Think tank: Businessman and athlete Andrew Baildon

OLYMPIAN and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Andrew Baildon’s biggest wish for the Gold Coast is simple – put a roof on the Aquatic Centre.

Andrew Baildon: “It’s a fantastic climate in April and fingers crossed we do have beautiful weather for the Games but we can’t guarantee that. Long term the Gold Coast definitely needs an indoor aquatic facility.” Picture: Richard Gosling

What do you love about the Gold Coast?

“I love its beautiful waterways, and I love the fact that the Gold Coast is really starting to come of age and to have its own personality and atmosphere and it’s not a poor cousin of Brisbane.

“It’s not just a tourist destination now, people are running successful businesses here and we’ve got the Commonwealth Games coming.

“After the Games it will really be time for the Gold Coast to shine.”

The M1 is a massive issue, according to Andrew Baildon. Picture: Jack Tran

What do you think could be done better on the Gold Coast?

“Traffic is an issue on the Gold Coast but we’re already seeing improvements on that – the Commonwealth Games has brought a lot of that in.

“Access to Chevron Island and also the M1 – it’s a massive issue. Also I think sometimes our service levels could improve. We have seen some improvement in service levels in the past three years with fantastic restaurants, pubs and clubs opening.”

In your travels, what have you seen being done elsewhere you think could work well here?

“I’d like to see restaurant and bars have better access to the beaches – not down on the beach but up on the roadway.

“If you travel through the Mediterranean it’s something they do really well.

“I’d like businesses to be given leasehold space where people could sit down and have a meal on our beaches.

“I’d also like to see a masterplan for the Spit, it’s such a beautiful piece of the Gold Coast but such a wasted opportunity.”

If money, time, laws and approvals were no issue, what is one big project you’d undertake tomorrow?

Andrew Baildon advocates having a roof over the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I’d put a roof on the Aquatic Centre. The Gold Coast, particularly after the Commonwealth Games, is poised to be able to attract a lot of international sporting events because we have the facilities.

“Swimming is one of the biggest participation sports that we have. We saw in the 2014 Pan Pacifics, even when we had cyclonic weather, the Gold Coast still came out and supported it in great numbers.

“We could attract the Swimming World Championships, triathlons – there’s a big opportunity post-Commonwealth Games.

“It will be very important during the Games if we get the same weather as we did for the Pan Pacs.

“It’s a fantastic climate in April and fingers crossed we do have beautiful weather for the Games but we can’t guarantee that. Long term the Gold Coast definitely needs an indoor aquatic facility.”

What conversations should Gold Coast movers and shakers be having?

“A lot of conversations I have are about human resources.

“We have this attitude from Gen Y coming through the ranks – the ones who are employable are the ones who have unrealistic expectations about their rank and salaries when they have little or no experience.

“I think the internet is a large contributor to that.

“People are losing the valuable art of communication because we’ve got our faces glued to screens these days.

“Also I think they were raised thinking they could do anything, have anything and be anything.

“Instant gratification is not as valuable as working hard and working your way up.”