Change needed for city
THE votes have been counted, the seats declared, now it’s time to act on the issues affecting Townsville and its locals.
After months of f talk, Townsvillians want action and for the state government representatives to get cracking on delivering change for the city.
The Townsville Bulletin spoke to people across the city yesterday and they hit on help for small businesses, growth for the city and finally addressing the crime rates plaguing the North.
Benito Aguirre from Mang Benny’s on Ross River Road feels the state government needs to support small businesses more.
The Filipino-australian restaurant has struggled under COVID-19 restrictions having to turn people away.
“We’re trying to cope, even though the capacity of the restaurant is s slim, we’re getting b by, but sometimes it’s not that full, we have to turn away customers because we have to follow the regulations of capacity,” Mr Aguirre said. However, Amedeo Dinardo from ADA Prime Security believes it is t u r n i n g around for businesses, which received federal government support through coronavirus.
With Christmas around the corner, Mr Dinardo said while some industries were still impacted, he felt
the majority of industries were back to “full capacity”.
“Most businesses I’ve been t talking to have actually (had a) positive outcome from COVID-19,” Mr Dinardo said. With Jobkeeper he said a large chunk of wages had been looked after so businesses were able to claw their way back after lockdowns.
“We’re down a little bit ( (in income), with the JobKeeper, we’re ahead of last year,” Mr Dinardo said.
Tactical Gel Blaster manager Michael Alexander said jobs were key.
Mr Alexander, whose wife Jeni ran for One Nation at the state election, said Townsville had not recovered completely from the floods when the pandemic hit and the government needed to do everything it could to help the region grow.
“Any infrastructure (projects) to just bring jobs back, bring people back to Townsville, we’re just sort of losing people,” Mr Alexander said.
Mr Alexander said money should be invested in bringing more events to the Thuringowa area.
With the Cowboys moving to the new Queensland Country
Bank Stadium, Mr Alexander said encouraging major events
such as international and national Twenty20 cricket and other sporting events at the old stadium could help bring in muchneeded business to the outer suburbs of Townsville.
“We’ve got a lot to do to catch up to everyone else,” Mr Alexander said. Mum Sarah Geale, who moved to Townsville about 18 months ago with her family, said while she had not experienced it, crime was a key issue in Townsville.
But having lived in a particularly rough part of Perth, Ms Geale said there was more to love than not about Townsville.
“On the North Shore Facebook Page, there is always talk of people trying to break into houses but it hasn’t happened to us,” she said.
“(We) have lived in places
where it is really bad, so we know it’s a lot of minor youth crime here, it’s not like someone is going to come in and try to kill you.”
For Trish Faulkner of North Ward and Beverley Richardson of South Townsville, hoons, y o u n g c r i m i - nals and holding Townsville City Council to acc o u n t were at the top of their list.
Both had witnessed car crashes and young criminals trying to break into homes.
Ms Faulkner said it wasn’t the kids but older people making it dangerous for people who live and enjoy time on The Strand.
For Ms Richardson, the state government needed to make sure builders and councils were held accountable for building permits and the ramifications of development.