawed in the eyes of experts and go back to the drawing board,” Down said During this weekend’s protest, Down plans to present written observations from local architect and planner Philip Follent as part of the group’s push for greater scrutiny of the council’s masterplan.

Follent is an experienced architect and planner who has worked as a Queensland government architect and has been involved in assessing projects nationally.

In his report, Follent described the masterplan as “fraught with deficiencies” and requiring “deeper scrutiny and modification”.

Follent’s assessment is also being included in a submission to the Crime and Corruption Commission, with protesters calling for the masterplan to be withdrawn so alternative designs can be properly considered through further consultation.

 

Another focus for the upcoming protest is increasing youth engagement and surf community representation.

Organisers have identified younger, locally connected spokespeople to help lead outreach across social media platforms.

“Hopefully through social media, my mates and I can rally some more people around our age,” local resident Troy Harris said.

“None of the people I’ve spoken to are happy about the proposed development, but no one was aware of the last protest.”

Harris said he hopes to encourage an attitude shift among younger locals towards the protest movement.

“It’s important to stand up for things you hold dear regardless of the opinions of others,” he said.

“I feel that is a problem with a lot of people my age.

“They are worried to be vocal on a topic like this because it has become fashionable to be unpassionate.

“There are so many memories and moments on the hill and in the pub, and even though it is a tall order to save the spot, it would be better to lose it and say we tried rather than to lose it wishing we did.”

 

 

Down has also enlisted the help of a local content producer and cameraman, hoping to capture the protest and broaden the movement’s visibility online.

“We plan to capture the event and pull together a podcast on it,” she said.

“I’m working on so many other things at the moment with Save our Southern Gold Coasts, but this one needs to be individualised.”

Alongside the protest movement, the community’s petition campaign against the redevelopment has faced procedural barriers.

“We’re in the process of assessing the wording for a new handwritten petition now,” Down said.

 

 

“The reason we have to do this is because we already have 10,500 signatures, but council will not accept it as an electronic petition.

“It’s obviously much harder to do a written petition than it is to do an e-petition.”

The revised paper petition will be available for signing on the day of the protest, and additional volunteers will also be deployed to collect signatures at key community locations in the weeks following the rally.

The protest will be held on April 18 at 10am in the parkland beside Rainbow Bay Surf Lifesaving Club.