Resident: End the Schoolies fracas now
PART II: WHY WE LOVE SCHOOLIES IN TOMORROW’S BULLETIN
NEXT month’s Schoolies festival has been hit by mass cancellations as the border remains shut - and a prominent local has called to lock the celebrating teens out permanently.
Body corporate executive, long-time Surfers Paradise resident and vocal Schoolies critic George Friend says now is the time for a radical rethink of the rite of passage festival as it faces another year of Covid turmoil.
“While we’ve seen our fair share of Schoolies chaos in previous years, it’s only a matter of time before one of these idiot (kids) torch an entire apartment building to the ground,” he said.
“Just because it was cancelled in 2020 and may be quieter this year doesn’t mean there will be a curb on peer-pressure, gang attitude and mob mentality – all resulting in shocking incidents of violence and stupidity.
“It’s an ongoing story to see the same antics each year and the damage done will forever be a cost to local residents and the city.”
Mr Friend slammed irresponsible parents and Schoolies officials as “clueless”.
“In what right mind would you leave a teenager alone for seven nights, unfettered – with ample access to drugs and alcohol?” he said.
“Many (kids) aren’t equipped with the decisionmaking abilities and common sense to avoid these situations. The ones that do usually aren’t attending.
“Parents continually fail to understand the accommodation is mixed residential, not a five-star hotel – with all sorts of unsavoury types – potentially exposing their children to prostitutes, pedophiles, drug runners and other scumbags living in the area.”
Mr Friend said the state government – which organises a safety response for Schoolies – reneged on a promise to involve him in a comprehensive review of Schoolies in 2017.
“How can we make a definitive
plan for the future of this event if people in government aren’t keeping promises?” he said.
“The event needs to be seriously looked at and reconsidered if it’s going to continue, and I’m sure I’m not alone in the way I feel.”
Schoolies.com chief executive Matt Lloyd said the event was crucial to the Gold Coast economy and while week one Queensland bookings were at pre-pandemic levels, interstate bookings had dried up due to border uncertainty.
The Queensland border isn’t scheduled to reopen to double-vaccinated interstate travellers until December 17,
when 80 per cent of the Gold Coast is expected to be double jabbed.
“In a normal year, Schoolies injects approximately $60m into the Gold Coast economy over a two-week period and fills beds that would otherwise be empty,” he said.
“Marketing teams from tourist destinations the world over are constantly trying to work out how to attract the youth market to their destinations. The theory is, if they come once and enjoy themselves, they will return time and time again.
“With students choosing the Gold Coast for their schoolies holiday, we have solved the first-time customer puzzle.
“We should welcome Schoolies to the Gold Coast and make sure they enjoy their stay so the Gold Coast is top of mind for their future holidays over the next 60 years.”
After the state government scrapped last year’s Schoolies due to Covid, Mayor Tom Tate suggested school leavers could hold parties over Zoom.
They instead flocked to Noosa, angering many locals in the trendy resort town who called the influx “a nightmare”.
Mr Lloyd, whose Schoolies.com arranges holiday bookings for tens of thousands of schoolies annually and has done for 30 years, said he was anticipating preCovid visitor levels for Queensland-based students.
“For week one, we are expecting the numbers to be in line with figures from 2019,” he said.
“Due to uncertainty around borders, we have seen most interstate bookings cancelled or transferred to other destinations.”
“The Gold Coast is and always has been the major destination for Schoolies.”
WHILE WE’VE SEEN OUR FAIR SHARE OF SCHOOLIES CHAOS IN PREVIOUS YEARS, IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ONE OF THESE IDIOT (KIDS) TORCH AN ENTIRE APARTMENT BUILDING TO THE GROUND SCHOOLIES CRITIC GEORGE FRIEND