Bid to save arcade a farce, says councillor

A COUNCILLOR has called council’s bid to save the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade a farce after an investigation found its remaining 1930s history amounted to a small interior wall.

Councillors at a planning committee meeting yesterday agreed to back a conservation management plan for the iconic Gold Coast landmark which is to be redeveloped after being recently sold.

But Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, the only councillor to vote against the recommendation, said the CMP found “there is minimal evidence of original 1930s picture theatre”.

An officer confirmed there was a “small section of internal wall from 1936” and “the two bookends” – the brick facades and two remnant front and rear portions of the building – which would need to be protected.

“I have no problem with the facade being retained, if that’s what is of value,” Cr Gates said.

“When you go further into the report, there is a tiny wall that is the only remaining possible, not even confirmed, 1930s aspect of this building and there’s no evidence of the early theatre. I just can’t believe we would be going and adding all these layers of red tape to someone who wants to make an investment in this city.”

Cr Gates also questioned the level of community concern, remarking that “it’s always the noisy wheel that gets the oil”. The only feedback had been media polling.

“I actually think it is quite a farce that we’ve created so much cost already with even the consideration of this report,” she said. “For me it’s one of the worst things we’ve ever done to anyone to stimulate activity in our city.”

Planning committee chair Cameron Caldwell said he “thoroughly disagreed” with that assertion. He recalled the loss of the historic Miami Ice building and how councillors later discussed “why wasn’t something done”.