The Yatala lights will be removed from the M1 and not given a new home due to costs

The fate of the controversial M1 lights at Yatala has finally been decided after a vote at council. Here’s what will happen next.

The controversial lights at the M1 in Yatala. Picture: AAP Image/Josh Woning.

The Yatala lights will be dismantled and removed from the Pacific Motorway after councillors voted to end the Gold Coast’s most embarrassing art saga.

The $2 million public art installation funded by taxpayers and ratepayers for the 2018 Commonwealth Games will not be relocated to a new home, despite residents suggesting several prime tourism locations.

Northern-based councillor Mark Hammel had put forward a recommendation for the removal of the lights with the required funding being $250,000. This was backed by committee.

Councillors at a full council meeting on Tuesday, after being given a costing brief overnight, supported the earlier committee recommendation. There was no debate.

Outside the chamber, Mayor Tom Tate said: “Now it will go special budget. There will be some homework to be done (on costs).”

He said the lights would remain in the interim “on” unless police requested for them to be turned off to stop hoons gathering.

Yatala lights. Picture: Mike Batterham.

Mr Tate said he would prefer the lights to be reused rather than taken to the dump which “would be a waste”.

“During the budget part of it, I would put up to developers or whoever to see if they could utilise some of it,” Mr Tate said.

“But the other key part that we have to do is check with the artist, that we can separate the elements, after all it’s that person’s art.”

Mr Tate said he would “make sure it’s down before Christmas”

“Just so Father Christmas doesn’t get mixed up and goes the wrong way,” he added.

EARLIER: HOW COST OF LIGHTS REMOVAL COULD BE CUT

The cost of the Yatala M1 lights removal can be heavily cut, saving ratepayer money, if the contract goes to a local scrap metal yard, according to leading contractors.

But in a twist, an experienced Gold Coast scrap metal operator says the lights should not be scrapped but moved to a Broadwater location for the benefit of all ratepayers.

Scrap Metal Gold Coast director Adrian Fuller urged council to consider local contractors to reduce a removal bill of at least $250,000.

City councillors at a full council meeting on Tuesday will decide the fate of the $2.1 million art installation with speculation the removal costs could potentially blowout to twice the quoted amount. Reinstallation would cost at least $1.4 million. It means a bill of nearly another $2m to remove them.

“If they use a local it will be a lot cheaper and they will get a rebate for the metal value in the poles,” Mr Fuller said.

The Gold Coast sign in lights pictured on the M1. (AAP Image/Josh Woning).

“There are many locals, who have been around a long time, who are capable of doing that job. Then you have the value of the steel, the scrap metal, that can be rebated to the ratepayer.”

The metal could be removed and then transported to a Coast recycler where the City could get a per tonne rate from the steel for the value in the metal, Mr Fuller said.

“I reckon it could be ten to 20 per cent cheaper than what it is,” he said.

Asked about what should occur with the lights, Mr Fuller said the cheapest option was for the art installation to stay where it is.

“If they have got young hoons doing burnouts at the Yatala lights, wouldn’t it be cheaper to host a police officer there rather than spend another $250,000 pulling them down,” he said.

The M1 at the Yatala North . Picture Mike Batterham

“You know, they spend $250,000 then it blows out to $300,000 and $400,000. And they just pay it.”

Mr Fuller said the lights could be placed at a Broadwater location off Brisbane Road facing Wavebreak Island.

“At that set of lights, there is a parcel of land. Or somewhere off Smith Street. It has to be a place that not only the people on boats from water (see it). It has to be utilised so everyone can enjoy it, for that rate (cost),” he said.

$2M TO MOVE THEM TO A NEW LOCATION

Removing the Yatala lights from the Pacific Motorway and installing them at a new location could cost $2 million, councillors will be told.

The shock budget forecast suggests the $2.1m art feature stays at the M1 in the short term.

Council insiders say the decision to move the controversial artworks, to be ticked off at a full council meeting on Tuesday, is a long way from being a done deal.

The current recommendation, put forward by northern-based councillor Mark Hammel and backed at committee, is that council commence the removal of the lights with the required funding being $250,000.

The disposal of the lights would be part of a 2023-24 transport and infrastructure funding, meaning it has to be debated at a special budget meeting.

Rather than councillors decide to get rid of the lights or move them to a new location, the most likely course is to defer to finance talks and see if it will be a priority spending item.

The M1 lights. Picture: Mike Batterham.

‘SPARKLE EVOKES THE STARS ABOVE’: ARTISTS’ DEFENCE OF YATALA LIGHTS

Hinterland-based councillor Glenn Tozer in a Facebook update to residents said he had been informed decommissioning of the lights would cost about $250,000.

“Re-installation, I am informed, could cost up to $1.4 million, depending on the location and the unique variables of the new site,” he said.

But a council insider says councillors will be presented with a much higher cost list.

“I don’t think it will be $250,000. It will be a lot more than that, and that will play into what happens on Tuesday,” a council insider said.

The most likely future path is for councillors to seek more information on costings and in the budget debate decide how much money should be set aside.

“You have to shut down the entire M1 (to remove the lights). The labour that’s provided for that would be part of the budget. You are going to need $500,000 to $600,000 to get out of this,” the council insider said.

M1 lights. (AAP Image/Josh Woning)

Mayor Tom Tate in January 2019 put forward a motion that the lights remain at Yatala and was backed by a super majority of councillors.

Only Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, planning chairman Cameron Caldwell and Cr Tozer voted against the motion.

Cr Gates revealed that as Acting Mayor she had been approached, at that time, by the Gold Coast Suns about moving the lights to Metricon Stadium.

The lights would have been on the northern edge of the stadium behind the lower seating near the scoreboard. Costs of the move had not been discussed.

Cr Tate during debate in 2019 was open about another location other than the M1. But the Bulletin understands his main concern has been adding to ratepayer costs.

After that debate, he said: “If there are other locations then we should look at that. In the interim, don’t spend the money. Today was about respecting the value of ratepayers’ funds.”

He later told councillors: “Haste is waste. Don’t spend the money today.”

Councillor Glenn Tozer — we need to bite the bullet. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

The legal advice then to council was the artist responsible for the lights would have to be consulted if they were turned off.

During the debate, Cr Gates said the project had been a massive liability in terms of reputation of the city. She was supported by Cr Tozer.

“I think we need to bite the bullet, that we need to relocate to a better location,” he said.

Cr Cameron Caldwell, the City’s planning chair, was also clearly frustrated by the delay on removing the lights, telling colleagues: “No one is prepared to make the hard decision today to pack them up.”

The debate at full council on Tuesday reopens divisions within the leadership team.

Councillors will also vote to get rid of the Urban Oasis artwork – the silver ferns destined for the Botanical Gardens – after Robina councillor Hermann Vorster was successful at committee in stopping the move. The ferns, which cost $411,000 to create, would require at least $500,000 to install at their new home.

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