Gold Coast City Council Budget 2020: Northern suburbs win big with major works funded

The city’s north has proved the big winners of this year’s city council budget with multiple multimillion-dollar projects given the green light.

THE GOLD Coast’s north has been a big winner for infrastructure and major works as the city’s 2020-21 budget was handed down yesterday.

Division One, one of the Coast’s biggest, had multiple multimillion-dollar projects funded, including $40.6 million to build the Pimpama Sports Hub.

COMPLETE GUIDE: WHAT EVERY SUBURB GOT IN BUDGET

Division Two also saw big investment in sports clubs and amenities in Helensvale and Hope Island, while Division Three received $93 million over four budget periods to start work on the Coomera Civic Hub. The announcements left the north’s councillors celebrating the area’s brighter future during this budget period.

Division One rookie councillor Mark Hammel said the investment in the north set it up to be a future contender as both a rapidly growing Coast community and tourism destination.

Drone photos posted by Gold Coast councillor Donna Gates show the massive Pimpama Sports Hub project. Photo: Facebook

“(The amount of funding for the north) is an acknowledgment of the kind of growth that’s gone on in the north,” he said. “You’ve had Pimpama and sections of Ormeau regularly identified as some of the fastest growing places in the country, this is just signifying it’s time to get some infrastructure to catch up to the population growth.

“(This budget) will deliver congestion and safety upgrades for local residents and businesses but it also set us towards a path of getting high utilisation of the north end of the Gold Coast for tourism and industry.”

WHAT YOUR RATES BILL WILL BE AND HOW TO GET A DISCOUNT

Division Three councillor and Deputy Mayor Donna Gates echoed his good cheer, adding the Pimpama Sports Hub was a win “for all of the northern Gold Coast”.

“We’ve got $7 million allocated to start the next major infrastructure project in the north of the city and it will be our biggest ever, that’s the Coomera Civic Hub,” she said.

“That will include a major library, community spaces, some commercial spaces as well to generate revenue, so a coffee shop and commercial premises. There’s a lot of projects. There’s (also) lots of roads improvements planned for areas close to schools.”

Cr Mark Hammel. Picture: Jerad Williams

With projects like a cruise ship terminal and hinterland cableway shelved in favour of paving a “road to recovery” following the COVID-19 crisis, many councillors described the budget as a balancing act.

BUDGET BOMBSHELL AS TOURISM FUNDING PITCH REJECTED

Division 11 councillor Hermann Vorster, who described the budget as “like Christmas morning”, said there was a call for focus on basic projects and improvements.

“When you seek election it’s more about listening to what the electorate wants rather than what you think it needs.

SHOCK FORECAST SHOWS MASSIVE LEAP IN COUNCIL DEBT

“There was an appetite to deliver on what people regard as the basic work of council, roads, rates, rubbish, footpaths and carparking.”

Asked which project he was most excited for, he said: “Robina City Parklands.”

Cr Daphne McDonald. Picture Glenn Hampson

Other councillors, including Division 6 newcomer Brooke Patterson and Division 13 stalwart Daphne McDonald, celebrated a “return to basics”.

“It’s really pleasing to see we’re doing a lot of roadworks, a lot of basics around the community,” Cr McDonald said.

“It’s work that really means a lot to the community, a lot of doing up roads, bikeways. Overall it’s been a very good budget.”

‘ONE OF THE TOUGHEST BUDGETS I HAVE EVER WORKED ON’

She added the $2.2 million allocated to redevelop the Palm Beach Aquatic Centre – revealed in yesterday’s Bulletin – with indoor pools and new facilities was a particular success.

“That’s a really big project council has signed off and contributed funding to complete planning,” she said. “In 2012 it was ‘to be completed’, the 50m pool was built and then (council) decided to go in a different direction away from community projects, more towards ‘whole city’ (focused) projects.

“But we’re back on track again.”