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Agenda – Planning and Economic Committee 10 April 2013 - #3919764

PLANNING AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE

10 APRIL 2013 9

CAIRNS ESPLANADE LAGOON GATEWAY SIGN REQUEST Malcolm Robertson: 1/59/3-01:#3925327

RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that Council: a) Nominates the preferred location for the “Cairns - Gateway to the Great

Barrier Reef” sign as the entrance to the Marlin Marina on land under the control of Ports North;

b) Undertakes discussions on behalf of the proponents with Ports North; and c) thanks the Member for Cairns and the other proponents for their

submission.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Member for Cairns, Gavin King MP, has sought consent from Council to install a “Gateway” sign over the Esplanade Lagoon. This sign is supported by a funding pledge from members of the tourism industry. The stated intention of the sign is to both gain Cairns ownership of the “Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef” brand, and to increase inbound tourism through image sharing. The proposed sign will compromise the original design of the Lagoon precinct, and will have a significantly negative impact on the existing artwork. Design of the sign has not appropriately considered the public environment and associated risks. The proposed location is seen as a non-negotiable due to concerns from the tourism industry proponents that alternate locations within the Cairns region would be unmarketable. Council officers have identified a range of potential alternative options that may allow the required branding and exposure in a more sympathetic fashion. These have been rejected by the industry group. The proposal suggests that public consultation is unnecessary; however the public interest will be high and this approach may not be appropriate. Ports North officers are amenable to a discussion about the location of the proposed sign at the entrance to the Marlin Marina on land under the control of Ports North.

BACKGROUND:

Gavin King MP has approached Council on behalf of a collective of Cairns tourism industry members. This collective has pledged some funds for the purpose of reclaiming Cairns as Australia’s Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

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This collective of tourist operators have a vision that Cairns becomes one of the “collectable destinations” of the world through installation of a sign on Cairns Esplanade that reads “Cairns – Gateway to the Great barrier Reef”. This group believes that the sign will give Cairns the ability to “sell itself and the Great Barrier Reef all over the world in one image”. There is concern expressed that other areas within Australia are looking to “poach” Cairns’ close relationship to the Great Barrier Reef. Unless Cairns can “reclaim” the “Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef” brand there is concern other areas will do so. The location of the sign is seen as critical. The tourism industry representatives that are to fund the sign have identified that they are willing to negotiate around design of the sign, but options developed by Council to date have been rejected. The location has been confirmed as not negotiable. The industry group feel any location outside of that desired is unmarketable.

COMMENT:

Council recognises the significant contribution that the tourism industry continues to make to the Cairns region, and seeks to work with this industry towards building a diversified, resilient and robust economy. The Cairns tourism industry is primarily based on natural and cultural features. The Cairns Esplanade Lagoon is now an iconic part of the city. It is essential to ensure that the attractions and character of Cairns that have assisted in making this town popular are protected from demands that may impact future tourism. A high level of community consultation and design went into the Lagoon precinct to ensure that this area provided the best possible combination of utility, aesthetic and empathy to the natural environment. As a result, this area is now an internationally recognised Australian tourism design icon. Council needs to ensure caution in allowing ad-hoc elements to be inserted into this precinct. The location required for this sign is at the head of the Esplanade Lagoon, in an area known as the “Lagoon Plaza”. This is the most high profile space in the Cairns CBD, and sees in excess of 2 million visitors per annum. The required location tightly straddles an existing significant artwork, “The Herd”, by renowned Australian artists Hew Chee Fong and L.M. Noonan, and will impact the sightline to the iconic “Fish” sculpture that currently is considered symbolic of Cairns. Because the proposed location will have significant impact on the original design sensibilities, Council sought feedback from Tract, who designed the overall Lagoon precinct, and Hew Chee Fong and L.M. Noonan. The responses are attached in full (attachments 5 & 6). Hew Chee Fong and L.M. Noonan confirmed “The Herd” artwork was designed to be contemplative, and to be placed in an open uncluttered and tranquil environment. They advise that the proposed signage will “unequivocally compromise the integrity of the artwork”, and will furthermore change the original concept for the area, conveying more of a “theme park” feel.

