Respected Gold Coast councillor Pauline Young to retire
Respected senior councillor Pauline Young has put a line in the sand ahead of the March 2024 local government election. Read what she had to say.
Council
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Respected senior councillor Pauline Young who chairs the City transport committee will not contest the March 2024 local government election.
Cr Young has made the announcement knowing it would give enough time for a genuine candidate to campaign for her Division 12 which covers Nobby Beach, Miami through to Burleigh Waters.
Colleagues are disappointed given her respect and experience on council, having stepped up to take on the challenging transport spokesperson role since being elected in 2016.
“I have been proud to serve the City and Division 12 for the past seven and half years. So it is with great gratitude, and a little bit of sorrow that I announce I will not be contesting the March 2024 election,” Cr Young said.
“Having served two terms I believe that the time is right to encourage, help and mentor the next leader from our community.
“I ran for council in 2015-16 not as a career politician but as an individual with a strong sense of community. Delivering the changes we need to make our great area even better is the best way I know to give back to the community.”
Cr Young is considered one of council’s hardest working representatives and knows the toll of committing to another four-year term in office.
“It has been an enormous honour to be an elected representative and with that comes great responsibility. I am 100 per cent committed to finishing the current term with consistent representation,” she said.
“I intend to go on to other opportunities, which will hopefully allow me to continue to serve the public in the same manner.”
Acting Mayor Donna Gates said she was surprised by Cr Young’s decision to retire from public life.
“She has worked extremely hard during her time on council and has been an energetic chair of Transport and Infrastructure. If I had to describe Pauline in one word, it would be “determined”,” Cr Gates said.
“I wish her well in her next chapter, which I’m certain will include more time for family and travel.”
Hinterland-based councillor Glenn Tozer said the City was losing a top councillor.
“Pauline has been a great representative. I’ve really appreciated my working relationship with Pauline, and she’s been a strong advocate for the Burleigh area,” he said.
“She just doesn’t care about the things we build, she cares about the people. Her contribution to the chamber and outside the chamber will be sorely missed.”
Councillor William Owen-Jones said his colleague’s experience would be missed.
“Councillor Pauline Young has a been a great advocate for Burleigh, and will be huge loss for this council. I wish her the best of luck in the future (as she starts new ventures),” he said.
The retirement of Cr Young opens up another space for a senior role chairing a committee in the next council.
Planning chair Cameron Caldwell was elected in July as the LNP MP for the federal seat of Fadden. Councillors consider northern-based colleague Mark Hammel has “solidified” that role after being offered to chair Planning.
Cr Owen-Jones, the governance chair, had earlier indicated he would not run again in a bid to ensure serious candidates ran for his Helensvale-based Division. Filling his committee leadership role will be more challenging.
Lifestyle committee chair Hermann Vorster last month announced he would seek preselection for the state seat of Burleigh, following the announcement that Michael Hart intends to retire at the next State election.
He said he would make a further statement about his intention to contest the next local government election at the conclusion of the preselection process, something which is expected to occur before Christmas.
Candidates are hovering in his Robina division but again finding a replacement for the proven media performer in a chairing role creates challenges.
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