Gold Coast bed tax laid to rest
The proposed Gold Coast bed tax proposed by mayor Tom “Tax” Tate has been put out of its misery.
Mayor Tate last month proposed the coast’s 12 million tourists pay a $15 million annual bill for tourism services that provided the bulk of the community’s wealth but Burleigh councillor Greg Betts slammed it as it as “ludicrous”.
Central Chamber of Commerce president Peter Yared, who manages Hotel Grand Chancellor in Surfers Paradise, said the city was already very expensive compared to the overseas market. He said accommodation providers would be forced to increase the price of rooms.
“Tom Tate is trying to use the tax to pay for his campaign promises,” Mr Yared said. Cr Betts said, “It is a ludicrous and unrealistic idea which few support.” Gold Coast provider Rob Golley told Accomnews, “What a bad tax being rail roaded by an equally incompetent mayor, unable to balance his books. “Tom Tate … has he forgot the basic premise of ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’ in other words all visiting tourists already pay GST to the state government and adding an ill advised bed tax hopefully will reduce visitors and tax for the council.”
