Mayor steps in over dive site dispute and says he will fund any extras for diving site HMAS Darwin

THE stalled Gold Coast dive attraction could be saved if the State Government puts forward $8 million. As wrangling between the Brisbane and Canberra over the project intensifies, a third party has revealed they will cover the remaining cost.

TOM Tate has told the State Government to commit its $8 million to a dive site on the Gold Coast and let him sort it out.

The Gold Coast Mayor has guaranteed to meet the bill for the underwater attraction if Tourism Minister Kate Jones stumps up the State Government money, as promised.

Mayor Tate yesterday intervened in the feud between Ms Jones and Federal MP Stuart Robert, saying “I believe in Stuart Robert and urge Minister Jones to complete the EOI (express of interest).

“If her concern is the dive site project will cost more than $10 million, I commit to finding any additional funds over and above the State’s commitment of $8 million. Let’s get on with it and make this work.”

Kate Jones MP says she wants to see the price of the dive site but Mayor Tom Tate said he will cover it. Photo by Richard Gosling

Relations between Canberra and Brisbane plunged over the dive site this month when Mr Robert discovered the Queensland Government had written to the Ministry of Defence in January to say it was not interested in bidding for one of three frigates — the HMAS Darwin, Newcastle or Melbourne.

Ms Jones said the cost of scuttling the ships off the Queensland coast would cost more than $30 million — potentially three times the cost of ex-HMAS Tobruk.

Mr Robert said the figure was “absolute crap” and would be done for about $10 million.

HMAS Darwin leaves her namesake port for the last time before being decommissioned. Pic Glen Campbell

The underwater attraction is a tourism gold mine and has been on the city’s radar for some time.

Mr Robert wrote to Ms Jones last Friday asked her to sign an EOI. He said she had not replied to the letter.

“It is ridiculous, she is ducking and weaving and hiding,” Mr Robert told the Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday.

“I know what it costs. This isn’t the first time they have negotiated for a warship.

“They came up with some cock and bull story about why they cancelled in January, now they say they will fund it so the Federal Government needs to know they want to discuss. All they need to do is fill out the EOI and off we go.”

Liberal Member for Fadden Stuart Robert.

Mr Robert said he was so frustrated he had given the Minister for Defence a “verbal EOI on behalf of the people of the Gold Coast”.

Ms Jones said she would not “hand over a blank cheque” and wanted proof of price before funding was committed.

SERIOUS BACKER FOR GOLD COAST DIVE SITE

“It would be foolish for me to hand over a blank cheque to the Federal Government without any detail about the costs which is what Stuart is asking for.”

HMAS Darwin (AAP Image/Lucy Hughes Jones)

Ms Jones said she was not interested in having a “war of words with Stuart Robert in the media because that does nothing for the people of the Gold Coast”.

“I’m interested in delivering new tourism experiences on the Gold Coast and ensuring value for taxpayers,” she said.

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“It’s great that Stuart Robert has, for the first time, now written to me about a dive wreck on the Coast. But the fact of the matter is, these ships are Federal Government assets.

“I need something in writing from Stuart or the Federal Government, assuring me this project will cost what he says it will cost before I commit taxpayer funding.

“There is nothing stopping Stuart Robert from taking the lead on this project and asking the State Government for a contribution.”