Gold Coast Hinterland cableway: Controversial ‘skyrail’ tourism development back on agenda

One of the Gold Coast’s most controversial and divisive projects – a $170m cableway in the Hinterland – is back on the agenda. HERE’S WHY

One of the Gold Coast’s most controversial and divisive projects – a $170m cableway in the Hinterland – is back on the agenda, with Mayor Tom Tate declaring it key to the revival of the city’s tourism sector.

The gondola to Springbrook, which has been floated several times in the past 30 years, is on a short-list of tourism attractions which council wants to look at to bolster its $45bn economy.

And Mr Tate is confident of a willing partner in David Crisafulli if the LNP form government on October 26.

Mr Tate said, on Tuesday, that he would look forward to working with Mr Crisafulli on the proposed cableway in the World Heritage-listed Springbrook National Park.

“If LNP gets in, [the cableway] will be one of the projects I look forward to working with David Crisafulli on, to go ‘This is about broadening our economy, broadening our tourism, and let’s unlock the green behind the gold’,” he said.

“What I love about this is that it has two additional parts, it allows people with mobility issues or the elderly to absolutely get onto the skyrail and enjoy the subtropical rainforest that they can’t walk down.

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate. Picture, John Gass

“The other part is that it’s our plan B for disaster management, we all know the Springbrook road when disaster hits, it’s out for not a month or two but a year or two.

“So the skyrail, will be able to take food, water and carry out evacuations, we’ll activate that as part of our Disaster Management Transport strategy so that part of fits in nicely.”

The renewed push for the cableway comes amid a concerted effort to supercharge the struggling tourism sector which is yet to fully recover from Covid.

A Bulletin report in August showed a sharp decline in international visitors passing through Gold Coast Airport, highlighting the loss of direct international connections outside Australia and New Zealand.

Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey shows the city generated $1.131 billion in expenditure from internationals in the 12 months to the end of March.

That was down $228 million on pre-pandemic figures recorded at the same time five years ago – a 16.7 per cent decline.

Only Melbourne fared worse in dollar terms, with international visitor expenditure in the Victorian capital down $727 million – a nine per cent drop on 2019.

Ray Stevens at Springbrook in 1999.

LNP MP Ray Stevens was part of the Naturelink proposal which pitched a cableway between Mudgeeraba and Springbrook in 1998.

It was scuttled by the Beattie Government in the lead-up to the 2001 state election. Various other proposals have been pitched in the past 20 years, with the last serious pitch made in late 2014 during the former Newman Government’s final months in power.

Mr Tate has long championed the project but got little interest from the Labor state government despite council setting aside funding.

Well known Gold Coast businessmen came together in 2014 to propose building Skyride from Neranwood to Springbrook – Pictured was consortium members Bruce Mathison and Terry Jackman Picture: David Clark

A council economic outlook report published on Monday revealed the Gold Coast has Australia’s fastest-growing economy.

Mr Tate underlined several areas through which the city could broaden the tourism sector – including environment, sports, events and entertainment, arts and culture and improved accessibility.

“(We went want to have tourism) from the depths of our ocean (Wonder Reef) to the tops of our mountains (walking trails, cableway for mobility and glamping),” he said.

Mr Tate also said warned the rapid economic growth would put increasing pressure on the city.

Protesters opposed to the cableway in 2000.

“It is anticipated that the growth for the [next] four years will be 10.7 per cent

“With good growth also means challenges for council, it means our infrastructure; we’ve got to keep up with ore people who are going to move here.

“It’s predicted that we’re going to have up to one million people living here by 2040,” he said.

Mr Tate also said affordable housing and rentals had to be “front and centre” for the state government moving forward.

“We will do our part to absolutely get those approvals in place and so that there’s no delay.

“The idea is that if you’re building a building, have 20 per cent of that building there available [at] affordable [prices].

“I would say Gold Coasters who can’t afford rich houses, pepper them across our city. I don’t want to create a suburb [only] for affordable house, that then becomes a ghetto,” he said.