Gold Coast mayor demands state hand over convention centre for major expansion
While the state government won't upgrade the Gold Coast Convention Centre until the 2030s, the council has thrown down an unprecedented challenge to take control.
Mayor Tom Tate wants the council to take control of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) in return for doubling its size.
The state government, which owns the building, has no plans to increase the capacity of the Broadbeach complex until the late 2030s despite at-capacity bookings and support from the business sector.
Mr Tate said the convention sector, worth more than $500m to the city’s economy annually, had room to grow and said council had the will to make it happen.
“I have a challenge and a solution for the state government – I say to the Premier, transfer the convention centre to the City of the Gold Coast, and we’ll build and double the size, to build this market even further,” he said.
“If you add that together with the coming Gold Coast Arena in Southport, which will be able to operate as a convention centre too, we’ll be able to increase capacity by 150 per cent.
“If they just transfer the property to us, we’ll do the rest.”
Mr Tate pointed to previous deals which had seen assets traded between council and state, including Hinze Dam and the Tugun Desalination Plant.
It comes as newly released data revealed the impact of a strong line-up of events held at the GCCEC, which opened in 2004.
More than 85,000 people poured through its doors attending 29 events during the July to September quarter, injecting $131m into the economy.
Centre general manager Nick Jeffrey said it had been a strong start to the financial year, with growth in the medical, technology and agriculture markets.
“A strong first quarter sets the tone for the year ahead and we’re proud to play our part in showcasing the Gold Coast on a national and international stage,” he said.
“Every event hosted at (the centre) brings visitors, opportunities and investment to the region and that creates a lasting legacy well beyond the centre’s walls.”
In recent years the complex’s managers have been forced to turn away big-ticket events. With the building’s halls now booked years in advance, industry leaders including Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn have argued it needs an upgrade.
“It’s obviously a very lucrative part of the whole visitor economy, with business events at the (convention) centre, which is one of the busiest event venues,” he told the Bulletin earlier this year.
“We host a full calendar of events there each year, so the diverse range of events is equally important, it’s not just about our business events.
“We are really focused on driving a sustainable tourism ecosystem and driving visitation midweek for our destination is really important, so having a convention centre that’s that popular is fantastic.
“We would welcome any development that opens up opportunities to attract more events.”
Events kingpin Harvey Lister announced plans to revive a $700m proposal to redevelop the complex in 2024.
Mr Lister first pitched his plan to redevelop GCCEC into a 12,000 seat stadium and events precinct in 2021, but received little support at the time.
Mr Lister, who runs the Australian wing of AEG Global, the world’s largest manager of big stadiums and arenas, said in October 2024 that a significant upgrade was needed urgently to prevent the city losing out on events to other cities.
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Originally published as Gold Coast mayor demands state hand over convention centre for major expansion
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