Titanic boost to northern growth but roads still dire

THE Gold Coast Titans looking to set up a base in Coomera reflects a seismic shift of attention by investors and our business community to the Northern Gold Coast.

As the home of our city’s workforce and with the continued rampant growth of new housing estates, the North remains the city’s hotspot for young families and aspirational workers.

Another example is our new and shiny Westfield Coomera. What a change it has already made. The old gravel Foxwell Road from the mid-2000s is now a six-lane, red light riddled, major arterial.

The decision to pursue a Titans community club in Oxenford is one to be encouraged and congratulated by our leaders citywide as it provides another critical piece of community-focused infrastructure for our North.

Leaders have a duty to balance housing growth with infrastructure and community assets – a mammoth task that if undelivered can end political careers.

But still infrastructure and the northern public transport system is dire. The Gold Coast Junior Chamber of Commerce supports tram extensions in the south as that will redistribute bus resources to the much needed northern routes.

The deficiencies in our road and public transport infrastructure don’t carry across into community assets for our North thankfully.

This is in part due to our community-focused leaders like Norm Rix and others who invest in community projects and commercial interests. A sense of community must always be paramount for success and this Titans application reflects the positive assessment by businesses of our Northern community. It says loud and clear that you get a return on investment by backing the North.

Our leaders in the North should be proud and our community welcomes with open arms the Titans Leagues Club. ALEC POKARIER, TREASURER, GOLD COAST JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE