A new city vision - and a People’s City Plan for GC
Iwas first elected to the Gold Coast City Council in 1995 and served five terms until 2012. During my time in council I proudly served the people of the city as councillor for Division 10, Chair of the Gold Coast City Finance Committee, Member of the City Planning Committee, and Chair of the Audit Committee.
I’m the owner of a small business, a boutique real estate office in Broadbeach and if elected as your Mayor, I will retire from the business and devote 100 per cent of my time to serving the city.
Over the past 12 years, meeting thousands of people, they tell me they feel they have no voice in council, feel marginalised and their opinions matter little in city-wide decisions. As the People’s Mayor my door will always be open to the community irrespective of where you live, who you are or who you represent. Some of my priorities are:
- Put the people of the Gold Coast first;
- As Mayor, I won’t sugar-coat the large challenges facing the Gold Coast and communities all over Australia, population growth. Over 1.2 million people, (+61 per cent) will call the Gold Coast home by 2046, not to mention the yearly influx of 12 millions of visitors;
- Reduce cost of living pressures on families and businesses, keeping rates increases to CPI or below, the 10 per cent discount for those who pay on time will stay, commence a review of all fees and charges, including the regulatory barriers that prevent our economy from reaching its potential;
- Deliver the most efficient Public Transport and Mobility network in Australia by 2032;
- Lead the city in a fact-based, respectful conversation regarding city plan, population growth, transport, our economy, and how we attract more jobs for the city, and protect our environment;
- Not sell the Bruce Bishop Car Park and release the retail areas, and I do not support development in the Broadwater, bungy jump on the Spit, a Boutique Stadium in Broadbeach, a Cableway and I reject the notion that public open space is an invitation to developers;
- I support the arts, HOTA, the expansion of the Broadbeach Convention and Exhibition and Centre, the Spit Masterplan, prawn trawlers and marine operators staying in Carters Basin and the Yatala film expansion.
The Gold Coast Bulletin recently called Tate’s City Plan, a “SHAMBLES, back to the drawing boards after millions and eight years wasted”. I make this commitment today, the City Plan I deliver will be the People’s City Plan.
On behalf of the Gold Coast community, I strongly reject the 2046 population assumptions in the Queensland Government’s Shaping 2023 Plan. I will immediately commence discussions with the Premier of Queensland, the Minister for Housing and Planning and all South East Queensland Mayors regarding a sustainable level of population growth for the Gold Coast. All cities need to accept a share of population growth, and I will ask for a fair and equitable distribution for our city.
Let me say this to the Premier of Queensland, we can’t, will not and should not be expected to find homes for 388,300 more people living in the City of Gold Coast by 2046.
Weeks out from the election Mr Tate is desperately trying to fix all the problems he created, starting with his failed city plan rather than being accountable, proactive and leading the city in a long and detailed conversation on the critical issues of planning, population growth, our city’s aspirations and working with other regions and the state government.
If elected Mayor on 16 March, my first actions will be to lead the city in a new direction, with new energy and work every day with my council on delivering a new City Plan that’s fit for purpose, one that meets the community’s expectations irrespective of where you live or who you are.
The Mayor says, “you can’t spend our way out of traffic jams”- the very ones he created by not allocating sufficient funding over his 12 long years as Mayor.
The city budget for transport and roads in 2019-2020 compared with 2023-2024 shows a decline of $114 million. Under this Mayor, the real investment in roads and transport has failed to take into account our growing population and the huge increase in costs to deliver major infrastructure projects.
Nobody in the city thinks traffic in the city is better today than it was four years ago. The SEQ drive market is the largest market for our $6 billion tourism industry employing nearly 30,000 locals.
How we move around the city over the next 50 years will change enormously with a population of over one million people, as will the transport modes, new demand and new transit corridors driven by growth.
It is unreasonable to rule one mode of transport in, and another one out and I will deliver more east-west buses along with City Loop buses to connect residents to the light rail at key transport nodes.
Under a council I lead, funding for the Transport and Mobility Plan will be increased and budgeted over the next four years and included in the budget projections to 2032. I will be on the doorsteps of both the federal and state governments fighting for our fair share of funding for transport and mobility initiatives.
If we don’t plan and build for the future, we will no longer be a liveable, sustainable and prosperous city, a place to work, live and enjoy.
- In this year’s budget I will invest $15 million and expand the city’s CCTV camera network and increase the officers allocated to monitoring the systems including mobile CCTV vans in hot spots across the city;
- Consult with the authorities about using the most sophisticated drones to help fight crime in our suburbs. Drones assist Surf Lifesaving Queensland by keeping us safe in the water, why not fighting crime in the streets of our neighbourhoods;
- My council will fund Neighbourhood Watch programs conjointly with communities and allow communities to set the priorities;
- Council will work to identify additional suburban street lighting, lighting in public areas including a greater concentration on public safety in our most popular night-time locations and safer access around our schools;
- I will also lead a Crime and Community Safety Committee and we will report half yearly on these critical matters; youth crime and homelessness, after school opportunities, how sport can deliver better outcomes for youth, youth employment and barriers, mental health and education and what the city can do to reduce the likelihood of teenagers repeating crimes;
- I will take council to the people of the city and hold four full council meetings and four committee meetings outside of City Hall each year. The community will have access to the Mayor, Committee Chairs, Councillors and senior officers in a structured meeting process to deliver accountability and be accessible to those we serve, our community;
- I will ask the council to investigate extending the Gold Coast Lifeguard patrols, from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset during summer;
- I support the Gold Coast securing additional events for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and strongly support a financial contribution from the city for the Olympic events held on the Gold Coast. Should I be elected, I will write to the Queensland Government requesting a seat at the table. If they want our ratepayer money and experience in holding global events, I’m willing to front up and fight for a fair deal for the city.
The Mayor says candidates with three word slogans have no policies. I remind Mr Tate, no Mayor or council in Queensland caught the watchful eye of the Crime and Corruption Commission, the Office of the Independent Assessor and the State Government more than this Mayor.
th“Lead e city in a new direction, with new energy, delivering a new City Plan