Revamp of planning a top priority
THE council’s planning committee would be abolished and a new structure put in place, under reforms proposed by a former councillor.
Division 10 candidate Eddy Sarroff said he would, if elected on Saturday, move a motion at the first meeting of council to abolish the existing planning committee and replace it with a new structure in which every councillor was a member.
“I also propose making the role of chairman of the planning committee a rotating role on a yearly basis and this will allow a different perspective leading the city’s most important council committee,” he said.
“I want to see new ideas, and a diversity of opinion delivering new and innovative planning outcomes for the city.”
Planning was far too important to have this issue managed by a single chairman for a four-year period until the next election in March 2024, Mr Sarroff said. Cameron Caldwell is the current committee chair.
“These changes are urgently needed to allow the 14 divisional councillors and the mayor to have input into every aspect of the planning and the decision-making process. We must develop a process to get away from delegated decisionmaking and hold all councillors accountable for council decisions,” he said.
“The Gold Coast community has spoken and they are not happy with the direction of the council and the responses they have received to the recent community consultation on the proposed amendments to the City Plan.”
Mr Sarroff also proposed changes to budget spending due to the coronavirus impact on the local economy.
“I will fight hard to ensure every line item in the city budget is reviewed and I will pay special attention to divisional funding, which is in the order of $10 million and to ensure these funds are used as economic stimulus and not used as donations or for councillors’ pet projects across the city.”