CITY HALL’S BIRD BRAINS

THE Gold Coast City Council can’t let the place go to the birds. Specifically, Surfers Paradise.

As revealed in the Bulletin today, Surfers Paradise eateries are having a difficult time dealing with large ibis birds swooping in and picking food right off the plates of customers, particulary on the alfresco dining beachfront stretch.

Eatery bosses say it is hitting them in the pocket – not just because of having to redo meals but to hire extra staff specifically just to shoo the pesky birds away.

Operators’ feathers are rightly ruffled at the shrug of the shoulders response from City Hall. The powers that be say your problem, you deal with it.

Not good enough says the Chamber of Commerce and LNP Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek. And they have a valid argument.

These venues pay a table and chairs tax to council. Surfers Paradise was also particularly hard hit by the upheaval of the light rail construction.

Many operators – the ones who survived it – still talk about the disruption the build caused and how in many cases they are still recovering from it.

The ibis response is symptomatic of other decisions made in relation to Surfers – the city’s tourism heart, like it or not – which have done council no favours there.

Its pop-up open-air toilet down party strip Orchid Avenue received few plaudits from the nightclubs or other businesses including restaurants nearby whose operators felt it was inappropriate and disrespectful.

A council spokesman has effectively told operators dealing with the ibis issue it is their responsbility on their premises.

Surely a more sympathetic ear from council and some constructive discussion around how its officers might be able to help would go a long way.

It might seem like a silly problem – but it’s no laughing matter for operators who feel it’s denting trade.