North’s growing pains

ITS rapid expansion may be earning the Gold Coast’s northern suburbs rave ratings but it appears darker problems are growing in the area.

According to recent data the Ormeau and Oxenford area leads the Gold Coast when it comes to personal insolvencies.

In fact, people in that area are twice as likely to resort to declaring insolvency compared to other areas on the Gold Coast.

According to the data, 101 people in the area declared insolvency in the first quarter of this year.

While that figure was actually one better than the previous quarter, with an area population of 86,360 it means one person in 855 was insolvent in the quarter.

Robina was the next worst area with 33 insolvencies, one for every 1176 people. However, it also recorded the biggest jump of any area, with just 19 recorded in December giving it growth of 74 per cent.

By comparison Surfers Paradise (22 at one every 1601), Southport (35 at one every 1372), and Nerang (29 at one every 1752) all fared better.

Vicky Rose, of the Nerang Neighbourhood Centre, said of the people who were in financial stress the biggest stress factor was accommodation.

“Most of our calls regarding financial problems are from people trying to decide whether they will pay the rent or buy food,” she said.

“There are a lot of people working up to three jobs on the Coast because we have a lot of casual work which means they have no guarantee of income.”

However, Ms Rose said accommodation and economic stress wasn’t just restricted to people who had casual jobs.

“We had a gentleman who called recently who has a wellpaying job but his wife has a mental illness and can’t work and they have three kids so suddenly they find can’t cover their living costs,” she said.

She said while the rapid growth of the Coast’s northern suburbs was attracting people who were finding their rental dollars could stretch further, incomes weren’t growing at the same pace as rents.

The insolvency data comes as the state government announced it would invest more than $2.3 million over three years to trial a new model of intensive family support on the Gold Coast.

The program, called SafeCare, would target vulnerable families who are at risk of entering the child protection system. Minister for Child Safety Di Farmer said Act for Kids would make weekly 50-90 minute visits for about 18 weeks into the homes of Gold Coast families.