Surfers site emerges as rival for Southport in race for Gold Coast global tourism hub
A SURFERS Paradise site has emerged as the only real competition to Southport becoming the home of the Gold Coast’s planned $3 billion global tourism hub.
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A SURFERS Paradise site has emerged as the only real competition to Southport becoming the home of the Gold Coast’s planned global tourism hub.
A special report in the Gold Coast Bulletin on the weekend outlined four sites in Southport for the city’s second casino, including a State-owned caravan park fronting the Broadwater.
Tourism Minister Kate Jones has since ruled out the caravan park site being developed but both private and Crown land remains available on the western Broadwater.
State Development officers are aware of another prime site as developers suggest the potential cost of the global tourism hub could be as high as $3 billion.
“There is the Vomitron site, which is a large piece of land in Surfers Paradise,” a Government source said.
“It’s been mentioned. There’s business people interested in that. It’s a good site. Any big place like that, it would be on the radar.”
The 1.05ha site with frontages to both Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Ferny Avenue is owned by Hong Kong billionaire and casino owner Tony Fung, Chinese companies CCCC International Holding and Tandellen.
While the State Development is yet to set a size limit on a site, most political insiders believe at least 5ha will be needed for a casino-resort. Queens Wharf in Brisbane is a 27.3ha site which includes 12ha of land and 15.3ha section of the river.
The Bulletin understands the Surfers site had been land banked because Mr Fung was not interested in bidding for the Coast’s second casino licence.
Developers suggest it is big enough to develop a casino-resort due to the unlimited heights and nearby potential expansion.
“It’s a big site. It’s very central and opposite a light rail station. The plan was for a resort and unit block there,” a development industry source said.
“It’s a full block in Surfers. With all of these things you need a massive floor plate. They have to be significant undertakings.
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“You can’t be small scale. It doesn’t work otherwise to attract the Chinese. They have to spend billions of dollars, up to $3 billion.”
One advantage with the Vomitron site is it can be expanded if council decided to sell its car park next door.
The Government source said it was expected more than a dozen proponents would bid once the project went to market later this year.
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Tourism Minister Kate Jones has been buoyed by the response after the Bulletin outlined potential sites at the Broadwater Caravan Park at Loders Creek, the Star of the Sea north of Nerang Street and Carey Park fronting Australia Fair.
“We’re yet to go to market on the Coast. It’s great to see Gold Coasters getting excited about new tourism infrastructure,” Mr Jones said.
“We know that the investment by Star at Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane will create more than 10,000 jobs over the next 10 years.”
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