The Gold Coast’s greatest asset by far is you lot - the residents
Without doubt, the greatest asset our city has is its people. Passionate, resilient, committed and driven – four phrases that sum up Gold Coasters. As Mayor, I believe this passion is borne through an appreciation of everything we love and embrace about our city’s envious lifestyle. A quick look at our city’s demographics shows that 27 per cent of our population was born overseas and almost all of us “came from somewhere”.
Today, our population is approaching 700,000 and like other growing cities, some residents face significant challenges.
These include mobility issues, meeting day-to-day living costs and dealing with mental and emotional struggles including feelings of isolation and despair.
It is here where great Gold Coasters – from industry, sport, corporations and charities – have consistently shown their spirit and stepped up to help those less fortunate.
In many cases, support comes from our incredible volunteering ranks where kind-hearted people step up and support those in need.
In 2017, when the 2018 GC Commonwealth Games were only a year away, organisers put out a call for 15,000 volunteers to support the festival. The 15,000-target was smashed with more than 35,000 responding – underscoring our city’s passion and spirit.
Today, it is estimated that volunteering across Queensland saves ratepayers (and taxpayers) $84 billion annually.
On the coast, we see volunteers on our beaches, in the hinterland, at sporting venues, multi-faith organisations, our parks, libraries, schools and art galleries.
Council plays an integral role in helping those less fortunate, providing services and support through our many frontline services.
In fact, our City Accessible and Inclusive Action Plan identifies 100 projects and programs to directly support residents.
It may be as simple as providing braille stickers for visually impaired residents to place on their domestic bins, or ensuring facilities at our new sporting halls and pools are fully compliant for people with mobility issues. Every small project makes a huge difference.
The Action Plan (2020-2025) concludes next year and council will liaise with the public, and relevant service providers, to form a new plan to take us through the rest of this decade and on to the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.
Like all our publicly-facing plans, the community will be given a chance to have its say on what services are needed to help those less fortunate.
Right now, councillors are working with the administration to shape our 2024-25 City Budget and it is pleasing to see a renewed focus on projects such as: more all-access beach matting; improved changing facilities; more library programs for seniors; improved footpaths and cycle ways; additional CCTV and public safety measures; better support for community groups through council grants; and stronger partnerships with state and federal government agencies to address homelessness and social housing challenges.
Public safety is key to many residents, especially seniors.
Since 2011-12, we have added more than 700 CCTV cameras to our network (now around 800 devices) as well as boosting public lighting in open spaces, ensuring our parks are well-lit and maintained, wiping out graffiti through our Home Graffiti clean-up kits (and dedicated reporting hotline) and partnering with Queensland Police and other First Responder agencies to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
All these measures make our city safer for locals, visiting students and our 13 million annual tourists.
Shaping the annual budget is about setting priorities for all residents.
The allocation of funds for 2024-25 will be decided when the budget is brought down in mid-june however,
Pass“ionate, resilient, committed and driven - that’s Gold Coasters
as Chair of the Special Budget Committee, I commit to ensuring there will be no loss of support for residents who need our support.
To me, these frontline services are “non negotiable” when it comes to budget reviews and while we must value every dollar in our annual $2.1 billion City Budget, keeping people safe, valued and engaged across the community pays dividends for us all.
Globally, scammers are continuing to target vulnerable residents across Australia and it is pleasing to see our City Library teams offer Cyber
Security courses for seniors. Expect to see further support for programs of this nature in the 24-25 budget. Separate to our programs, I encourage seniors keen on becoming more ‘tech savvy’ to join some classes at Seniorsonthenet. Getting out and about is important for social connection as well as an individual’s mental and physical health.
In 2013-14, I encouraged councillors to vote for a Free Seniors Travel initiative. Councillors backed the trial and today, more than a decade on, it has 49,000 registered seniors (and veterans) who can enjoy free off-peak public bus travel seven days a week. To me, the Free Seniors and Veterans travel initiative remains one of my proudest achievements.
Council also runs more than 130 free, or low-cost, activities for all residents through our Active and Healthy program.
Join a yoga class, learn arts and craft, take a wellness course or improve your home cooking skills. The programs are about connecting people with other residents who share their passion and zest for life. Parents aren’t left behind with school holiday activities tailored to help families on a budget. I also want to point out the incredible generosity individuals have shown across our city for many years.
Events like the St Vincent’s annual CEO Sleepout as well as GC Homeless Connect, Ozharvest, Men of Business, Arcadia College and YHES House are working tirelessly to improve the lives of others.
Since 2012, the Mayoress Charity Foundation has been actively raising funds to distribute to charities and not-for-profit organisations across the coast. In the past decade, more than $2 million has been raised thanks to individuals who quietly go about their business but dig deep to help those less fortunate.
Every cent is distributed to charities with the Mayoress’s charity team, led by the effervescent Tracey Woodbury, run entirely by volunteers. That’s the Gold Coast spirit!