CHANGING COUNCILS
TAMBORINE Mountain residents are planning a stunning defection away from their “agricultural” Scenic Rim Regional Council to the sea and bright lights of the Gold Coast.
Businesses in the hinterland community have long envied the Glitter Strip’s tourism credentials, and want to join in.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has rolled out the welcome mat but Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen is less upbeat.
BUSINESS leaders at Tamborine Mountain are secretly negotiating for their Hinterland town to ditch the Scenic Rim and join the Gold Coast.
In what promises to be the biggest local government shake-up in more than a decade, the Tamborine Mountain Chamber of Commerce wants its home to morph into Australia’s sixth-largest city.
It argues the town is not getting enough out of the Scenic Rim Regional Council and joining the nation’s tourism capital would boost visitor numbers.
Early discussions have been held with the Gold Coast City Council.
Tamborine Mountain Chamber of Commerce president Alison Rip said residents paid high rates and got little return or support for its tourism ventures.
“Our council is always crying poor because they have a limited amount of money for tourism and what they do have is generally spent on Eat Local Week and the Ekka,” she said.
“This is mostly agri-tourism whereas we are a much bigger tourism destination. The chamber is at the point where our members are saying ‘we would be better off being part of the Gold Coast’.
“Our rates would be easier to deal with, we would retain our rural atmosphere and we would be better promoted as a tourism region.”
Approaches have also been made to the Palaszczuk Government and the chamber is preparing to write to Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he was open to the idea. “We are not out to poach Tamborine into our city boundary but there is no doubt the real estate values for those on the mountain would be boosted if they attached to the Gold Coast brand,” he said.
“Merging with the Gold Coast is a matter for the Tamborine residents, Scenic Rim council and ultimately, the State Government. The decision ultimately rests with the State Government.”
It has been more than 10 years since the city’s boundaries changed so dramatically.
In March 2008, an electoral boundary redistribution resulted in Beenleigh and Eagleby moving from the Gold Coast into Logan council.
Four years earlier, a group of prominent Surfers Paradise businessmen, led by Cr Tate who was a chamber of commerce boss, pushed for the Glitter Strip to secede and become its own independent body.
Scenic Rim Mayor Greg Christensen is opposed to the idea and said he did not believe there was a strong appetite from the business community.
“If they feel they would be better served being part of another council area there is a process for them to go through and explore it,” he said.
“If they come forward with the relevant petition with signatures and support I will open a dialogue.
“My advice to people is this: be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”