ASSET SELL-OFF FOR CULTURAL PRECINCT

CARPARK, TRANSIT CENTRE AND PARK TO BE CASHED IN

A MAJORITY of city councillors have backed a plan by Mayor Tom Tate to sell the council’s main carpark in Surfers Paradise to fund construction of the cultural precinct.

After three hours of special budget talks in closed session yesterday, councillors opened the door to vote on the sale of the Bruce Bishop carpark and Surfers Paradise Transit Centre, which occupy a prime site just a block from Cavill Mall.

Councillor Tate remained in the chamber to take part in the vote “in the public interest” after he declared a personal material conflict of interest because of his development interests at the neighbouring Surfers Paradise Bowls Club.

Only councillors Peter Young, Dawn Crichlow and area representative Gary Baildon voted against the sale.

As he left the chamber, a statement for the Mayor was released indicating the special budget committee had agreed on a funding model which would see stage one of the cultural precinct built without additional fees, borrowings or charges on ratepayers.

“This is an historic day, a day where we have secured the funding model for our city’s cultural heartland without hitting ratepayers’ hip pockets,” Cr Tate said.

The planned land and assets sales include Neal Shannon Park and seven other lots including two major parcels of land at Robina.

Asked by the Bulletin about previous protests from residents when the council attempted to sell the Bruce Bishop carpark, Cr Tate replied that he believed the circumstances had changed.

Former mayor Ron Clarke suggested selling the carpark in 2004.

Cr Tate said that back then the plan was to “sell the asset and take the money and put it into the big bucket” while ratepayers were facing eight per cent rate hikes.

“This time around is different. It’s purposeful, it’s going towards infrastructure,” Cr Tate said.

The funds from the sale would be used to help pay for stage one of the cultural precinct which included a green bridge linking Evandale to Chevron Island and also cover an upgraded bridge at the Isle of Capri.

The developer of Bruce Bishop carpark must retain 640 public car parks and create another 100 but Cr Crichlow believes the figure should be the current capacity.

“At the moment it has 1600 car spaces, that’s what it should have,” she said. “That’s one of our core businesses – car parking. I’d rather us sell off our tourist parks to be honest, that’s not core business.”

THIS IS AN HISTORIC DAY, A DAY WHERE WE HAVE SECURED THE FUNDING MODEL FOR OUR CITY’S CULTURAL HEARTLAND. MAYOR TOM TATE