‘This is a disgrace – it’s a Third World road’
This is arguably the worst section of bitumen on the Gold Coast and the City’s longest roadworks program to fix, at $19m. Just ask residents. We are approaching the roundabout at Wardoo and Cotlew streets in sleepy Ashmore.
This column is being composed while waiting in traffic as the two lanes merge into one.
If your vehicle is older than 20 years, like my Mazda sedan, and the driver more than six decades old – please steer clear.
Hit one of the many potholes at speed and your car will need a front wheel alignment and yourself – well, a possible root canal on a broken back molar.
Dharam Bhugun, a retired mental health doctor, drives this stretch every day.
“It’s a disgrace. There was an election promise in 2020 to upgrade Cotlew St. The candidate was banking on votes to get that, and she did,” he says.
He recalls work starting on a 50m stretch in 2021, and only now that section is finished.
“We’ve got a worse road than before. It’s Third World. It’s bumpy, uneven, people don’t know what they’re going through,” Dr Bhugun says. Has he spoken to his area councillor, Brooke Patterson, who in 2020 was the candidate?
“It’s time to have new blood in Division 6. A person who has a vision and compassion for residents,” he replies.
Dr Bhugun spoke to Division 6 candidate Sam Delmege who met with residents.
Ms Delmege recalls driving back from the Foo Fighters concert in Brisbane last year when the jackhammers were going at the roadworks about 1.30am.
“They (the council) have changed the timeline to the end of 2024/25 but still really there is no finish in sight of the roadworks,” she says.
“People are frustrated with the traffic banked up, the debris going into everybody’s properties, the noise levels around it. People are just frustrated with it being overtime and over budget.”
After parking the Mazda to photograph the roadworks, a council worker approaches me.
“People are yelling out (abuse) to the boys on site,” he says.
“We are helping residents (at Wongawallen) with their yard and debris (after the Christmas storm). It’s disappointing our councillors haven’t put it out there, that’s why we are not here.”
Cr Patterson earlier this month in fact did post on Facebook that workers had been relocated for storm work and would return at the end of the month.
“As to the road management, witches hats set-up etc, there are strict state rules with which the City must comply, no matter how unhelpful and impracticable they may seem to you and me,” she wrote.
City CEO Tim Baker told your columnist: “I make no apologies for diverting all available resources to the disaster response following the Christmas Day storm.
“However, Cr Patterson raised these concerns with me several weeks ago and as such we returned a small team to the project to ensure progress was still being made.
“From next week it will be fully resourced with an estimated completion date remains April 2025.”
We are fast headed to a March 16 poll. Pre-polling starts on Monday. This roundabout row shows the circular concerns of residents remain on the basics – roads, rates and rubbish.
JPL CAUSES A STIR
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek has posted his mayoral ballot paper, which has Tom Tate, a close friend, at the top. The listing of others at the bottom has caused dramas.
Danielle Dunsmore at second last is “gobsmacked”. She had called Surfers “ugly”.
Mr Sarroff was last on JPL’s ballot and tagged “Labor”. He is running as an independent.
“If anything has upset me that much during this election, it’s been that,” Mr Sarroff said.
WHO SAID WHAT AND WHEN
Who were the standout performers at the Chamber of Commerce candidates’ breakfast in Surfers Paradise?
In retiring councillor Pauline Young’s Miami division, real estate king Luke Henderson has the biggest profile and Cathy Osbourne a decade-long history of community advocacy.
But Nick Marshall got rave reviews for the quiet and personal way he introduced himself.
For charisma and comedy, Councillor Bob “Bananas in Pyjamas” La Castra recalling his soccer coaching career where his teams “went on to reach incredible levels of mediocrity”.
His rival Former Farmer Wants a Wife contestant Monique Jeremiah is campaigning on cultural diversity. Asked if the City wasn’t doing enough he replied: “No, not at all. In case anyone hasn’t noticed, I’m actually black.”
GOOD OLD PUB BRAWL
The first Meet the Candidates-Politics in the Pub began with a stoush.
At Arundel’s Hound and Stag on Wednesday night, mayoral candidate Gary Pead gave guests some reasons why not to vote for mayoral candidate Eddy Sarroff or Mayor Tom Tate.
Later as another candidate spoke, Mr Pead and Mr Sarroff were heard arguing.
“They were yelling at each other. They were up in each other’s face,” an onlooker said.
Mr Sarroff said he had approached Mr Pead and asked for an apology. “It was not appropriate. I just walked away from him,” he said.