Pressure delivers results for Coast

THE opening of the $40m revamp of the Paradise Centre over the weekend is a big win for Surfers Paradise as well as residents and tourists who visit it. The beachfront shopping centre was one of the city’s crown jewels in its 1980s heyday but for far too long was left to slowly rot and become one of our most depressing eyesores.

The Bulletin campaigned with great vigour to get the complex’s owners to commit to an refresh, teaming up with community leaders such as Billy James and area councillor Darren Taylor who didn’t just want to see council rollover a lease extension without conditional commitment.

This pressure resulted in council putting the centre on the hook for an extended lease in exchange for the upgrade being done and a commitment to further revamps in coming decades.

This campaign resulted in real action and ensured that the council has a strong foundation upon which to embark upon its masterplan and precinct-wide redevelopment of central Surfers Paradise. Like it or not, this the city’s best-known suburb and the one which is known internationally, and judged upon.

Speaking of wins, the Gold Coast City Council has backflipped on a controversial parking rule which allowed city officers to ticket people for parking on the verges at Worongary’s Pioneer Downs Park.This change in course came only after the Bulletin’s ticket, stick it campaign highlight the issue if overzealous parking wardens. We are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and every dollar counts.

Common sense has prevailed – as has the power of the press.