A skyrail is planned for the Gold Coast Hinterland in a 2020 tourism plan

A CABLE-car attraction is set to rise above the tree line of the Gold Coast Hinterland by 2020 if a green tourism plan takes flight.

Skyrail has been popular in other parts of the globe.

A RENEWED focus on green tourism in the Hinterland could generate economic Gold for the Coast, with a cable-car attraction set to rise above the tree line by 2020.

The newly released Gold Coast tourism management plan reveals a “skyrail” and “skywalk’’ are both earmarked as a “key tourism infrastructure product” that would deliver “accessible and diverse tourism experiences” in Springbrook and the Hinterland.

A multi-million cableway has been featured in seven major tourism proposals in the past 16 years but despite the failure of all to advance beyond the planning stage, city and tourism leaders are confident that the time is right to make their dreams a reality.

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The plan, which has been developed in the past year, provides a tourism road map for the city up to 2020 and the skyrail is listed as being deliverable in the medium to long term.

It is expected to be delivered by private enterprise with a cost of more than $50 million, although no proponent or funding has been named.

Skyrail has been popular in other parts of the globe.

Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan said the Hinterland had much to offer for tourism.

“A cableway is achievable and a way to put the Gold Coast on the map for its green tourism,” he said.

“The Hinterland is the Gold Coast’s secret gem and we need to explore the possibilities of how we market the area and how we can explore mixing tourism with the environment.

“Whatever is done must be environmentally sensible and sustainable but this report is food for thought for a lot of people and we are excited about the possibilities.”

Mayor Tom Tate backed the concept and it could give the Hinterland a much-needed shot in the arm.

“If someone wants to bring a cableway forward, I say bring it on,” he said.

The tourism plan was created by a collaboration between the Gold Coast City Council, Gold Coast Tourism and the State Government.

Conservationists and Springbrook residents celebrate the canning of a previous cable way proposal. Pic: Adam Ward.

It is hoped the Gold Coast will double overnight visitor expenditure to $7 billion a year by 2020.

Nature tourism is worth more than $25 billion to the state economy.

The renewed interest in cable car infrastructure comes just five months after the Bulletin revealed a $220 million proposal to create a beachfront link connecting Southport to Sanctuary Cove via The Spit and South Stradbroke Island.

Previous attempts to create a large-scale cable car attraction have followed the example of the Cairns Skyrail rainforest cableway.

Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens led the push to create a Naturelink attraction in 1998 that did not progress after a lack of support from the Beattie government.

Mr Stevens yesterday said the Newman Government was open to new tourism opportunities.

Springbrook residents have previously been divided over support for a cableway.

Community leaders yesterday were reluctant to discuss future plans for cablecars.

Mudgeeraba councillor Glenn Tozer confirmed several Hinterland-based tourism proposals were under discussion but said there were mixed feelings in the community about what form it should take.

“Capitalising on the features of the beautiful Hinterland to encourage repeat stays from past visitors is a great way to increase our tourism expenditure and economy,” he said.

“I am most interested in exploring options which preserve the Hinterland and world heritage areas in their current form (rather) than invasive infrastructure which may detract from the natural beauty.”