A DUNWICH resident says more than 20 island businesses have been scoffed at, intimidated and demeaned for opposing the state government's approach to the Dunwich Master Plan.
It comes just weeks after Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson declared the Labor government had broken North Stradbroke Island and the early closure of sand mines had not given the economy enough time to transition.
Bill Giles, speaking on behalf of the Dunwich Business Group, said a public meeting should be held to address the master plan and reveal when it would be implemented.
Islanders needed to know how land would be used, what infrastructure upgrades were needed and what changes would be made to improve the town's appeal as a tourism destination.
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Mr Giles slammed the state government for not understanding the island's commercial needs, and said it was morally wrong for Indigenous Land Use Agreements to be kept confidential.
"The ILUAs have divided a community whose maxim in times of adversity used to be mutual support," he said.
"This impasse cannot be solved until the presently ignored community majority has equal opportunity to contribute to modelling and planning the future of the island post sand mining ..."
A state government planning department spokesman said confidentiality clauses for ILUAs were negotiated when the scheme was prepared in 2011.
He said the community, industries and businesses had been able to give feedback on a number of preliminary master plan ideas and scenarios.
Mr Giles said zoned, freehold land and updated infrastructure was needed for residential expansion, but the issue had been complicated by granting native title.
"The terms of ILUA remain confidential," he said. "Why they should be I don't know, and QYAC ... has not shared its vision for the future with the rest of the community"
Mr Robinson said last month that former mine workers had left the island to seek employment elsewhere, impacting businesses and island morale.
"The mine had long been the backbone of the island," he said. "It supported the economy and the greater Straddie community in so many ways."
Mr Giles said the community was unsure what the state government had in mind for Sibelco's property assets.
That included the barracks block in Ballow Road and the plot adjacent to the Dunwich Marine Facility.
"On the island we can build on foundations only if they are well and truly laid," Mr Giles said.
"At the moment all we have heard are forecasts for the future.
"We have neither seen nor heard any evidence of a workable plan to secure the future in the very brief time allowed for in the legislation."
The planning department spokesman said the draft master plan was expected to be released for feedback in coming weeks.
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