Gold Coast mum stands for council furious about north being the forgotten suburbs

A Gold Coast mum is so fed up with traffic issues being ‘ignored’ in her area that she’s decided to run for council.

A mother and prison worker has joined the race for Division 1 in the northern Gold Coast that will produce a new councillor for the city after the March 28 poll.

Renee Clarke is joining one of the city’s biggest divisional battles, which will feature Mark Hammel, Pat Reynolds and Alec Pokarier.

Congestion at on and off ramps at Pimpama from the M1. Picture: Richard Gosling.

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“I’m a mum, my husband Ben is a tradie, and we’ve just had our second baby. I’m a counsellor at Queensland Health, I’ve worked in some of the toughest prisons in Queensland, and I’ve worked supporting foster families,” Ms Clarke said.

Renee Clarke with her family.

“I moved to the Gold Coast when I was fourteen, 22 years ago. Being stuck in traffic and driving on dodgy roads were the last straw and why I decided to run. Traffic and roads are the issue that can’t be ignored any longer.”

Ms Clarke said residents had told her poor roads were the best example of neglect in the city’s fast growing northern suburbs.

She has launched a petition for road upgrades.

“That’s why we are called ‘the forgotten suburbs’,” Ms Clarke said.