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The premier’s listening and jobs tour rolled into the Sunshine Coast yesterday and left with not much of either to show for her brief and guarded visit.

Post election Ms Bligh described the result as a wake up call for the government and promised to listen more intently to the electorate.

Yesterday, during a brief stop at the Peregian Springs state school building site to talk up her government’s $18 billion construction program she dismissed the latest anti-Traveston survey which showed 59% of Brisbane residents did not want the proposed dam.

And she said the results of two surveys here that showed 91% Coast opposition and 88% in the Wide Bay federal electorate were understandable given the dam’s impacts on people’s lives.

Ms Bligh said without the spending program unemployment would be 10% and without the dam there would be inadequate water to meet the massive growth her government had planned for the region.

She said transferring money from the dam project to a new hospital for the Coast was not a solution and would delay rather than bring forward its construction.

Traveston was a good catchment, Ms Bligh said, and the government had to plan infrastructure for future growth.

The buy-up of 5000 ha more land than she had said in 2006 would be necessary was because people who had part of there properties affected but wanted to sell the lot were being accommodated.

Any surplus to the dam’s requirements would be released back to the market as attractive waterfront parcels.

Questioned about the lack of fanfare that preceded her visit she said media had been given several hours notice even though this organisation was only told details of her visit an hour before she arrived.

Ms Bligh defended the location of the new school which cuts across a koala corridor, saying that providing an education for the children of the growing number of families to the region took precedence.

Powerline Action Group Eumundi campaigner Mike Tsilfidis and wife Jenny managed to infiltrate the tightly controlled gathering, describing themselves as P&C members.

In response to their questions the Premier committed to examine issues relating to the power line roll out through sensitive wildlife habitat raised previously in correspondence to her but to which she has never personally responded.

But later she expressed annoyance at the public’s infiltration of the occasion and wondered where else the Tsilfidis’ could buy property without powerlines if they chose to sell up and move.

Source:  Bill Hoffman – http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/aug/29/no-fanfare-premiers-sunshine-coast-visit/