Exclusive: Surf’s up as Gold Coast has crack at world sporting event

Council is to have a crack at attracting a world sporting event to the Gold Coast with insiders speculating about a renewed bid for an international surfing event.

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THE Gold Coast City Council is to have a crack at attracting a world sporting event to the Glitter Strip with insiders speculating about a renewed bid for an international surfing event.

The Corona Open Gold Coast at Snapper Rocks, which has launched the WSL championship since 2002, was dumped in February after a COVID-19 row and poached by NSW to be staged at North Narrabeen.

World Women’s Champion Stephanie Gilmore at Snapper Rocks. Photo Swilly/WSL.

Mayor Tom Tate was urged by business operators at a Southern Chamber of Commerce luncheon this month to bid for the surfing event, and admitted it was only lost due to a lack of assistance on COVID-19 restrictions.

He said he had been in private discussions with WSL Australian chief Andrew Stark who explained they would not spend millions of dollars planning for an event for the state government to close the border a week out.

”The good news is it’s a short-term decision,” Cr Tate told the luncheon. “So as we are moving forward in 12 months, I will be catching up with them. We absolutely want to bring it back.”

Councillors discussed the event behind closed doors. Pic by Richard Gosling.

Councillors at Tuesday’s full council meeting went into a lengthy closed session only to re-emerge and back a recommendation for $100,000 to be added to major events from the Mayor’s budget.

The report and the event were not revealed and the details remain on confidential papers.

But a council source told the Bulletin: “We will still want the WSL event back here. In the meantime there is a rival event. There is another tier of surfing, and we want to get that one as well.”

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Cr Tate told councillors “the journey continues” on attracting major events.

“The AFL investment was $125,000, $130,000 to have the AFL initial hub. Later on a lot of the AFL teams were here on the Coast and the spend was $25 million,” he said in open session.

City of Gold Coast's new CEO, David Edwards, at his first council meeting with Mayor Tom Tate, talking up big events. Picture: Jerad Williams

“All because our council, us all here, had the foresight to go ‘major events build city reputation’. That’s the case I want to put in point to you.”

Cr Glenn Tozer welcomed Cr Tate’s personal contribution saying it was significant and made a big difference to some councillors concerned about the funding.

“We are open to diversifying the mix of events that we have. This event is our core business. It’s the kind of thing we do all the time, it’s absolutely central to what we do as a city,” Cr Tozer said.

Councillor Glenn Tozer — I think this event will be great for the city. Picture: Jerad Williams

Cr William Owen-Jones said he supported the event because “it fits with our sport strategy”.

Southern-based councillor Gail O’Neill, who moved the recommendation, also thanked the Mayor, saying “it will be welcomed by all of the community”, increasing speculation that the border event would return.

“This sporting event will be accepted for years to come as it has in years gone by,” Cr O’Neill said. “I just want to thank you so much, this is so important to our sporting culture and events culture.”

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