Not since Bruce Small was Mayor and State Member have we had a politician or civic leader who truly understands the Gold Coast. It’s simple Southport should be the Business Capital, Surfers the Entertainment Centre, Burleigh to Coolangatta are our surfing heartlands, Nerang, Robina and Coomera are major regional centres. A simple formula designed and enshrined in subsequent town plans. Sadly subsequent civic leaders suffer from schizophrenia, they can’t make up their minds from one term to the next, the result is chaos. We’ll never develop sensible public transport systems, manage congestion and maintain the amenity of our city if we keep changing our mind about the town plan. Southport was, is and should be the City’s CBD. It makes sense, the town plan provides for high density affordable living, large scale development and tall towers.
Southport is already a Major Centre, it has a huge retail precinct, multiple transport inter-changes, the new Broadwater Parklands, Griffith University, it’s the City’s Centre for Justice and the Courts, the home of TAFE and will soon have Australia’s largest Training Hospital and Medical Precinct. What doesn’t make sense is why our State Government only has plans to build stage one of the Rapid Transit System from Southport to Broadbeach. The Light Rail must connect with the Heavy Rail at Helensvale or the long overdue Parkwood Station with extensive park’n’ride. Gold Coast Council must takes its major administration centre back to Southport.
By all means Council should build extensive Community and Customer Service Centre’s at Coolangatta, Robina and Nerang and Coomera, but the primary administration centre belongs in Southport right alongside the 400 or so State Government Offices and Services already located in the precinct. Robina with its already narrow congested streets and limited access is not the right place for Council to be building a new super-centre. Seriously now is the time for pro-active sensible back to basics planning. Without it our new multi-billion dollar Light Rail will be destined to become a great white elephant, our road networks will become more congested and the bedroom suburbs of our city in the north and north west will have no proper access to jobs and all the best our City has to offer. With so much going on in CBD Southport, it’s time for a major review of the current town plan, this entire precinct must become a “special interest area” with significant planning input from both Council and State Government. We simply can’t afford to bumble along any-longer.
While I agree Southport is the ‘tradional’ CBD I disagree strongly with moving more to this area. The roads are already choked and there is no room for expansion. Put public transport in all you want, people will not use it unless it is on time and safe. A half hour waiting for transport is an extra half hour I could spend with my family, therefore, I will drive. In this day and age, more large businesses are moving their main offices away from the CBD which enables their employees easy access to their place of work. Lets look at Robina, its sits right on the freeway and the heavy rail – Perfect! Now, dont take this the wrong way, council should stay right where it is, my rates dollars do not need to build another Taj Mahal!
Thw whole idea of light rail etc is wrong as it takes up more of the already congested roads. I believe a mono rail will not only assist with less traffic on the roads, people may actually use it, given the novelty and fact that timing should be spot on without delays. People won’t use the rail as Scott has suggested – all too hard
As for council, there is a mostly empty building sitting in Southport (& Bundall for that matter. Robina is hard enough to get to when the footy is on.
Rob, its a pity you weren’t elected mayor last time around. I couldn;t understand why Ron Clarke was voted back in for a second term. The only vision he has had for our city is the bicycle hire system – and he still hasn’t delivered it. We desperately need our local council to drive this city forward rather than waste their time bickering and posturing over things that don’t matter.
Rob I simply could not AGREE MORE! Your article here nails it plain and simple… I can’t wait to share this with others!
Rob, stand for mayor – we need people like you!
It really is time for the city to be led again and moved forward
Thanks Schnicka for sharing this article on fb
With all the development in and around Southport, a CBD requires a very efficient services system where services does not stop at transport only. I am not anti GCRT but if surfside could get a pentograph & more to ply, I think that could ease & bring in more passengers.
I see an increase in elderly population & their mobility vehicles in and around the CBD cruising from long distances do they really have too?
Very little thought is given to the bottleneck routes that approach Southport for e.g. The Street named High merges with the Ferry a nightmare at peak times. This route I think really needs to be looked at as the Corporate Centres are pulling the crowd.
Rob, please take this up with the Mayor Ron that moving the Council will not downsize the traffic caused by the over staffed & over crowded council staff but is only getting diverted.Certainly a surfside bus can transport the staff from a pick up & drop off points. This could set a precedent for all the Corporate Houses after all … that is what council is all about.
Like it or not, the GC Rapid Transit line is going straight through Southport. There’ll be a stop one block from council’s land at Mal Burke car park. That makes it very very simple for council’s 2000 staff to park and ride, and anyone else visiting council can do the same. It is preposterous that council doesn’t support the GCRT by siting a major admin centre off the transport corridor. When, if ever will the GCRT reach Robina? The GCRT NEEDS those fares to survive.
Southport used to be a thriving CBD, but the current council and their ‘whole of city no-parking’ policy have well and truly put paid to that. Walk down Young St, Davenport, or any of the other minor streets surrounding Austrlaia Fair and you’ll find them deserted, the only things moving are the ‘closing down’ and ‘to let’ signs flapping in the breeze. I walked by as a parking cop booked a NSW car today, thinking to myself, “Well there goes another tourist” and I know I’m right. Council’s parking policies have destroyed most of our CBD, and it’s quite deliberate.
I agree with you Rob, Southport is a great place to do business. It’s also a great place to raise a family, retire, go to Uni, enjoy the beautiful Broadwater… Likewise there are equally great places up and down the Coast & into the Hinterland where we can do all of those things. Do we really need to dissect & label our city like a science experiment? “This entire precinct must become a “special interest area”…oh please!
I can’t wait for the Light Rail to be finished. I can go from Uni, into town for a little retail therepy, then head to Broady for dinner with mates & then hit Surfers for the night! Awesome! No traffic & it won’t matter if I have a drink or two! I heard it might eventually go down to Burleigh. Bring it!!!