http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...e/news-story/82568052dc1bd8ebde90673b06a814d9
Gold Coast Titans offered $1 for stadium by Mayor Tom Tate
Jeremy Pierce, The Courier-Mail
April 29, 2018 12:00am
GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has offered to buy the home ground of the Titans NRL club for $1 as Queensland’s stadium stoush continues.
Robina’s Cbus Super Stadium is at the centre of a saga surrounding exorbitant hiring costs for some of the region’s biggest sporting venues.
The Sunday Mail and The Courier-Mail have revealed expensive hiring fees through Stadiums Queensland have pushed some clubs, including the Titans and the AFL’s Suns, to the wall, while similar-sized venues interstate are substantially cheaper.
Instead of committing to high-priced, long-term deals, the Titans renegotiate hiring costs on a short-term basis costing about $110,000 a game.
The latest agreement expired after last night’s NRL clash with the Cronulla Sharks, with the Titans seriously considering taking home games to other venues.
Now, Councillor Tate has upped the ante by offering to take over the running of the stadium from the State Government for the grand total of $1.
Councillor Tate first considered the idea three years ago and this week said he would extend the offer in a bid to give the Titans and other tenants a better deal than the one they get from Stadiums Queensland.
The council spent $10 million buying the site in 2006 only to hand it over to the State Government, but with control of many Commonwealth Games venues now being returned to the city, Councillor Tate said it was the perfect time to follow suit with Cbus Super Stadium.
“My offer of $1 still stands,” he said. “If Stadiums Queensland was a private company, it’d be broke by now.
“The venue is heavily under-utilised right now so it makes sense to work with potential users to meet the market.
“It’s the same formula any savvy business adopts – that is, adjust your price to meet the market, look after the client, and long-term you’ll attract repeat business from that client and grow your base.’’
A Queensland Government spokeswoman yesterday said a special taskforce appointed to investigate the situation would “look at all the options”.
“We’re open to discussion if they want to manage Robina Stadium,” she said.
“The underlying cost pressures apply no matter who manages the stadium.’’
Titans chief executive Graham Annesley said the club just wanted certainty.
“We’re as anxious as anyone to get this matter resolved once and for all so we’re not constantly dealing with it every few weeks,” he said.
