NO TIME TO PARK A SALE

FEW topics have divided the Gold Coast community as much as the future of Bruce Bishop Car Park.

The proposed sale of the Surfers Paradise Transit Centre site has been a fault line since it was first proposed 16 years ago but particularly when the idea was revived again in 2017. Few debates have inspired such rancour, bad feeling or specious, badfaith arguments.

The Gold Coast City Council has long wanted to offload the costly and ageing community asset while a dedicated group of Surfers Paradise business owners opposed the sale, warning the sale of city land was unacceptable, as was the expected long-term loss of carparking facilities.

There are strong arguments for both perspectives and the merits of each option will no doubt continue to be debated for years to come.

The vote to sell the carpark in mid-2018 was not a surprise, but saw opponents take multiple costly steps to stop the sale, including a lengthy and unsuccessful legal battle and a series of complaints against both Mayor Tom Tate and Council CEO Dale Dickson which were investigated and found to be without merit.

It has been two years since the vote to sell and a year since the Save Surfers Paradise group withdrew its action against the council – and the carpark remains in council hands. Questions hang over the future of the sale, with councillors asking questions about its future.

If the sale to Care Park and Far East Consortium fails to proceed, the council says it will simply put the Beach Road complex back on the market with the intention of selling it again.

No matter what happens, ratepayers deserve to have clarity about the status of the carpark and what the future holds for it.

There is clear and strong community interest in the matter and it is incumbent on those involved to be open and accountable.