Confidential car park report made public
A CONFIDENTIAL council report into the $48 million sale of Surfers Paradise’s Bruce Bishop Car Park has been made public.
Council CEO Dale Dickson released the data and said that council staff relied on “two separate independent valuation reports to establish a fair sale price”.
In a statement, Mr Dickson said the tender process, which ended in November last year, showed the market had difficulty with “assessing the valuation impact of council imposed conditions”.
These included the on- going provision of 740 public car parks at the site, including the 100 car parks which are to be made available at no cost for community use, along with civic space and transit centre uses.
“Despite this complicating factor, the successful tenderer did offer $48m which was in line with valuation reports available to officers and without any notional deduction for the 100 community car parking spaces,” Mr Dickson said.
Mayor Tom Tate also took aim at critics who claimed the sale of the car park to Care Park was far below a potential valuation of $100 million.
Cr Tate hit back and called on the Save Surfers Paradise group to realise its own findings.
“Please, release your supposed $100 million valuation at the same time,’’ he said.
“We have sold a car park to a car park operator.
“That same operator has today publicly stated it will look to significantly reduce the cost of parking at the facility.
“This is a further win for traders, residents and visitors to Surfers Paradise.
“I look forward to Save Surfers Paradise releasing its independent valuation.’’
WHAT is the background story on the Bruce Bishop car park sale? The vote by councillors was delayed. The delay was not about the sale but sorting out their personal conflicts.
As full council started at 1pm on Tuesday, it was predicted the meeting would finish between 3-4pm. The inside joke was Cr Cameron Caldwell was watching the clock. He had tickets to the Celine Dion concert at Boondall.
After rushing through the agendas, councillors went into closed session. For almost two hours, all they talked about were “declarations”.
Councillors have to fill out a form that says they may have a personal interest which they recognise as a perceived or real conflict.
Spaces are provided for the name of the person or entity that triggers the concern, the nature of the relationship and value of the benefit.
Under the new State Government reforms, more information is required. If councillors decide to stay, their colleagues now have to vote on whether they remain.
If a councillor fails to raise a potential conflict of interest and a colleague perceives one, they must speak up.
So this debate behind closed doors, like the Celine Dion Titanic song, is just going on and on.
Finally, the chamber door is opened. Their “conflict’’ forms start appearing on screens.
We learn Gary Baildon chooses to leave because his son Andrew is a potential buyer of city-owned land but not at the site.
Paul Taylor and Donna Gates join him. They have a Star Platinum card. The Broadbeach casino resort is a joint venture partner in other projects with one of the companies in the consortium buying the car park.
Bob La Castra leaves because the car park sale helps fund the cultural precinct and he is council’s representative on the HOTA board. Hermann Vorster, as his backup for meetings, joins him.
Peter Young removes himself because Mayor Tom Tate has taken defamation action against him and the legal issues touch on the Mayor’s development group’s bowls club interest across from the car park.
Cr Caldwell declares a Star Platinum Concierge Card and Commonwealth Games entertainment of more than $500 and seeks to stay. Councillors vote in support.
William Owen-Jones declares he has attended shows as a guest of The Star which totalled more than $500 and also wants to remain. Councillors again agree.
Daphne McDonald, Gail O’Neill and Kristyn Boulton declare movie passes at the arts centre. Again, no problem.
Mayor Tate makes two declarations. The first relates to being part-owner of three sites and having a commercial unit that is a nearby neighbour of the car park.
“I, however, only have a similar level of interest as approximately 1000 other nearby property owners to the Bruce Bishop car park site involved in the item before Council today. I feel I can vote in the public interest as I do not have any interest greater than any other citizens in the city,” he wrote.
Cr Gates then tells the Mayor: “I think that perhaps today, given all of the (new tougher reporting) legislation that we’ve been looking at, in an effort to protect you, we’d rather you out of the room.”
A majority of councillors, for the first time, votes. Only Cr Taylor supports the Mayor staying. Peter Young abstains from voting.
The Mayor also declares a Star Platinum concierge card and on that conflict decides “I will now leave and stay away from the meeting”. He joins the others outside. Eight councillors remain. The vote is 6-2 to sell.
Some are asking why others used some lame excuses to dodge such an important debate. Cr Caldwell drives off to see Celine Dion.
Near, far, wherever you are, this debate will go on and on.