Young city, big dreams
Interstate youth want a slice of the GC action
OUR city is a breeding ground for young entrepreneurs.
We boast an abundance of incredible young talent, from medical research to sports science, manufacturing, education and the arts – it’s all happening on the coast.
We are a young city, gazetted in May, 1959, and the average age of our residents is 39.
Demographically, people between 18-34 make up 22 per cent of our 633,000 population. Since 2012 when I was elected Mayor, I have worked with all councillors on the vision to expand our city’s economic base to ensure more rewarding and stimulating jobs for youth were on offer.
I looked at it from a selfish perspective. With four children living here, I didn’t want them to have to leave to pursue careers ‘down south’. Long-term Gold Coasters will recall that in the early part of this century, thousands of talented youth felt compelled to leave the coast and head south as soon as their high school years were behind them.
They left, chasing the ‘smart jobs’ in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide or even overseas.
In 2022, I can proudly confirm that the ‘brain drain’ of the eastern seaboard cities is over. In fact, it’s in reverse with intrastate and interstate youth now wanting a slice of the action we have created right here. One third of those who migrated to the Gold Coast between 2016-2021 were aged 18-34. That’s great news from an economic and social perspective. Keeping families together is good for social connection, mental health and a city’s overall well-being.
It has fed into the economic data we see for the Gold Coast today: unemployment for October was 2.2 per cent (1.4 per cent lower than the state average and 1.3 per cent lower than the national average); and our city’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) is up from $29 billion in 2011 to over $39 billion today.
The Bulletin’s upcoming Future Gold Coast forum is an important platform, bringing together industry leaders and influencers to lay bare some of the challenges our city faces going forward.
Growth is good but it brings with it a unique set of chal lenges: retaining affordable housing; building new community facilities in the right location; keeping rates low; managing our multi-faceted transport challenges; designing future residential estates so we avoid urban sprawl; and preserving our lifestyle.
As we grow, more jobs, in more industries, means more opportunities for every Gold Coaster.
Council has firm plans on how to manage our growth and these have been crafted through community consultation over many years.
I’m confident the Future forum will provide new insights into how we can continue to protect our enviable lifestyle while guiding the city’s growth.
In the past five years, we have seen strong growth in industries such as film, marine, manufacturing, tertiary education, sport, the arts and health as well transport logistics.
The recent announcement that the Yatala Enterprise Area will be home to Australia’s largest glass recycling company will create a multimillion-dollar ‘circular economy’ for that precinct as other businesses secure downstream contracts from this $500 million investment.
Manufacturing is now worth $7.1 billion annually to the city’s GRP, thanks to investment in precincts like Yatala and the Coomera marine area. I lead a team of committed councillors who see a bright future for the coast.
In the months ahead, we predict a resurgence in international visitors as well as an uplift in tertiary education and commercial investment from the United Kingdom, on the back of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
Balancing this growth while maintaining the essential services ratepayers expect is what gets me out of bed every day.
As a ‘Team Gold Coast Council’, we can continue to deliver the services people expect, at a price they can afford.
IN 2022, I CAN PROUDLY CONFIRM THAT THE ‘BRAIN DRAIN’ OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD CITIES IS OVER. IN FACT, IT’S IN REVERSE MAYOR TOM TATE