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Tract applauded the initiative to add further value to the Lagoon precinct. They do however identify that the current proposal both does not capture the unique character of the Cairns regions, and is instantly recognisable as a variation of the gateway signage from Surfers Paradise. Tract emphasise the need to respect the original minimalist design philosophy of the precinct, and further to respect the public consultations carried out during the original Lagoon precinct design phase. Tract suggest as a possible alternative existing structures could be used to support and integrate the required branding message, without cluttering the open sightlines and water views across the Lagoon to Trinity Inlet. Ultimately there is a need to enhance and respect the unique character of the Cairns region, and not simply duplicate a dated Gold Coast idea. Brian Robinson, creator of “The Fish” has also suggested a negative impact on the overall aesthetic and of the concept behind his sculpture. On initial review of the concept tabled, Council officers have noted concerns about the design. Of primary concern is the climb-ability of the sign. This location has high exposure to children, youth and visitors to the region around the clock. The sign is to be fitted with feature lighting. The sign will naturally attract people to step onto the base, and it is inevitable that people will attempt to climb the installation. The Surfers Paradise sign that this is modelled after avoided this through a much simpler leg style. Council regularly references the Australian Playground Standard relative to infrastructure in parklands. A review of the proposed design in relation to appropriate Australian Standards is recommended. The specified “mirror finish” to all items except for concrete and copper will create a significant ongoing maintenance cost. The Lagoon Fish sculpture has a satin finish, and requires a three day clean every three months to maintain. Mirror finish will require minimal biannual clean and polish to maintain a desirable appearance. This task will require two staff, an elevated work platform, and materials, and is anticipated to add around $7560 to the annual operational cost of the Esplanade. The proposed installation also dominates what has been designed to be a clear and unobstructed sight line across the lagoon and out to the sea. Standing over 5m high, although designed to be a photo frame for the Lagoon, the sign rather dominates the landscape, and the scale will not allow the sign and the background fish to easily fit in a single frame. For this reason the sign does not need the Lagoon as a back drop – the only benefit is from high exposure to pedestrians. A smaller sign set back in the plaza would allow a more appropriate scale between foreground and background, and would offer a similar photo opportunity without compromising the overall environment. Given that the sign is for the “Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef”, it is suggested that alternative locations such as the Marlin Marina would be more appropriate. Ports North has indicated willingness to explore this option; however it has to date been advised that alternate locations will not be considered by the industry group. In discussion, representatives of the industry group have confirmed that the proposed location is seen as “non-negotiable” with Council.

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Considering initial feedback on the proposal, Council officers sought some potential alternate concepts that would provide a vehicle for the “Cairns – Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef” brand. There were a number of ways that this branding exercise could be realised through installations that were more sympathetic to the existing infrastructure and environment than what has been proposed. Some possible alternate concepts examples are shown in attachment 7. These have all been rejected by the industry group. The initiative to provide a branding statement that claims Cairns as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef is commendable, and warrants further investigation. The “non-negotiable” location aspect also requires further discussion with the proponents of this project, as there is likely greater benefit from a collaborative approach between Council and industry. Some additional consultation with the tourism industry to identify in greater detail the desired outcomes from the proposed sign may assist in identifying an option that has less impact on the existing Lagoon precinct, while still meeting the industry needs.

CONSULTATION:

The proposal from Gavin King MP indicates that “as this initiative is funded by Industry, not the public purse, public consultation is unnecessary” Tract Consultants Pty Ltd, Ports North and artists Brian Robinson, Hew Chee Fong and L.M. Noonan have been consulted around this proposal.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Corporate and Operational Plans: Goal 2.2: To improve to quality and opportunities for use of public space across the region. Goal 6.6: To be innovative and to work in collaboration with key stakeholders, suppliers and partners. Statutory: The Cairns Esplanade is Trust land in accordance with the provisions of the Land Act 1994. The Cairns Esplanade Management Plan identifies that information promoting the intent of the reserve, or public artworks, are ancillary to the use of the reserve. Policy: Esplanade Management Policy 1:06:03 applies. Sustainability: Details provided are insufficient to allow use of sustainability assessment.

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Options: Option 1: (Recommended) It is recommended that Council: a) Nominates the preferred location for the “Cairns - Gateway to the Great Barrier

Reef” sign as the entrance to the Marlin Marina on land under the control of Ports North;

b) Undertakes discussions on behalf of the proponents with Ports North; and c) thanks the Member for Cairns and the other proponents for their submission. Option 2 It is recommended that Council approves installation of a bold archway statement at the south western end of the Lagoon.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: Request from Member for Cairns, Gavin King MP Attachment 2: Letter of Support from TTNQ Attachment 3: Plans for proposed installation Attachment 4: Concept Images (Before and after) Attachment 5: Comments from “The Herd” Artists Attachment 6: Comments from Tract Consultants Attachment 7: Potential alternate designs Malcolm Robertson Inner City Facilities Manager Brett Spencer Manager Parks & Leisure Ian Lowth General Manager Community Sport & Cultural Services

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Attachment 1: Request from Member for Cairns, Gavin King MP

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Attachment 2: Letter of Support from TTNQ

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Attachment 3: Plans for proposed installation

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Attachment 4: Concept Images (Before and after)

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Attachment 5: Comments from “The Herd” Artists

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Attachment 6: Comments from Tract Consultants

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