‘Give people reason to visit’
BROADWATER residents in the city’s north have raised lack of infrastructure and tourism drawcards as the main issues they want addressed.
Kim Wilson of Fish in the Park has lived at Paradise Point for 13 years and says she wants to see more events in the area.
“There’s not a lot for (tourists) to do here,” she said. “The park is great but they could definitely do more in terms of events or entertainment.”
Broadwater remains an LNP stronghold but its sitting MP, Verity Barton, was defeated by former Newman government minister David Crisafulli for LNP preselection.
New boundaries drawn in the latest redistribution and restructure of electorates meant good news for the LNP.
Although the seat of Albert disappeared, it made Broadwater one of the Gold Coast’s safest seats after absorbing affluent areas like Hope Island.
The electorate also includes: Coombabah, Paradise Point, Hollywell, Runaway Bay, Helensvale, Biggera Waters, South Stradbroke Island and Moreton Bay islands.
Griffith University politics expert Dr Paul Williams said the LNP had a 16.3 per cent margin in Broadwater.
“Verity (Barton) probably would have retained her seat ... she had a less than spectacular first term but I think she would have survived (again),” he said.
“Now they have a rising star
in David Crisafulli and a margin of more than 15 per cent.
“With suburbs like Hope Island in the electorate, he is a shoo-in.”
Jason Arthars of Porter House on Grice said the cost of running a business in the area was high.
“Power costs here are crazy and the rates are always rising,” he said.
“We get a few of the politicians in here ... David Crisafulli and (Councillor) Cameron Caldwell, but we really haven’t heard much from the candidates at this election.
“I don’t know what any of their promises are.”
Pharmacist Marco Mikhail, of Chempro Grice Avenue, said he wanted to see more development in the electorate.
“It’s a bit of an older area. There are definitely parts of Paradise Point in particular that need renovating,” he said.