Gold Coast City Council budget: Hota, Greenheart and light rail future funding

Ratepayers are being told council will tighten spending as they are aware of the cost of living crisis. So what will be cut — are we talking light rail to the airport, Greenheart or HOTA?

Ratepayers are being told council will tighten spending, aware of the cost of living crisis. So what will be cut – are we talking light rail to the airport, the Greenheart or HOTA?

Mayor Tom Tate says the focus will be on frontline services and keeping rates below CPI.

“This budget’s theme will be cost of living. Any ideas of grandiose expenditure apart from frontline services will be put aside until we can live within our means,” he says.

The first Special Budget meeting is next Thursday. Five new councillors will join the nine returning after the April poll, their voting preferences on big ticket items largely unknown.

Artist impression of Greenheart, the Gold Coast's new proposed parklands between Robina and Merrimac.

A council insider says: “From my reading of the budget, I can’t see any shiny bauble projects being delayed in any form. The light rail, boutique stadium, the film industry – all have budget items. We will still be working on all of them.”

When the mayor spoke to all the new councillors at their swearing in at the beginning of last month, he said the June Budget would focus on low rates and value for money.

But he also mentioned he had a mandate, after the poll, to green light this list:

* Light Rail Stage 4 – estimated $4.4 billion to $7.6 billion for three levels of government – so as “to improve transport efficiency and connectivity across the city”.

New graphic showing light rail stage four Gold Coast, and how the trams will cross the Currumbin Creek.

* Establishing a waste to energy facility to enhance recycling, stop the need for landfill.

* Continuing the development of HOTA, including a $240 million Lyric Theatre.

* Progressing the Greenheart parklands precinct – $30 million from all government tiers.

* An indoor stadium and “positioning ourselves as a great events city”.

Early plans showing a Lyric theatre in the HOTA cultural precinct on the Gold Coast.

Add to that list the Surfers Paradise Town Hall, a smaller live events venue to lift the patronage of neighbouring Bruce Bishop car park.

Apart from the transport challenges created by the city’s fast growing population, there is now the added concern about future infrastructure fails.

Part of the Budget narrative must address the sewerage leak in the north – that costs money.

A source close to the budget talks says the mayor’s most recent comments does not mean a stop sign being put up to big items.

“It doesn’t mean we are walking away from any city building stuff we need to do, like the next stage of HOTA,” source says.

Outside shot of the planned Town Hall-style development for an entertainment centre at the Surfers Paradise Transit Centre site.

Rather than previous budgets where it has been a marathon line-by-line task for councillors, the newbies will find the hard slog work has been done by the administration wing.

Most of these projects can move forward – all council is doing involves getting them “shovel ready” and helping create a business case.

The difficult bit will be getting the state and the Commonwealth on board with funding.

The toughest play is the arts precinct. New councillors will be confronted with their first big challenge – does the City fund the lot. Let’s watch – can someone please pass the popcorn.

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Originally published as Gold Coast City Council budget: Hota, Greenheart and light rail future funding