Letter of the Week
Have strong opinions, write in an engaging way? You could win our Letter of the Week, and with it a book from our friends and sponsors, the publishers HarperCollins. This month’s book prize is Queen of the North by Anne O’Brien. To those around her she is a loyal subject. In her heart she is a traitor. In 1399 the fight for England’s crown has dire consequences. This is one woman’s quest to turn history on its head.
FURTHER to the item re the Gold Coast’s CBD in fact the Southport Chamber of Commerce lobbied the State and Local Government elected representatives for a commercial building able to house a GCCC HQ, State or national Government Departments or international or national companies to be constructed on the old Southport hospital site in 2011. The plan was to add to the Southport CBD structure by having major companies or Government departments base themselves in Southport.
The then State Government set up a Committee to work on this in 2011- 2012.
Committee members met with State and GCCC candidates to lobby for the concept leading up to the 2012 elections and Mayor Tate, then a candidate for Mayor, promised support for the concept and the construction of a civic building in Southport in his first term if elected.
In 2012 the newly elected Newman Government withdrew support for the concept and disbanded the Committee.
Mayor Tate said his was an election promise and he had other priorities now he was elected.
The Gold Coast needs a CBD and Southport has been the traditional leading contender.
In 2013 Alan Blackman from The Griffith University Business School produced a book If I Only
Had a Heart, saying ‘there is a clear need for planners to fix on a strategically sound’ business heart for the Gold Coast.
In 2014 Griffith University Planning Students produced a thesis for an Honours Degree setting out the case for Creating the Centre for the Centre-less City, being the Gold
Coast.
So the arguments in favour of Southport as the Gold Coast CBD have been around for some time, however it seems there is no commitment from our civic leaders.
Some would say these leaders talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. ALAN RICKARD, RUNAWAY BAY
I have to disagree with you GJ May, Forestdale regarding Donald Trump making America great again.
He mocked the disabled during his election campaign, encouraged violence at his rallies using racist, bigoted and extreme rhetoric. He refers to the press as the “enemy of the people” which in itself is very disturbing. He set the tone when he was campaigning and hasn’t stopped. Separating children from their parents at the border was the latest and had to back down due to the weight of public opinion.
Daily on Twitter and Instagram, for those that choose to read it, racial abuse is growing.
Great again ... really? M THOMPSON, MAIN BEACH
I write in support of the Mobikes. A wonderful hi-tech concept. A healthy exercise for tourists and locals. Sorry to hear some users have destroyed bikes. This is very poor behaviour. I heard a commentator critiscise Mobikes but I think they are great for GC and anywhere else they choose to operate GRAHAM YEATES, MUDGEERABA
An example of deep confusion: Bill knows where he wishes to go, but doesn’t know how to get there, so somehow returns more-or-less to the beginning. Hello! Can anyone hear me? Does anyone know where l am? Am l getting closer to The Lodge in Canberra? DAVID HALL, COOMBABAH