WELCOME TO THE ‘CAPITAL’

The new CEO of Destination Gold Coast has barely dipped her toes in the sand of the nation’s tourism capital but is making some welcoming ripples – sorry – noises.

The resume signalled impressive things to come from the Gold Coast’s new tourism boss Annaliese Battista.

The top City of Perth bureaucrat who eclipsed 200-plus hopefuls for the coveted Gold Coast gig has left a 70-strong team at a place where, for a time, she had to step up as acting CEO at a council in turmoil.

It is early days in her new role here – yesterday was just her first, after all – but if the forthright attitude so far is any indication, Mrs Battista’s approach matches the winning ways of the Gold Coast.

In her first interview just hours after getting her feet under her desk, she called for bold, visionary debates to continue on bigticket ideas for refreshing the city’s attractions.

Tourism Australia’s much mooted relocation from Sydney to the Gold Coast? Why the heck wouldn’t you, was basically her response. (And yes, as a newspaper, we firmly believe it’s a no-brainer)

Understandably, when asked for her preferences and stances on whether the city needs a second casino, a cruise ship terminal, a gondola or a dive wreck, she wisely chose to get more time under her belt – or sand between her toes.

But it is clear she has plenty of energy, will formulate strong views in quick time and have no problem making big calls when required.

The job is pivotal to the city’s future – not just economically but also for the wellbeing of the community – and a strong personality is key in the role.

Her predecessor Martin Winter, who admirably filled the job for a decade and is overseeing the handover, had his own leadership style and no doubt Mrs Battista will carve her own niche.

His results cannot be argued with, given year-on-year visitor number rises despite recent teeth-gnashing about yields.

But this is no time for navel gazing. And Mrs Battista doesn’t seem the type for that, already displaying an openness on most topics – and a determination to get the Gold Coast and its unrivalled combination of natural and man-made attributes front and centre in an increasingly crowded and competitive international and domestic visitor marketplace.

This is a city that has been built on a vision of reaching for the stars, which is why we have been – and continue to be – the most dynamic city in Australia.

The only danger to the Gold Coast of that not continuing is a lack of ambition and negativity.

At first blush, Mrs Battista is talking a good game and seems a great choice by those who embarked on an exhaustive process to find Mr Winter’s replacement.

Of course, only time will tell. But so far, so good.

Meeting one-on-one with the Bulletin yesterday, Mrs Battista, who has chosen to base herself in beachside suburb Mermaid, said she was genuinely excited to get started: “There is so much potential here for sensitive growth and development and I’m excited to be part of the community.”

Let’s make her feel welcome. After all, her success is going to be our success.