Gold Coast suburbs: proposal to rename council divisions after former mayors

Parts of the Gold Coast should be renamed from next year according to a new proposal which suggests honouring the city’s mayors.

A GOLD Coast councillor wants some of the city’s 14 electorate boundaries to be renamed to feature former mayors.

City planning boss Cr Cameron Caldwell wants the existing divisional numbers to be dumped in favour of a new system with names, similar to those of state and federal electorates.

Gold Coast City councillor Cameron Caldwell (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

ELECTION BATTLE LOOMING IN DIVISIONAL BOUNDARY CHANGES

In a submission to the Local Government Change Commission, Cr Caldwell argued that current numbering was out of date and should be replaced.

In some instances, he has proposed naming the local government seats after former leaders Lex Bell, Ray Stevens, Gary Baildon and Ron Clarke.

Mayors past and present, Denis O'Connell, Mayor Tom Tate, Lex Bell and Gary Baildon. Photo: Kit Wise

“The numbering in the draft boundary proposal has clear anomalies in the approach as it is a mix of retention of existing boundaries, adjusted boundaries, and entirely different geographical areas not relating to previous numbering which I submit should be clarified in the finalisation of the boundaries,” said Cr Caldwell, the councillor for Division 3.

HOW BOUNDARIES WILL CHANGE

Mayor Lex Bell

“There is also an opportunity to reflect the geographic features and the names of former mayors in the names of the proposed areas.

“The names are specifically selected to not clash with state or federal seats.”

The Change Commission is reviewing the Gold Coast council’s boundaries to ensure each area has the proper quota of voters.

Mayor Ray Stevens

Public comment on the changes ended this month.

The commission will take each submission into account before making a determination later this year.

Changes will come into effect at the next council election, due in March 2020.

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Former Mayor of the Gold Coast Ron Clarke

According to Cr Caldwell’s submission, the late Mr Clarke’s name would be lent to the Labrador and Biggera Waters area where he lived, while Mr Bell, who served as mayor from 1988 to 1994, would be the namesake for Surfers Paradise which he also represented for many years.

Division 6, which currently includes Southport, would be named for Cr Baildon, who will retire from council at the end of this term.

Mayor Gary Baildon in 2004.

The Varsity Lakes and West Burleigh boundary would be named for Ray Stevens, the incumbent Mermaid Beach MP who was the first mayor after the 1995 amalgamation of Gold Coast and Albert Shire councils.

Other divisions would be named for either geographic features or suburbs, including “canelands” in the city’s north, or Robina in the centre.

Several Gold Coast councillors have made submissions, with some arguing an extra division was needed, creating a 16th member of the council.