SPOILED FOR POLL CHOICE
THE announcement that former long-serving councillor Eddy Sarroff will stand in the council elections is to be applauded.
The more quality candidates in the local government poll the better.
Ratepayers deserve choice. Our council prepares a budget bigger than some state governments.
Mr Sarroff will run in the new super division of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach. His decision to contest the council poll signals this will be one of the most critical campaigns in decades.
Residents’ concerned about overdevelopment and the sale of city assets like the Bruce Bishop Car Park urged him to stand.
At least four new councillors will be elected next month. This is courtesy of the boundary changes and retirements of veteran councillors Dawn Crichlow, Gary Baildon and Paul Taylor.
In Division 1 in the city’s fast-growing far north, there are at least four candidates seeking to be the new councillor.
In Division 7, two candidates have put their hand up for the vacant job.
In Cr Crichlow’s Southport division, there is a Melbourne Cup field featuring quality candidates which should ensure the city’s CBD will be in good hands.
Under the boundary changes, the new Division 10 takes in the whole of the beachside Glitter Strip and is arguably the city’s most important division given the tourism base drives our economy.
Experienced marketing businesswoman Karen Philips has pulled out of the poll race for family reasons. Tourism leader Mike Winlaw, and Darren Taylor, son of Paul who has extensive community links to the beach suburbs, have been campaigning on the ground.
Mr Sarroff, who was responsible for upgrading the Broadbeach mall and beach parks along with combating crime during his long term of office, says “Broadbeach has always remained in my heart”.
Voters are well served with choices here. The bushfires, followed by the coronavirus, are impacting heavily on our tourism industry.
Strong civic leadership will be needed to guide the city’s tourism heart through troubled waters during the winter months.