New Gold Coast COVID taskforce to revive city heart

A new City Heart Taskforce is to be created to plan the Glitter Strip’s recovery from COVID-19, ensuring the economy will boom again under safe conditions. Here’s how it will work.

A NEW City Heart Taskforce is to be created to plan the Glitter Strip’s recovery from COVID-19 ensuring the economy will boom again under safe conditions.

The Bulletin can reveal Moncrieff MP Angie Bell will convene the committee which is set to meet tomorrow using zoom video conferencing.

Beaches are back open on the Gold Coast. — Tatiana Reyes, 24, from Surfers Paradise is happy the beaches will reopen as she can now exercise in open spaces. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

The first meeting will see a briefing from each industry sector and possible solutions to the economic crisis created by safety measures introduced to flatten the curve for coronavirus.

“We have some pretty impressive people with bright minds. Rob Borbidge, the former Premier, very important to have him there from Study Gold Coast and the Griffith Foundation,” Ms Bell told The Bulletin.

“John Howe, from integrated events delivery management. They are absolute doers. Paul Donovan and Annaliese Battista from Destination Gold Coast will be a very big voice at the table.”

Angie Bell MP meeting a dolphin at Sea World unveiling $95 million for theme park support. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Other members include Jan McCormick from the new Major Events Gold Coast, Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce CEO Martin Hall, Southport Chamber of Commerce’s Ian Kennedy and Queensland Airports CEO Chris Mills.

The committee also includes Bernie Hogan from the Queensland Hotels Association, Adrienne Readings from the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Matt Schneider from the Property Council, Study Gold Coast’s Alfred Slowgrove and Regional Development Australia’s Estella Rodighiero.

The aim is ensure the “trigger points” for moving forward are made clear but at the same time “we minimise risk moving forward”.

“The last thing we want is an outbreak,” Ms Bell said.

A key aim will be to “building sustainable citywide strategies to forge new market opportunities and growth moving forward out of the health crisis.”

“The COVID situation has put us in a position where there’s no time to waste and we must work together for every Gold Coaster,” Ms Bell said.

The Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa has lit up the Gold Coast with a heart to show their support in these trying times, much to the delight of locals.

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“It’s apolitical, this is about me leading the central Gold Coast forward through those key other industry sectors. We have to make sure we are not working solo. We are working together towards a common goal,” Ms Bell said.

“It also gives me a very good indication of where the city is up to and what is going on in each sector, so when we do reconvene in Canberra I can have a very clear voice to those ministers to make sure that we get what we need in the city.

“We saw that recently with Sea World where we got some funding for the theme parks. There will be some things that we will all do that will get us to a better place quicker.

I think we can lead in this space as a city coming out of this.”

Originally published as New Gold Coast COVID taskforce to revive city heart