Gold Coast development: Everything you need to know about cruise ship terminal, cableway, tourism

Welcome to the year of tourism - according to Mayor Tom Tate - who plans to revive business talks with China counterparts and reveals plans for the cruise ship terminal and cableway.

Andrew Potts

@GCS_Pottsy

4 min read

January 2, 2022 - 12:00AM

Gold Coast Bulletin

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WELCOME to the year of tourism - according to Mayor Tom Tate - who plans to revive business talks with China counterparts and keep a cruise ship terminal dream alive.

The bullish Gold Coast civic leader has unveiled these and other plans to revive the Gold Coast’s economy and vowed 2022 will be one of the most critical years in the city’s history.

After two years of Covid lockdowns and border closures, during which the city’s biggest industry lost more than $5bn, the Mayor says the time is right to reboot tourism.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Just months out from marking his 10th anniversary in office, Cr Tate sat down with the Bulletin and revealed this year would see a critical decision made about one of the Gold Coast’s most controversial projects.

“This year, look out because we are going off the leash and running around making hay while the sun shines,” he said.

“Luckily, the Gold Coast gets 300 days of sunshine a year.

“It’s a new beginning for the Gold Coast – we have a new council CEO Tim Baker coming from Tasmania and he will have fresh ideas and no ties with anyone.

“He’ll have a good look at council’s corporate structure and make it more efficient.”

TOURISM

THE Gold Coast’s tourism industry is already seeing green shoots of hope after its worst two years on record.

These shoots are set to bloom, with the council set to pump millions into the sector in a bid to sell the city interstate and overseas.

Cr Tate said it was critical the tourism industry be elevated and called for investors with ideas for new attractions to come forward.

The new Gold Coast dive site will open in March. Picture Glenn Hampson

“We are going to spend big on tourism in 2022 – it needs the biggest boost to get the greatest return on our tourists,” he said.

“If we put in more promotion and do it the right way, we can bring people back in with cheekiness and fun.

“This is going to be the year to pitch your tourism idea because we have an investment attraction fund and we are ready to use it.

“Come to us with an idea and we we’ll see if we can help with a location and how to talk to the right people with a have-a-go attitude.”

Already on the cards for the tourism industry will be the opening of the first stage of the Wonder Reef dive attraction in March.

Village Roadshow expect to open two new rides at its $50m New Atlantis precinct at Sea World by Easter.

RENEWING CONNECTIONS

REVIVING the Gold Coast’s international relationships will be key to boosting tourism, Cr Tate said.

The city has 10 sister city arrangements with locations across the world including Dubai, Fort Lauderdale, Chengdu and Taipei.

The Mayor, who pre-Covid was a frequent traveller to boost the city, says he hopes to take to the skies again to renew the Gold Coast’s presence internationally.

“We absolutely need to renew these relationships and we will go to Dubai first, though we will need to begin the relationships with Zoom first to say hello. “I still welcome the Chinese market and whatever difference there are between our governments, it is separate from tourism and doing business.”

CABLEWAY

The cableway being investigated by Gold Coast City Council.

IT’S make or break time for the divisive Gold Coast cableway project.

The $170m project, which has been hailed by tourism bosses as critical to boosting international visitors to the city once borders reopen, is set to be considered by the state government.

Cr Tate said he expected a decision by the Palaszczuk Government and was confident its benefits would be clear, particularly in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic Games.

“Before 2022 ends we will have a solution one way or the other,” he said.

“It will be the make or break for that project.”

The cableway project has proved highly divisive, with multiple private proposals failing in the face of staunch opposition by environmental groups.

A report by consulting firm Urbis in June 2021 found the new tourist attraction would require a capital investment of about $170m, and ongoing operational costs estimated at $5.1m.

It also warned it needed to be eco-friendly and complement the character of the national park.

CST

THE controversial cruise ship terminal project at The Spit will remain on ice until 2023.

The mayor’s pet project, which he went to the 2012, 2016 and 2020 elections with, was put on hold in May 2020 following the Covid crisis - it saw the global shutdown of the cruise industry.

The industry has yet to restart in Australia, with US-based ships still proving to be superspreaders for Covid and few ports willing to allow them to dock.

Cr Tate said he still supported a cruise ship terminal but said it was not possible to commit more funding until it was clear what the industry’s future would be in Australia.

“We will leave (it) in another 12 months to see how the industry recovers from Covid,” he said.

“The budget for this remains suspended but I will speak with cruise operators to see what their futures plans are this year.”

Council spent about $500,000 in the 2019-20 financial year on the proposed jetty and in 2020-21 it had allocated the $1.25 million spend before the project was put on hold.

The terminal will be subjected to a detailed environmental impact statement should it proceed.