Thousands of locals opposed Trump’s vision for the Gold Coast
The Trump family’s failed bid to build Australia’s tallest skyscraper on the Gold Coast was taken down by a furious community uprising.
While the Trump Organisation and Australian developer Altus Property Group blame each other for the spectacular collapse of the $1.2b Surfers Paradise supertower, behind the scenes was the force of more than 140,000 angry Aussies.
A blistering Change.org campaign demanding an end to the 91-storey beachfront development amassed a staggering 142,902 signatures, another nail in the coffin for the ill-fated venture.
The petition argued the mega-tower threatened local infrastructure and the environment, but its main sticking point was the Trump name itself.
Developer Altus Property Group planned to build a 91-storey Trump Tower in Surfers Paradise
Organisers slammed the former US President’s political track record, arguing his administration’s policies were inhumane, discriminatory, and fundamentally opposed to democratic principles.
The campaign demanded Gold Coast City Council reject the proposal, which had not submitted a development application despite a lavish signing between Eric Trump and Altus in Mar-a-Lago three months ago.
Signatories to the petition did not hold back:
“You’re fired!” said one, turning the former president’s reality TV catchphrase against him.
“This man has single-handedly had a massive negative impact on not only the USA but the whole world. The transactional nature for his own personal profit of his presidency is a disgrace,” stated another.
A man dressed as US President Donald Trump led a group of protestors who stormed council chambers. Picture: Andrew Potts
The fierce backlash clearly resonated, with Altus chief executive David Young conceding the brand had become a liability Down Under.
“This is an ongoing project and behind the headlines there are facts, and the major point is being in recent events the brand in this country has become toxic to Australians,” Mr Young said, as reported by the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Pointing to global fallout amid the war in Iran, Mr Young said international politics had poisoned the deal, noting the “writing was on the wall when the war started.”
Eric Trump signed a deal with Altus founder David Young in Mar-a-Lago just three months before the project’s collapse. Picture: Supplied
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A spokeswoman for the US powerhouse blamed Altus for failing to meet obligations on the 335m tall project, but said their vision to bring a Trump property to Australia remained intact.
Mr Young said the split was “pure business” with no acrimony, confirming his team was now hunting for a new luxury partner to take over the prime Trickett St site, which was purchased by Macau casino operator Loi Keong Kuong for $56.5m in 2019.
An artist impression of the now-axed Trump Tower rising above the Glitter Strip skyline