Surfers Paradise a black mark for the Gold Coast

WHEN visitors come to stay I am ashamed to take them to Surfers Paradise unless they are wanting to buy some cheap, plastic kangaroos to take home as souvenirs.

Apart from these souvenir shops Surfers Paradise offers visitors, and more importantly locals, nothing. A handful of Asian entrepreneurs’ hole-in-the wall eateries, a few restaurants, a range of sordid clubs and bars. Hardly a welcome to a family orientated city.

Visitors stay here and go to the theme parks, and attractions away from Surfers.

Broadbeach is taking over as the place to go to eat as there are designated areas to wine and dine like along Victoria Ave/Oasis, something that is lacking in Surfers. Sure there are a few nice restaurants but they a few and far between and hidden amongst empty shops, dirty walkways, nightclubs

For shopping, tourists and locals go to PacFair, Harbour Town or Robina. They never go to Surfers.

So we have been here since 1998 and I haven’t seen any improvement or plans to seriously look at Surfers to see what should be done. Tom Tate has been Mayor for years but seems only interested in giving planning permission to high-rises, building cruise terminals or a second casino, or other hair brain ideas.

His job as Mayor of Gold Coast is to make Gold Coast – and that includes its premier area Surfers Paradise – a must-see and a mustvisit for everyone. Also he should be asking residents why they don’t go to Surfers, put together a committee of locals not a bunch of councillors who are at his beck and call.

Surfers has the ocean on one side with hardly any bars or restaurants on the seafront, it also has the river at the back, again no bars or restaurants.

Look at Clarke Quay or Boat Quay in Singapore, humming every night with a great atmosphere by the river. Why can’t we make use of the river? Why can’t we have cafes etc along the seafront?

The other thing is parking. Why pay to go to Tatey Town when you can go to Harbour Town or PacFair free? Don’t bring back the old story of Tate – catch the tram. Tell me how to catch the tram when you live in Benowa, Ashmore, Nerang etc.

What about the Tate’s boat shuttle service? Never heard any more about it even though ratepayers are subsidising it. Who can catch the ferry when you have to pay to park your car somewhere to get to the jetty.