Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate’s spray over stadium fees hitting Gold Coast Titans fans

THE Gold Coast’s two national sporting stadiums could be left standing empty without regular tenants if the Titans and Suns leave the city.

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has taken aim at the State Government over the ongoing stadium fees saga.

In a lengthy social media post, Cr Tate said Gold Coasters were paying too much to use Cbus Stadium at Robina and Metricon Stadium at Carrara.

The Titans have warned the club could fold if the high costs continue.

CBUS Super Stadium, Robina. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

“It’s just immoral to be slugging indirectly the Titans fans (and for that matter the Suns fans) some of the highest venue hiring fees nationally. Some other teams in the NRL down south pay a third of that hiring cost the Titans cop at Robina,” he wrote.

“It makes it hard for the Titans to fund the best possible team and game time entertainment onto the field while keeping ticket prices reasonable for families.

“On top of all this ratepayers are forced to pay the State Government for the water used by Stadiums Queensland at both our stadiums: the water which is supplied by … drum roll please … the State Government in bulk in the first place.”

The Mayor of Gold Coast, Tom Tate (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Cr Tate, a passionate sports fan, said he feared the issue would drive the Gold Coast Titans and Gold Coast Suns away from the city and warned such a move would leave the stadiums empty.

“I really do hope the Titans are not forced to move to another venue in Redlands or anywhere else outside of the City but these State stadium charges are forcing their hand sadly,” he said.

“I think the problem is similar for the Suns at Carrara Stadium as well. Our City can’t lose our national teams to this Brisbane-centric bureaucracy.

“The real madness is that if the Titan’s go elsewhere, the stadium will stand empty, as testimony to the lunacy of Stadiums Queensland’s financial approach to owning such stadiums and expecting Gold Coasters to continue to pay twice for the one seat at the footy.”