Opinion: Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate argues for a dive site tours attraction off The Spit

TOURISM is the Gold Coast’s biggest industry but as Mayor Tom Tate writes, the city needs more attractions and says a dive site would be good.

NATIONAL tourism statistics this week gave a sobering insight into state-by-state visitor numbers and visitor spend.

The Gold Coast is punching well with our visitor numbers up 14 per cent, against a statewide increase of nine per cent.

Despite this, we cannot rest on our laurels. A city like ours needs to renew its tourism products.

THE GOLD COAST’S NEXT TOURIST ATTRACTION

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate Picture Mike Batterham

People holiday here for a whole range of reasons — beaches, theme parks, the hinterland, waterways, to see family and enjoy events.

To keep them coming, and to ensure return visitation, we need to expand on what we are offering.

We cannot sit back and expect the same result for years to come.

I thank investors like the Star group, Marina Mirage, Pacific Fair and Robina Land Corporation for having the vision to renew their properties, spending billions to excite locals and visitors about our city. These investments give people a reason to visit, to stay, dine and play. We all benefit.

Imagine of the proposed dive site off the Gold Coast.

Looking ahead, a cultural theme park at Nerang would be a point of difference, unlike the ride-based theme parks.

An oceanside cruise ship terminal would add a key entry gateway for the millions of national and international travellers now enjoying the cruise market.

A sky-rail from the base of our hinterland up to the peak would draw tens of thousands of new visitors.

And an easily-accessible dive site would expand our marine adventure tourism and be a magnet for fish and marine life.

HMAS Darwin (AAP Image/Lucy Hughes Jones)

The potential for HMAS Darwin to be scuttled here cannot be another missed opportunity. I applaud the Bundaberg region for securing the HMAS Tobruk early this year.

The Sunshine Coast has HMAS Brisbane and is reaping the rewards with more bed nights, hire car rentals, dive operations and restaurant meals.

When the HMAS Tobruk was available early this year, our Council invested ratepayer funds to ensure we were shovel-ready. We remain that way today with all the investigations into a possible site for the Tobruk now ideal for a vessel of similar size in HMAS Darwin.

HMAS Darwin, HMAS Melbourne, HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Toowoomba depart from Sydney Harbour during the fleet departure for Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2017 (IPE 17).

Let’s make good on our investment in ensuring the right site for a dive attraction exists only a 20-minute boat ride from our coastline.

I would welcome the Federal and State governments sharing our vision — and having the courage — to gift our city HMAS Darwin for a dive site. Once in place, it would create a unique ‘east coast dive highway’ with all three ex-naval vessels along the magical Queensland coastline, drawing tourists, marine life and visitor dollars to the State.