Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate shares his 2025 wishlist for the city

The mayor’s priorities include ‘getting on with” the final stage of light rail. See what else the city leader has planned for the new year.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate shares his 2025 wishlist for the city

If you thought 2024 was a big year for our city, strap yourself in for 2025.

The Gold Coast is on the move, rapidly evolving to become one of the great lifestyle cities of the world.

Managing change is often challenging and in an ideal world, we would always get everything right.

That said, decisions made today have lasting impacts on the Gold Coast’s future DNA: where we live; how we get about; what services locals and visitors access; where we work; what future job opportunities exist for youth; and how we manage resources including waste and water.

With Santa back at the North Pole, I’m pleased to see he took the Coast’s Christmas Wish List I left under the tree - along with a top-shelf bottle of scotch for the jolly guy.

Here’s the list I left under the tree:

ADVANCED RESOURCE RECOVERY CENTRE

This remains high on our wish list for 2025.

In around 12 years from now, our city land fill sites will be full. Our population will be around one million and we will be welcoming in excess of 15 million annual visitors. The way we manage, move and dispose of waste must change - and the ARRC is the future.

Debate at last month’s council reaffirmed that we must seek value-for-money throughout this estimated $1.6 billion project. That came as no surprise to me given successive councils under my mayoral leadership have always stuck to the mantra of value for money;

Community consultation, and direct advocacy from my office with state and federal leaders regarding the ARRC, will continue into 2025. At the end of the day, we must find a better, more commercial and environmentally feasible way to treat our waste and at the same time,

create clean energy from the process.

If we don’t, I doubt Gold Coasters in decades to come will thank us for failing to address this core issue when they will be forced to pay huge fees to dump their rubbish and future landfill sites are either non-existent or costing tens of millions to purchase and maintain every year.

TRANSPORT

Everyone loves their cars but we need to continue to change the way we move. Car-centric cities are effectively, slow-moving, parking lots; and we can’t make that a part of our lifestyle brand.

Step one is to finalise the light rail transport spine which will run through the most heavily populated - and visited - areas of our city.

To date, almost 85 million paying passengers have used light rail.

My Christmas Wish List is to end the uncertainty around the critical final stage and get on with it as soon as stage three opens in early 2026. I plan further direct advocacy with State Premier David Crisafulli and our federal representatives once the LNP review concludes.

No one is saying light rail is the panacea to all our transport challenges. It is certainly a key part and will be supported by rapid east-west bus connections, future light rail spur lines, changes to parking programs across our city as well as better active travel choices including green bridges, cycle ways, walk-to-school initiatives and even ferry services.

As a council, we have invested record funding into transport projects and programs over the past five successive budgets. I expect a further funding boost in 2024-25, on top of the $449 million we are investing this financial year.

The outcome of the LNP review will have a defining impact on our city’s

transport future for the next 50 years and its findings must be free from emotional rhetoric. Stick to the facts.

Updated artist impression of Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 between Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads. Picture: Supplied

GREEN SPACE

Some say, I’m more green than Kermit The Frog and I’m proud to wear that tag.

I love frogs and it’s great to see council recently purchased a key portion of green space at Springbrook, adding to our 13,500 hectares of green and open space. In the past four years, we have bought around 178 hectares ($15.4 million) for wildlife habitat and local families to enjoy.

We have no plans to stop these strategic land purchases.

We have also planted more than 1.3 million trees across the Gold Coast since 2012, a magical gift from council and hard-working community volunteers to our flora and fauna friends.

Right now, we have a 10-year master plan underway for a 260-hectare site between Merrimac and Robina. Known as GreenHeart, this will become the Central Park of our western suburbs with stage one to open in the first half of this year.

The parkland will feature more sporting fields, outdoor music and event spaces, nature-based walks, interpretive signage, wetland experiences and playgrounds.

I plan lobbying the new LNP Government as well as Canberra to use GreenHeart as an opportunity for them to showcase their green credentials and get behind this $300 million masterpiece.

Artist impression of the Waste to Energy plant under construction in Dubai.

LYRIC THEATRE

I love critics, especially those who criticise a project without the facts. The facts are HOTA is now the city’s premier arts and cultural heartland.

I have long said that a city without a cultural heartland is a city without a soul.

Over 12 years, council has invested $135 million across the Evandale precinct. Just like a library, or the recently-opened $87.5 million Palm Beach Aquatic Centre, this is a community asset and while I’m mayor, entry to the general gallery spaces at HOTA will always be free.

The evolution of HOTA is more than just an arts epicentre. It has sent a message globally that our city is a place where magic happens. HOTA’s presence has largely been responsible for attracting global film producers to the coast.

The film industry alone now generates $500 million annually to our economy as well as generating millions of dollars of publicity through social media promotion when the world’s leading actors base themselves here for months on end. Further, around 5000 locals

currently work in the film and television sector. The lyric theatre is the final major piece of the HOTA story and like every stage to date, we are approaching the design phase with a value for money philosophy.

I’ve told Santa about council’s plans for this 1600-seat theatre and he’s put me on the nice list.

Let’s see where the state and federal governments can support the project once we have better cost estimates by mid-year.

Designs showing potential Lyric theatre, big enough for 1800 fans at HOTA on the Gold Coast.

EVENTS

We are an events city and council invests $148 million annually into business, marketing, events support and programs to assist our 78,000 registered businesses.

