Expect to see a more sophisticated "Gold Coast" marketed to the world in 2017, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said on Wednesday.
He shrugged off the 2016 investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission and the Electoral Commission of Queensland into donations from the LNP to two independent Gold Coast council candidates in March as a "waste of time."
Reflecting back on 2016, the former civil engineer - who was convincingly re-elected in March - said the Gold Coast was maturing and it was time for a fresh look at the way the Gold Coast appealed to visitors.
It was an idea from Gold Coast Tourism and was supported at the last meeting of the Gold Coast City Council on Tuesday as it reviewed sections of its new City Plan.
"It is all confidential and will be revealed in February, Cr Tate said.
"But what I can tell you is that the Gold Coast has matured, we're a world destination, we've got sophistication and I can't wait for Gold Coast Tourism to bring everybody on the journey with us."
This year, for the first time, more than one million international visitors came to the Gold Coast.
However Cr Tate said it was time for a refresh of the Gold Coast image.
"Every now and then you have got to refresh your promotion otherwise it is the same old, same old," he said.
Cr Tate said Gold Coast Tourism wants to move way from using the appeals of "perfect weather, waves and fun" to lure visitors to the coast.
"We want to share that the Gold Coast is now a very cosmopolitan, multicultural, very sophisticated city."
Gold Coast highlights for 2016 – Tom Tate
- Gold Coast unemployment is relatively low – 5.3 per cent, one per cent lower than the state average.
- Big roads investment - council plus state government investments in lead-up to 2018 Commonwealth Games
- Light rail stage two from Southport to Helensvale being built – ready in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast
- Slow but steady progress towards ocean-side cruise ship terminal
- Budget with a low general rate for resident of 1.6 per cent
The Gold Coast's second potential cruise ship terminal.
The version proposed at the 2016 Gold Coast council elections is the second time the Gold Coast City Council has examined the idea.
The previous concept – almost five years ago – got embroiled with a huge resort inside the Gold Coast Broadwater on Wavebreak Island and then rejected in 2015 by the incoming Labor state government concerned at the environmental impact on the Broadwater.
Now Gold Coast is looking at smaller scale, cruise-ship terminal on the oceanside of the Southport Spit, virtually opposite Seaworld.
It is now backed 14:1 by the councillors and the concept design is being sharpened.
"I'm the first to say that if it doesn't tick all the boxes in the environmental impact study, I will be the first to say no," he said.
"But the way it is progressing, I think we will be able to tick every box."
Three things on the Gold Coast wish list for 2017
1. The 2017-18 Gold Coast Budget continues with low residential rates increases
2. Progression of the Gold Coast cruised ship terminal idea.
3. More refining of state two of the Gold Coast's cultural precinct
Green Bridge across the Nerang River as part of the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct's stage two project.
"We have re-valued and re-engineered it. The cost has come down from $32 million down to around $18.6 million."
"So I would really like to push ahead with that in 2017."
He said the Gold Coast had five "billion dollar projects in 2017, plus the Australian Legends theme park at Nerang, announced last week set to go in 2017.
Infrastructure Australia - Australia's peak infrastructure funding body - recently visited to investigate the success of Light Rail stage one, one source told Fairfax Media.
ECQ Queensland and Crime and Corruption inquiry into the March 2016 council elections.
"It's a waste of money. It's a waste of money," Cr Tate said.
He said some public figures refused to acknowledge the reality of politics.
"Mayoral candidates and the like. To keep on whingeing about that it was unfair," he said.
"If there was something done illegally, then go for it, but it doesn't take that long to work that out."
