Two local politicians are locked in a war of words after Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert accused Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm of dishing out troublemaking comments about Keswick Island. In a Facebook post updating constituents about the Keswick Island saga, Ms Camm said there was a current lack of communication and accountability by the Labor State Government . Ms Camm is scheduled to meet with Keswick Island residents later this week to discuss their ongoing concerns with head lessee China Bloom and claims about access issues on the island. With the first sitting of parliament scheduled at the end of February, we will hold the government to account the Whitsunday MP said, referring to her LNP colleagues.
Aussie Residents Outraged by Chinese Developer’s Restrictive Access of Keswick Island
Residents of Keswick Island, an island off the northeast coast of Queensland, have expressed opposition and concerns over restrictive access and mismanagement by a Chinese developer, claiming a breach in the terms of the lease.
A petition to call on the Queensland government to rescind China Bloom’s leasehold, as well as a protest that occurred on Jan. 26, are among some avenues residents have taken to express their concerns over a growing list of restricted access and activities enforced by the Chinese developer.
China Bloom, a Hong-Kong based company that was registered in 2018, took over the head lease of Keswick Island in March 2019. The company purchased a 99-year lease on 20 percent of the island, while the remaining 80 percent is owned by the Queensland government.
Janessa Ekert Journalist I didnât always want to be a journalist. In fact, when I was younger my dream was to be an archaeologist â who wouldnât want to be like Indiana Jones? However, now that I am a journalist, I couldnât imagine doing anything else with my life.
I love listening to peopleâs stories and sharing them with others.
Iâm a Queenslander through and though. Mackay is the furthest south I have ever lived. Iâm an only child and I was raised in Airlie Beach.
My parents are former boaties; we lived on a 42 foot.
When state lines were being drawn up for the new Federation in 1901, the original border between NSW and Queensland would have made the Clarence River the cut-off point. Somewhere in the process it was redrafted to be around Tweed Heads and of course, the rest is history. But as Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk mulls the prospect of annexing Norfolk Island from NSW, why stop there? The tourism benefits alone of controlling Norfolk Island are very much in line with the state s tourism mantra of beautiful one day, perfect the next . For the princely sum of $180-odd million, it does seem a bargain.
Keswick Island residents lobby Queensland to cancel Chinese lease27/01/2021|4min
Keswick Island residents are lobbying the Queensland government to cancel a Chinese-owned developer’s lease on the picturesque island, claiming a gross breach of agreement.
Keswick Island was recently leased to Chinese developer China Bloom who have since taken over the island, and is systematically removing the ability of residents to continue living there.
The Queensland government leases a lot of its islands making the residents subtenants.
Keswick Island residents held a protest on Australia Day along with 150 people from nearby Mackay to force the Queensland government to uphold the head lease and “get Keswick Island back to Australian ownership,” resident Craig Gillberd told Sky News.