The city has a suite of signature annual events - from the Magic Millions to Blues on Broadbeach, Pacific Airshow, Supercars and Groundwater.

Annually, there are more than 600 local events which help stimulate our economy. I’ve told Santa about a couple of other major events we are pursuing through 2025 and he’s promised to keep it a secret - for now.

Magic Millions ambassador Amanda Abate and Pacific Fair fashion ambassador Laura Dundovic with jockey Robbie Dolan ahead of The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival. Picture: Luke Marsden

FILM INDUSTRY EXPANSION

Council has backed international powerhouse Shadowbox Studios to deliver a state-of-the-art screen production facility in Yatala.

The major studio developer and operator, with locations in the London and Atlanta metro areas, will build up to 10 sound stages, workshops, office spaces, a backlot, and training facilities, on the City-owned site.

It is expected the new film studio could contribute approximately $195 million towards the economy each year once complete.

Phase One of the proposal includes up to six sound stages, workshop, office building, backlot and outdoor filming space that are expected to be operational in 2028.

In so many ways, we are truly becoming the Hollywood of the South Pacific.

BOUTIQUE STADIUM

For the past decade, I’ve heard first-hand from global entertainment promoters how they are willing to bring more international attractions to our city if the right venue is in place. This is not just about music and live shows - think world-class boxing, basketball, e-gaming, motor shows, UFC and soccer.

A stadium between 12,000-18,000 seats fits the bill. Like all major community-focused projects, the public will be invited to have their say as we finalise designs as well as potential public-private partnership models.

Artist impression of the proposed Gold Coast Arena boutique stadium at Carey Park, Southport. Picture: Supplied by Gold Coast City Council

NATURE TOURISM

When Santa took my Wish List, he left me a book titled: Sustainable Tourism Management by John Swarbrooke.

The book reinforces the responsibility we all have to promote sustainable tourism. Council last year announced five key nature-based tourism projects we are either funding, supporting or considering. I’m delighted the new LNP Government strongly backs an expansion of

our tourism sector through nature-based experiences.

Again, without any facts, the anti-everything brigade is already canning a possible cableway in our magical hinterland.

This proposal is one of five projects on our radar. Topping the list is 63.17 hectares of land in Springbrook - now owned by Gold Coast ratepayers.

The other City-led projects include:

- Numinbah Valley – improvements to the Gold Coast Hinterland Great Walk and Woonoongoora Eco-Camp;

- Austinville – eco-accommodation and trail establishment;

- South Stradbroke Island – nature-based tourism enhancements to

Tipplers precinct hub;

- Broadwater – eco-cabins and immersive experience development.

In February, we will invite businesses to apply for grant funding support for nature-based tourism opportunities they believe are worth exploring.

Each submission will be assessed on merit. I reinforce the importance of nature-based tourism operating via a sustainability model; and that will be the case with everyone of these

projects. I ask the keyboard warriors to step away from their computers and go and plant a tree. Like all major projects, the community will have ample time to comment when we have sufficient detail to release.

PLANNING CERTAINTY

Everyone needs certainty and the new LNP Government is in pole position to provide that certainty through the revised City Plan. Our population is booming and we need to deliver more affordable housing options the length and breadth of the city. This includes more social

housing which is exclusively a state responsibility.

My Wish List encourages the state to deliver certainty by signing off on a revised City Plan which will see more development along our public transport corridors, more product on the market for buyers (which creates greater consumer choice and improves pricing in favour of first home buyers) and creates thousands of jobs for tradies and school leavers entering the trade industries as apprentices.

Certainty delivers confidence.

GAMES REVIEW

On January 10, public submissions close on the Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics Games Review. Get on-line and have your say - www.gamesreview.com.au

Council is making a submission and I will publicly comment on that submission once the state government has reviewed all information received.

What I can say is that the management of Brisbane32 to date has trashed community goodwill. Without community support, the event is doomed. The basis of our submission is to scrap any idea of building white-elephant-type temporary venues, and ‘sweat the assets’; we already have across the SEQ region. Not just on the Gold Coast but across the entire SEQ region.

After all, the initial bid signed by our council, the state and Australian Olympic Committee was based on a ‘regional bid’;. Right now, in a nationwide cost-of-living crisis, no voter wants to read about $2 billion temporary swimming pools or similar non-legacy venues.

In my view, the games must be much more than 20 days of sport and festivals. They must be the platform for major improvements in community assets like transport modes, venues, outdoor spaces and social housing as well as a greater awareness of our nation’s history

including First Nations people.

We achieved that for GC2018 Commonwealth Games with our post-games venues now enjoying 90-plus percent occupancy seven years later.

Right now, the host city council (Brisbane) is billions in debt so the heavy-lifting (and funding) for future venues, festivals and events associated with Brisbane32 will be left to future state and federal governments (taxpayers).

In comparison, our City debt at the end of this financial year will be

around $500 million. Santa gave our council a gold star for that achievement!

So it’s Ho, Ho Ho ... seven years to go until 2032. My wish is that by spreading the games across SEQ, scrapping temporary venues, applying fiscal restraint and focusing on post-games

legacy, we will rebuild community sentiment, one smart decision at a time.

Kirk Studio Architects GABBA Stadium proposal - The Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will one of the most important events for Brisbane and Queensland in our States 155 year history. Picture Kirk Studio

Originally published as Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate shares his 2025 wishlist for the city