Mayor’s Message

WORDS: Tom Tate PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

I was humbled recently to be re-elected Gold Coast Mayor for a fourth term and I’d like to thank all those who have stuck by me over the last 12 years.

People ask me what’s left to achieve and if I am running out of ideas, so I thought it’s a good time to let readers know a bit about the road ahead.

I am biased, but to me, the Gold Coast remains the best Australian city to live in or visit. Our lifestyle is the envy of others, our climate superb and there is something for everyone from the world’s best beaches and nature walks to the thrills and spills of the theme parks, 5-star hotels and restaurants and an expanding arts and culture scene. Add 3 world-class universities and a top-class TAFE and you can see that this city has most of what we need to provide the education, jobs and lifestyle that will keep our kids and grandkids on the Gold Coast from cradle to retirement.

There are a few more vital ingredients the city needs to stay ahead of the game.

We’ve had several cracks now at getting our planning scheme approved by the State Government. Whilst they signed off on some of the package, the State wouldn’t agree to all proposed changes even after multiple consultations with our community. It is essential now that we get a new planning scheme for the city approved to provide residents with certainty and investors with confidence.

As we move towards a million residents, we need to meet the challenge of putting new housing product near jobs, public transport, schools and other key amenities like shopping centres and major parks. I commit to you that the city will work hard to meet this challenge, bring you on the journey and engage the State early to ensure they are working with us.

Recently I mentioned that the Gold Coast is aiming to have a major event in the city every week. It’s a lofty goal, but with our tourism industry and strategic location within a 2-hour drive of over 4 million Australians, it is achievable. This task falls to Experience Gold Coast and will be delivered at a variety of venues across the city – think Heritage Bank Stadium for big concerts like Pink and Pearl Jam, HOTA for a major art exhibition or stage show, a 12,000-seat indoor arena for big boxing or UFC and other unique locations like Surfers Paradise Beach for the Pacific Airshow, Broadbeach for Blues on Broadbeach and Coolangatta for Cooly Rocks On.

To maximise these opportunities, we need a variety of venues beyond existing key venues like the stadiums and the Convention Centre. The city badly needs a 12,000-seat indoor venue, a festival space at Greenheart for 50,000, a 1,600-seat Lyric Theatre and more. The process for all those venues is underway through discussions and formal processes with the other levels of Government and the private sector.

Two other priorities I want to mention briefly are Light Rail Stage 4 and the Film Industry project at Yatala. Getting light rail to Coolangatta, via the airport, is a must to complete our
transport network from north to south and from there we will move onto the east-west connections. The film industry proposal will deliver up to 30 new sound stages, thousands of jobs and make the Gold Coast the southern hemisphere home of film.

Finally, let me remind you early in the footy season to get your memberships for the Suns and Titans sorted for 2024. By the end of this term of Council, both will be regular finalists and I reckon it's not too much to hope for a premiership from one of our local teams!