Gold Coast business Commonwealth Games review ‘not likely’ says GOLDOC

GOLDOC has backflipped on a possible review into the impact the Games had on Gold Coast businesses despite earlier assurances from Games bosses.

Marina Mirage restaurateur Carlo Percuoco from Fellini says the traffic scare campaign by GOLDOC has hurt his business during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Picture: Jerad Williams

GOLDOC has backtracked on a post-mortem of Commonwealth Games business failures despite an assurance from Games bosses.

GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters yesterday said a review into the impact on trade needed to take place before compensation for businesses was to be considered.

“We need to look at what actually happened and whether eleven days actually caused issues or didn’t cause issues,” Mr Peters said on ABC radio.

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Mr Peters went on to say Gold Coast City Council would be reviewing business impacts and the Get Set program as part of a report due in August.

“The question is did that scare too many people, together with media outlets talking about disaster — You can’t know that,” Mr Peters said.

“How that panned out, what the feedback is, I guess we will find out in the city’s review of the Get Set program.”

“State Government is involved with the city and Griffith University is involved. They are going to do some analysis of the outcomes what is the impact and what did we learn about that.

“What does that mean about future events, we may or may not have actually chosen to go for,” he said.

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Mark Peters, CEO of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation. Picture: Jerad Williams

However just hours later GOLDOC and the Gold Coast Council confirmed the report was not a review into Games impacts on business or compensation.

Instead reports into Games programs will be produced for the Commonwealth Games Federation, as part of the standard ‘close out’ documentation.

The public will only have the opportunity to look over a consolidated report once it has been presented to council in October.

Griffith University also said it was not involved in any ongoing reports into the Get Set program or business impacts.

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9/4/2018: Adrian Bond, of Jet Ski Safaris, at Mariners Cove Marina, Main Beach, Gold Coast. Adrian, with his jet ski's un-used, is amazed at how quiet his business and others surrounding have been while the Commonwealth Games have been running. Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

“We have been asked to contribute and are considering, but there is no commitment to doing anything at this moment,” a Griffith University spokesman said.

Mirage restaurateur Carlo Percuoco from Fellini who threatened a class-action suit over the Games business downturn said he wasn’t surprised by the backflip.

“What is the point of a report from them anyway, it is all going to be lies,” Mr Percuoco said.

“Why the hell would we want to see anything from them we I have heard from 50 businesses who know what they went through,” Mr Percuoco said.

The business owner said the only review he would be satisfied with was one from the Griffith University.

“Everything (the university) do is fantastic, we will only have a realistic picture of what happened from them,” he said.

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Businesses in Currumbin and Coolangatta have their say about the Commonwealth Games. Owner of The Salt Mill Johnny Gillett at his Currumbin business. Picture Glenn Hampson

Council CEO Dale Dickson said the city was obliged to provide close out reports as part of the host city agreement.

“The report will, amongst other things, address the very significant benefits of the Commonwealth Games to the Gold Coast,” he said.