Drainage emerges as key election issue

THE Gold Coast’s underperforming drainage system has emerged as a key concern for residents, according to councillors and candidates.

Several candidates are promising a council review and upgrade of drains while others are urging calm, aware some incidents occurred because residents illegally hooked up stormwater and sewerage pipes.

After conducting listening posts at Coombabah, Hollywell, Runaway Bay, Biggera Waters and Paradise Point, Councillor Kristyn Boulton listed drainage upgrades a top priority issue.

Other concerns from ratepayers were urgent road safety upgrades including widening and extra lanes on busy intersections, new community facilities for sporting teams like the Northern Gold Coast Netball Association, parking hour limits and safety with more CCTV.

“Poinsettia Avenue and St Francis Xavier School has flooded twice in the past 12 months,” Cr Boulton said. “If elected, I’ll get council engineers to investigate council drains and gully pits and pending the outcome, schedule and fund required upgrades ASAP,” she said.

Fellow Division 4 candidate Cr Cameron Caldwell assured residents in a letter that there had been no sewerage overflow from city infrastructure and “that it was a stormwater event only”.

Council officers had determined there was too much water in the stormwater system to function and combined with a high tide and massive amount of rain led to the flooding.

He said council was investigating how to improve capacity of the stormwater network around Hyacinth Ave, Hollywell, and a neighbouring reserve.

But Division 6 candidate Brooke Patterson has called for a review of city drainage systems.

A Benowa resident had complained that she had woken to find sewerage water streaming through the back patio of her home, Ms Patterson said.

The resident told Ms Patterson: “When I called the council to find out what I could do, they told me that some houses had sewerage connected to the main stormwater pipes. I could hardly believe what they were saying. It seemed almost Third World.”

Southport West residents who have lived in the suburb for more than 50 years could not recall such heavy flooding.

“We need to assess this situation and come up with some better long-term solutions,” Ms Patterson said. “Water and waste management issues ... are the most essential services and any problems with them need to be addressed – and resolved – as best we can.”