Top of class or not at all

Tourism hub can’t be ‘RSL on steroids’: leaders

THE Gold Coast’s proposed global tourism hub must be a high-quality, multi-billion dollar development on par with the world’s best.

That’s the message from the city’s tourism and political leaders who have thrown their weight behind making the project a reality and not an ‘RSL on steroids’.

On Saturday the Bulletin revealed Southport was the favoured location for the project with a tentative price tag of $1 billion. The Broadwater Caravan Park and the Star of the Sea site are among possible locations.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate and Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan say the development must be on par with that of The Star’s $3 billion multi-tower masterplan development at Broadbeach or Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace and Hard Rock cafe.

“Southport is the perfect spot but whatever it is, it must be of high quality,” Mr Donovan said. “The Star Group are delivering high quality with the new The Darling tower and the Dorsett tower which has just broken ground.

“If this is to be a casino resort then it must be up there with this level of quality.”

Cr Tate said he was prepared to “roll up his sleeves” to help the eventual proponent deliver a ”quality project”.

“At the moment the government is getting ready to test the market and I think you will see the total cost will be much higher than $1 billion,” he said.

Expressions of interest are expected to open before Christmas with prospective developers to provide costs and plans to the State Government.

The final price tag of the tourism hub is expected to be upward of $2 billion.

State sources say the final cost and the location will be determined by the marketdriven process.

Clubs Queensland slammed the idea of a low-cost casino in Southport as an “RSL on steroids” which would dilute the already crowded market.

“There is no additional market to be had here, you would just be robbing customers from existing operators such as clubs and pubs,” Clubs president Doug Flockhart said.

Tourism Minister Kate Jones has insisted there will be no additional poker machines at the city’s second casino.

She has ruled out granting any additional pokies licences.

This would leave the casino to source the poker machines from the existing licences available on the Coast, something Clubs Queensland has opposed. There are 5992 poker machine licences, not including the 1600 machines operated by The Star in Broadbeach.

BULLETIN’S VIEW, P14