GUTSY ADVOCATE AN ACCIDENTAL POLLIE

SELF-CONFESSED accidental politician, the Gold Coast’s Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, has built a reputation as a gutsy advocate for the city’s northern gateway.

As one of the Gold Coast’s highest ranking councillors, Ms Gates is known as a pocket rocket who packs a punch.

“When I first came on to the council I was told I was a size six with a size 16 mouth,” she laughed.

“People got really tired about us screaming about the north back then but at that stage the community was just starting, they had nowhere to go even for a playgroup.

“These days the focus is on congestion.”

Surprisingly shy by nature, Cr Gates has always seen her political career as twist of fate, not a premeditated career goal.

In 2007 she became Division 1 councillor in an administrative capacity, going on to win office at election. “I was an accidental politician, but after a while I decided to have a crack,” she said.

“I am fortunate to have been able to work in this role and to have the team I have.”

Cr Gates said her first employer, at Melbourne radio station 3UZ, “way ahead of his time.”

“He empowered a lot of women in the industry to take on management roles, which didn’t happen a lot at that time. It was the place I first learnt you had to be persistent.”

The Gold Coast Bulletin’s inaugural Harvey Norman Gold Coast Women of the Year campaign celebrates the city’s leading females.