Come on, read all about it
Libraries, transport, housing – why our region has the best lifestyle
Ihave just seen the latest statistics for our libraries and they tell a story of social connection and the importance of our world-class community venues. Equally, I’m reminded why our council has such an important task to continue to carefully plan our city’s roads, public transport networks and cycleways.
The stats reveal that for the financial year to date, we have had 741,706 visits to our libraries. Based on those numbers, we will surpass one million visits annually. For December alone, we had 108,096 visits, with members borrowing 212,136 resources.
As a city, we are active people and we love exploring not only the beaches and hinterland but also our built-form infrastructure such as libraries, sporting venues and the magnificent HOTA precinct.
Libraries bring people together, from toddlers to our senior residents. Many use public transport to access our libraries, enjoying free talks and seminars as well as the fantastic IT and support services.
Any great city must ensure its public transport is built where the majority of its population resides.
The vast majority of our population lives near the coastline and, being a linear city, that means people live within a few kilometres of the beaches and broadwater.
We all know that more Aussies, and ex-pats, want to live on the Gold Coast.
I welcome every one of them as they bring their wallets and new ideas and energy to our city. Virtually all of us “came from somewhere” and that’s why 27 per cent of our population was born overseas.
At the same time, I hear the concerns of some residents about what they term overdevelopment.
Here’s some facts they may want to consider:
The state government – through the SEQ Regional Plan – determines how many new dwellings we must create over a period of time. Equally important, the state determines where that new development can – and can’t – occur;
Housing supply and affordability are critical issues, and the City Plan, in general, encourages our city to build up instead of out;
Building up means creating new residential buildings near major public transport routes. Think about it – for every seven-storey mediumrise development of 30 or 40 units built a few hundred metres from light rail means less urban sprawl and less need for people to use their cars for short trips;
More units or townhouses means more supply for people looking to buy or rent. The more supply, the greater downward pressure on prices, including rent;
Urban sprawl (think Sydney’s west or Melbourne’s east) is bad for everyone – it’s bad for traffic, the environment, green space, social connection and the elderly. We do not want urban sprawl – full stop;
As a council, we need to ensure that the Gold Coast continues to be a great place to live. To do that, we are continually reviewing our planning settings to get the balance right between development and amenity. We have done a lot of work to strike the balance between growth, development and amenity for our community;
As 2023 rolls on, we are keen to work with the state to identify what we need to do to get the outstanding changes to the City Plan approved by the minister. The amendments have been subject to four rounds of consultation, so we know they represent what the community wants. We will continue to work with the state to ensure these priorities can be implemented.
Finally, another bugbear of mine is when people make the comment “Let’s stop people moving here’’.
Apart from the fact that is constitutionally impossible, as every Aussie has a right to live where they want, it is also offensive to people who live here.
We are not divisive people, and that sort of comment creates division.
Just this month, we were voted the No.10 most welcoming city in the world – and I hope we sneak further up the chart in years to come.
Our DNA is built on a city that is warm, welcoming and the envy of every other large city in Australia.
Let’s continue to work together to protect the lifestyle of our fantastic city … one library at a time.
Another bugbear of mine is when people make the comment ‘Let’s stop people moving here’.