Councillors about to vote on $50 million offer to buy the Bruce Bishop Carpark in Surfers Paradise

Council have made a major call on the future of the Bruce Bishop car park after receiving an offer worth tens of millions. Full details.

The City will not consider a $50 million offer for the Bruce Bishop Carpark and Surfers Paradise Transit Centre.

Councillors were unanimous in their vote after a short debate just after 3pm on Tuesday at a full council meeting.

The recommendation was the “unsolicited offer should be noted” and City CEO Tim Baker advise the consortium that “the offer cannot be considered” under local government laws.

Council would need to change its current policy position on the car park – which ensures its retention – and agree to go out to tender if the latest offer was to be considered.

CEO Tim Baker in response to questions from councillors said officers could have dealt with the offer “by delegation” but it was brought back to full council due to the public interest in the asset.

He said an officer report on maintenance for the car park and on parking availability in the area would be provided at the next council meeting.

Councillor William Owen-Jones said the future of the car park was dealt with in February and a motion for a sale “did not get up because there were not the numbers”.

He said councillors had since sought to obtain “the financials” on the car park.

“I know that Councillor Taylor has spoken quite passionately about the need for renewal in that area, and I think it starts with us administrating that asset far better than we have in the past,” he said.

Cr William Owen-Jones. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Community leaders prior to the full council meeting issued a “hands off Bruce Bishop car park” plea to councillors in a last minute bid to stop the sale of the Surfers Paradise asset.

Councillor Taylor earlier urged colleagues to reject the $50m offer by a private consortium called Finding Other Solutions, which promised sweeteners helping the city stage the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Residents protesting against the sale attended Tuesday’s meeting at the Evandale Chambers.

Outside the gallery, former councillor Eddy Sarroff said the asset should be retained.

“It’s owned by the ratepayers. The ratepayers have spoken. It’s about time that this matter is dropped once and for all,” he said.

“Leave the Bruce Bishop car park and transit centre. Let’s move on.”

Save Surfers Paradise spokesperson Deborah Kelly said the car park was a “gem” which could never be replaced.

“Traders, residents and workers in Surfers Paradise have constantly told the council – don’t sell Bruce Bishop Car Park,” Ms Kelly said.

“This invaluable piece of community infrastructure supports business, tourism and lifestyle for Gold Coasters and visitors to our city.

“It is irreplaceable. No council will ever be able to build another facility of this magnitude. Once it is gone, it is gone forever.”

Ms Kelly said the car park was funded on the back of businesses in Surfers Paradise and built on donated land at no cost to the ratepayer.

“We do not accept that it is uneconomical to retain this invaluable asset,” she said.

Wildlife Queensland Gold Coast branch president Sally Spain, part of a protest outside council, said residents and tourists would prefer “multi-storey parking to pie in the sky deals”

“Let’s get this quite clear. On guarantees of some help for as yet non existent Games event the community could lose its parking facility in Surfers,” she said.

“A private developer would end up with a site which was once gifted to community as a large public green space park in the centre of Surfers and later metamorphosed into a carpark.”

Ms Spain said councillors should fulfil their role which was to protect a public asset.

“Guarding, and maintaining, the places belonging to whole of city for citizens of the City should be the primary duty of representatives of the citizens,” she said.

A resident said it was “convenient timing” for the current $50m offer to buy the carpark contained sweeteners if the City hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games

“This property was gifted to the people and the Mayor needs to honour his promise that ratepayer funds wouldn’t be used if the Commonwealth Games bid was successful to hold the Games on the Gold Coast. Hands Off Bruce Bishop Car,” the resident said.

EARLIER: COUNCILLOR SAYS CARPARK SHOULD BE RETAINED

Surfers Paradise-based councillor Darren Taylor says the Bruce Bishop Carpark needs to be retained, as the City considers a $50 million offer from a private consortium to buy it.

Finding Other Solutions, a Gold Coast based planning and development company, last month sent a legal letter to the City to buy the parking facility and the adjoining transit centre. The offer also contained potential funding sweeteners if Gold Coast hosts the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The consortium has been told its offer will be considered by councillors on Tuesday.

Finding Other Solutions executive director Alan Tupicoff said the funding package could achieve a “Net Zero Cost” for the Coast hosting the 2026 Games along with funding for other “Legacy Projects”. The Coast is bidding to salvage and host the Games after Victoria abandoned them earlier this year.

“FOS is seeking to meet to refine the offer and discuss the opportunities presented and is committed to and looks forward to working with the Council and others to deliver sustainable benefits during and subsequent to the Games,” Mr Tupicoff said.

The offer includes building accommodation for athletes and officials and hosting media.

Repair works underway at the Bruce Bishop car park in Surfers Paradise.

But Cr Taylor, who has just announced he intends to contest a second term, remains strongly opposed to selling a council asset “gifted to the city”.

“The amount of areas we have spent money to buy land, why would we be selling a crucial piece of land in the middle of our city,” Cr Taylor said.

“Our city was built around a car park. And developments would have been approved knowing there’s a car park there.”

The council’s planning committee earlier this month approved a giant triple-tower which will include the Coast’s tallest building on the Cypress Ave site, ending its use as a car park.

Cr Taylor supports repairs being made to the Bruce Bishop Carpark and a proposal for a

City councillors Glenn Tozer (left) and Darren Taylor (right preparing a motion) during the Bruce Bishop car park debate.

Town Hall music venue development at the Transit Centre which could generate more revenue.

An officer’s report is being prepared on future maintenance for the car park where the longer term repair bill costs might reach $50 million.

“This asset has been left to ruin for a long period of time because they (previous councils) had the intentions to sell,” Cr Taylor said.

“Right now we are bringing it back to a level it should have been in the first place.”

Cr Taylor believes the entertainment centre on the ageing transit site, no longer used by buses, would be perfect for Surfers Paradise.

“We don’t have one in our city. It is right near light rail. It’s right in that western side of Surfers Paradise,” he said.

Inside view of the planned Town Hall-style entertainment centre at the Surfers Paradise Transit Centre site.

“People used to go to the old Hoyts and come down to that area. What it will do is activate that area. It will push people back down to the southern and northern part of Surfers Paradise.

“When people talk about areas struggling, it's the north-south corridor because we need activation. And then the car park then needs to be treated as a return on investment as well.”

A majority of councillors decided in January to reject selling the asset which has forced the City to stump up hefty cash for heavy repair works.

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