Tom Tate cancels democracy to avoid Cableway scrutiny

As protesters rallied to protect Springbrook National Park from a proposed devastating development, the Gold Coast City Council shut the public out and the TV cameras looked the other way. David Donovan reports.

ON TUESDAY, 26 August, protesters gathered peacefully outside the Gold Coast City Council chambers to oppose Mayor Tom Tate’s latest push — a plan to build a massive tourist cableway through the heart of a tiny, fragile remnant of Gondwanaland, the World Heritage-listed Springbrook National Park.

Many may recall that Independent Australia played a major part in reporting on corruption allegations regarding the Cableway against a previous GC mayor, a then LNP State Minister, in 2015, that eventually resulted in Ray Stevens almost assaulting one of IA's reporters to avoid answering questions.

The Mayor's decision to ban the community from the full Council meeting on Tuesday is an abuse of the confidentiality criteria listed in the Act.

Current proponent, the LNP's Tom Tate, has gone a step further, closing down the public's right to scrutinise his Council's deliberations on the matter. As locals rallied to protect ancient Springbrook from developers' dozers, the Gold Coast's council met behind closed doors, with its Chambers entirely shut to the public.

Mainstream media were present – both Channel Seven and Nine reported on the protest – but conspicuously failed to mention this glaring lack of transparency. Neither outlet acknowledged that the Gold Coast City Council was meeting "in camera", nor questioned why major development assessments, including a matter of such environmental significance, were likely being debated in secret.

Save our Spit Alliance president Dr Steve Gration told IA:

The QLD Local Government Act states clearly that all full council and standing committee meetings are open to the public to attend.

Councillors can make a resolution to close a meeting to the public only to discuss certain confidential matters, which are strictly limited under the Act.

The Mayor's decision to ban the community from the full Council meeting on Tuesday is an abuse of the confidentiality criteria listed in the Act.

It’s a troubling pattern for a mayor long accused of prioritising developer interests over community voices and ecological preservation.

Shame, Tate. Shame, Seven and Nine.

Independent Australia will soon provide full coverage of the protest — including speeches that Nine and Seven wouldn't air, and exclusive interviews with key stakeholders that the mainstream media ignored. Nine, in particular – long a close ally of the LNP – adopted a derisive and belittling tone in relation to the anti-Cableway activists and their well-supported rally.

Vice-president of environmental group GECKO Lois Levy said she was "concerned that Gold Coast constituents were refused entry to the Council Chambers with no explanation from either councillors or security personnel".

Ms Levy added:

"No attempt was made by any official to approach the organisers of a peaceful rally to explain the lockout."

Ms Levy is commonly regarded as the Gold Coast's most widely respected and influential community leader, having worked to protect the community in the City since 1979, and is highly respected by all sides of politics. She told IA: "There was no evidence at all of the vigil being anything but peaceful".

IA can confirm neither police nor Council security even approached the 100 or so well-behaved participants.

Independent Australia tried to enter the Chambers both during and after the rally, including speaking to security staff through the windows, who answered curtly and refused to accede to our requests for a chance to speak to any other Council official.

It seems Mayor Tom Tate and his administration have something very serious – probably relating to the Cableway – they are desperate to keep out of public view.

IA reports from the rally and shows what happens afterwards in the video below.