)
MAYOR Tom Tate is gambling his mayorship on an offshore cruise ship terminal, unveiling his vision for the controversial project just three months before the next council election.
Tate wants to build a pylon-type structure situated on the ocean side of The Spit, opposite Sea World Resort, and says he will use the March 19 election to gain a mandate for the proposal.
The proposal includes a floating platform to be built in the ocean, and will be a port-of-call only, with a jetty connecting the terminal and mainland.
This comes on the back of the Queensland Government's canning of the $7.6 billion terminal at Wavebreak Island, part of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's election promise.
Tate says a cruise ship terminal is important for building a strong economic pipeline for future generations.
"Why am I passionate and fighting about it? Because I know that the younger generation, when they are growing up on the Gold Coast, they should have the opportunity to live and work here and bring up their family on the Gold Coast," says Tate.
"I am doing my job as the Mayor of the city, I am looking for opportunities at all times to create more future jobs for the next generation.
"This is one of the projects and there are other projects. I am talking the city up to getting more theme parks or upgrading our airports or another integrated resort you name it, I am out there promoting the city and creating jobs for our next generation.
"I am saying this is a good compromise. Have a look at it and think of the next generation."
Tate adds that it is a good initiative for growing the city's tourism economy and helping to avoid booms and busts.
"My attitude is that we want to broaden our tourism economy, and that means other tourism facilities like the cruise ship terminal, medical tourism, convention tourism and sporting tourism," says Tate.
"It broadens our economy so that tourism on the Gold Coast, should we get a hit from one or the other, we still have a cushion from another sector within tourism itself it makes sense."
Tate says he believes that by using the cruise ship terminal debate as part of his re-election bid it will allow the 'silent majority' to show their support for the project.
"We are three months out from the election and I think there is plenty of time for discussion and true consultation," says Tate.
Tate says he is yet to devise a timeline but it will not come to fruition until post-Commonwealth Games.
)
)
)
)
)
