Hire mandarins on merit or neglected north will perish

THE plumber from Coomera, the baker from Pimpama and the admin assistant from Hope Island; as everyday Gold Coasters we feel it. We feel it on our roads, running our businesses and walking down the main streets. We feel neglected as northern Gold Coasters. Our city’s proximity to Brisbane and a lack of efficiency behind the scenes continues to result in our neglect for delivered projects.

As the Gold Coast Bulletin covered across multiple articles; 50 Gold Coast restaurants have closed over the past four months, our theme park industry continues to take a hit, small businesses are struggling and a lack of transport infrastructure is crippling our north. Now more than ever, we need a united response.

It’s no good sitting here and complaining about it; we need a positive and educated approach with a focus on outcomes … a focus on real progress. While our leaders cannot achieve this at war with everyone, or by throwing punches, it also breaks down into a hidden lack of efficiency inside our bureaucracy, behind the egos and inside the cog wheels of our government.

It wasn’t that long ago when heads of public departments (the state and local departments made up of thousands of Gold Coasters working towards improving our city) were appointed not based on loyalty to a side of politics, not on length of service, nor their ability to nod their head at everything a “poli” asks, but on merit (a dying value).

We have rare golden eggs scattered across departments, but we need a concerted effort for more. We need educated leaders heading up departments, more project managers and problem solvers, individuals with the capacity to comprehend, to build and get the job done. Proven and tested in the field who get tasks done on schedule, on budget and within efficiency targets; after all – it’s our rates/taxes. More so, we need these few leaders, the powerful women and men who head up our bureaucracies, to feel our everyday breaking points here on the northern Gold Coast. Our booming north is home to the majority of our city workforce, first homeowners and renters all living and working here for the love of everything our city has to offer.

The government and council cannot continue to pressure and approve developments in our north without urgent upgrades to feeder roads and upgrades on our overcapacity northern M1 exits.

Our north is at breaking point. We need bureaucracy heads chosen on proven ability to deliver efficiently and we need bold leaders who can commit to the proposed Coomera Connector outside of an election cycle.

Alec Pokarier – Gold Coast Junior Chamber of Commerce