LIGHT-RAIL MAN TAKES LEAD ROLE ON CRUISE SHIP PROJECT

GOLD Coast cruise ship terminal proponent the ASF Consortium has ramped up its push to win over the local community with the appointment of the man who helped get the light rail off the ground eight years ago.

Tim Poole, the former project director at GoldLinQ between 2006 and 2011, has been appointed project director of ASF’s proposed integrated resort and cruise-ship terminal.

Poole replaces the Sydney-based Allan Fife, who has been the main spokesman for the project from the outset.

The move comes as ASF Consortium kicks off stage two of the community consultation phase for the $7.5 billion project which is earmarked for Wavebreak Island in the Southport Broadwater.

“The local team and I are focused on educating and engaging the community about the project and establishing two-way communications to allow the community to provide ongoing input,” says Poole.

“Over the next six months and beyond, we will be out and about all over the Gold Coast talking to community members and groups.

“We want to hear your views on what legacies you would like the biggest tourism project in the city’s history to deliver for the Gold Coast.”

ASF Consortium plans to open a Southport office later this month to support the new local team.

Since leaving the Gold Coast in 2011, Poole has worked on a number of infrastructure projects, including the Central-to-Everleigh urban renewal project in Sydney and the upgrade of Newcastle’s city centre. He also has been a strategic advisor to the Perth light rail system.

Poole describes the cruise-ship terminal proposed by ASF Consortium as exciting as the $1.2 billion Gold Coast light rail project.

“If approved, this project can create over 12,000 new jobs, drive tourism growth and underpin a stronger local economy for decades to come,” he says.

As part of the next consultation phase, Poole is expected to hold community workshops with a focus on issues relating to the environment and urban planning, including height and density.