Bligh's foreshore promise

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh flanked by Member for Keppel Paul Hoolihan (left) and Cameron Dick Minister for Education. Photo Sophie Jackson / Capricorn Coast Mirror, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh flanked by Member for Keppel Paul Hoolihan (left) and ??? Photo Sophie Jackson / Capricorn Coast Mirror

Sophie Jackson

QUEENSLAND premier Anna Bligh breezed into Yeppoon on Monday as a part of her campaign tour.

Taking in the Yeppoon foreshore with Member for Keppel Paul Hoolihan, she promised $1.36 million in funding if re-elected, for the long anticipated foreshore development at the site of the old Yeppoon Hospital.

"The funding is great news and will allow the revitalisation of the foreshore for the people of Yeppoon," Mr Hoolihan said.

"The funding will come from local government grants and I will be working with the Mayor and the council to produce a 'gem' for the Coast."

The foreshore has been on the table since before the demolition of the old hospital and seemed to have fallen off (the table), as far as Rockhampton Regional Council priorities went and had been snowed under by political game- playing.

Development proposals were also thwarted by Department of Environment and Resource Management zoning the area as a possible storm surge site. Barrier fencing was erected recently and Queensland Health advised Rockhampton Regional Council it would undertake a rehabilitation of the site, Division 3 councillor Bill Ludwig said.

"The State Government announced 18 months ago that it was allocating $2m to demolish the buildings and habilitate the site, so it could be handed back to the community for recreational purposes." Queensland Health recently confirmed discrete fragments of asbestos had been found after environmental consultants assessed the site.