“Bed tax” and pay-per-use public toilets for tourists to net millions for infrastructure upgrades

IT’S the council’s latest plan to boost city coffers, but would you pay extra for accommodation or to use a public toilet if you were a tourist on the Gold Coast?

City leaders are looking at taxing tourists to pay for infrastructure upgrades.

A TOURIST tax expected to net millions of dollars could be introduced by the Gold Coast City Council in a bid to pay for massive infrastructure upgrades.

City councillors and business leaders agree a visitor fee is inevitable after a tourism industry presentation at the Evandale chambers.

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Council has previously discussed a bed tax, but it is believed city leaders are now looking into user-pay systems operating at other international tourism hot spots.

Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan said a user-pay levy was necessary.

“We need to look globally at models used around the world to see what could work here,” he said.

“There certainly needs to be a user-pays levy so we can capture some funding from all the people who come to enjoy our facilities.”

The Bulletin understands tourism leaders will look at funding options already used in other cities, including fees to use beach equipment, increased parking costs in tourist centres and pay-per-use public toilets.

While both Mayor Tom Tate and Gold Coast Tourism have previously backed the need for a bed tax, the Bulletin understands the idea is considered “unpalatable” and unlikely to be pursued.

In February, Cr Tate wrote to Local Government Minister David Crisafulli asking him to consider altering state legislation to allow a bed tax on visitors to the city.

Surfers Paradise councillor Lex Bell backed the call for an increased tourist levy, but said no existing model was workable for the city.

“We do not have the legal power to introduce a bed tax and that would only capture funding from the overnight visitors, who only make up a small number of people,” he said.

“Perhaps we could investigate introducing differential rates on commercial properties which are operated as part of the tourism industry.”

More than 11.7 million visitors arrive on the Gold Coast each year, bringing more than $4.7 billion to the local economy.

Ratepayers currently fork out $15 million for tourism, with 27,000 commercial businesses already paying a tourism levy.

Gold Coast Tourism made its annual presentation to the council this week to discuss funding for the financial year.

Council will grant the organisation funds in its annual budget which will be delivered on June 18.

However, the need for extra funding has been disputed by Burleigh councillor Greg Betts who said ratepayers needed a say before any decision was made.

“I question the need to charge more on tourists and tourism business but if we are going to do this I think we need to know if people will stand for it or accept it first,” he said.