TIME TO TAKE THE PLUNGE

OUR dive site debate is older than the pyramids – well, the ones Mayor Tom Tate has talked about as the city has dipped its toes into marine tourism.

The debate goes back many years, when the Gold Coast was keen to sink a warship for dive tourism.

Since then, the Coast has contemplated various concepts including concrete tombstones in the Broadwater, as well as Cr Tate’s call to sink a large structure offshore, with shapes ranging from a giant shell to even a Leaning Tower of Pisa. Years of discussion have also brought a lot of goodnatured humour, which is fitting because the Gold Coast is famous for fun, after all.

Today the Mayor promises not just to talk about it, but to get his pet marine pyramid project underway.

No one can argue against the need for the city to keep reinventing and finding ways to deliver new tourism attractions. The pyramid dive site promises many exciting possibilities, with the potential – through the use of different building materials – for a range of corals and sponges to grow, attracting diverse species of fish and other marine animals. The plan is for it to sit a short boat ride offshore.

Cr Tate is confident Tourism Minister Kate Jones will tip in half the cost of the project, expected to be between $3 million and $5 million. That is substantially cheaper than the $8-10 million Canberra wanted to flog us a decommissioned warship.

Ms Jones should be on board. When the Bulletin revealed in July last year that we could all be diving like an Egyptian soon, she said the State Government was ready to contribute half from the tourism infrastructure fund if the project stacked up.

Pull this one off and even King Tut would be proud.