Council committee votes to commercialise beaches despite Bob La Castra’s holding misgivings
HIRING a deck chair or ordering a pizza directly to your beach towel is set to be legal within weeks – but drinking alcohol won’t be.
Beaches & Fishing
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HIRING a deck chair or ordering a pizza directly to your beach towel is expected to be legal within weeks as council zeroes in on commercialising the city’s most famous asset.
A council committee has recommended legalising commercial activities on the sun-kissed sands of the Glitter Strip, despite its chairman saying it will “open a can of worms”.
If the full council backs the Community and Cultural Committee’s decision this month, beachgoers will be able to hire beach equipment and buy food delivered to their towels.
This means that a food van would be able to park near the beach and take orders by phone before delivering the food and drink to beachgoers.
Strict conditions will be placed on what will and will not be allowed on the beaches. Mobile vehicles will be blocked, as will glass containers and alcohol.
There will be restrictions on the volume of food and beverage allowed for a single person on a single trip.
Discretion over activities will be given to patrol captains of surf clubs, a move backed by Surf Life Saving Queensland.
COAST TO PUSH FOR DUSK BEACH PATROLS
A Bulletin survey this year revealed Gold Coasters were overwhelmingly in favour of some commercial enterprises.
Topping the list were: open-air cinema, using beach space to host more major events, hiring umbrellas, hiring chairs, holding exercise classes and allowing dining.
The move has been backed by business and tourism leaders, including promoter Billy Cross and Dreamworld Commercial general manager Paul Callander.
Committee chairman Bob La Castra said the city would give it a go despite his misgivings.
However, he warned locals who backed the bid to “be careful”.
“This is going to open a can of worms and there is the old saying that people should be careful what they wish for,” he said.
“If this is what the community say they want then we have to give it a go. However I still have strong personal reservations about the issue that could be brought up.
“People are going to try and push the envelope with this and I am worried people are going to try to do other things they are now allow and this will just create more work for our local law officers.”
Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan welcomed the decision as bringing the Glitter Strip into line with other destinations across the world.
“This is a great initiative which will add significant value to the beach for those people who want to enjoy it but do not have the equipment,” he said.
“It happens everywhere else so I think it why not have it here.
“This is a great decision made by the council and we will reap the benefits of it.”