Dawn Crichlow announces she will not stand at next council election

Veteran Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow has sensationally announced she will not stand at the next council election, saying she is unhappy with how the city is being run.

Dawn Crichlow has represented Division 6 since 1991. Photo: Jerad Williams

Veteran Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow will not stand at the next council election, saying she has been “cut off at the knees”.

The representative for division six since 1991 will stand down in March next year, saying while she had not lost her passion for helping people, she had lost the ability to make a difference.

Cr Crichlow, who was awarded the Order of Australia in 2006 for service to the community, said the Gold Coast City Council has become highly politicised, to the detriment of the city.

Dawn Crichlow has announced she won’t be running in the next council election. Photograph: Jason O'Brien.

“I’ve been cut off at the knees,” she said.

“There is a group of 10 councillors and they have their agenda and if you are one of the five trying to vote against that, you never win. I can’t get anything through anymore.

“I’ve realised now that if I want to keep trying to help people the way that I always have, I’m better off working from the outside as a resident rather than inside as a councillor.

“It is sad that it ends this way, but I’m an old lady now. How long do you keep fighting an unwinnable battle?

“It’s my great disappointment.”

Dawn Crichlow pictured with her dog Princess in Southport yesterday. Photograph: Jason O'Brien.

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Cr Crichlow said the focus of the council has moved away from the traditional ‘rates, road and rubbish’ and she was tired of being frustrated by inaction.

“The days when we had 15 independent, individual councillors are gone. There have been times when a group would regularly agree on certain issues, but it was never like this.

“Even back in the early 2000s when we had ‘the Bloc’, you could still get stuff through. It’s not like that now.

“We’ve gone away from the rates, roads and rubbish that we’re meant to look after, and it’s to our detriment. Now we’re chasing cruise ship terminals and an arts complex and integrated tourism hubs. Is that really our job? Who is fixing the footpaths? Who is looking after the actual residents?

“Residents aren’t even encouraged to speak to their local councillor anymore, they’re told to send an email.

“The problem is not that our city has a population of 600,000, the problem is the way the system is run. It’s bureaucracy gone mad. If you’re not voted down you’re strangled by red tape.”

Cr Crichlow says she is unhappy with how council has changed. Photograph: Jason O'Brien.

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Cr Crichlow said she believes the mayor now has too much power over the city.

She said the system has been unbalanced since 2012, when then-Premier Campbell Newman changed the Local Government Act.

“The worst decision ever made was when Campbell Newman allowed mayors to direct their officers. The mayor used to only be able to direct the CEO, but now he can tell any person to do this or do that. He sets the budget as well.

“It’s too much power in one person.”

Cr Crichlow said she will continue to work for Southport, but under the auspices of community or charity groups.