Population growth identified as major issue confronting southern suburbs

There is one major challenge dominating debate in the Gold Coast’s southern beachside suburbs, a Bulletin forum will be told tonight.

POPULATION is the single biggest issue confronting the Gold Coast’s southern beachside suburbs, a Bulletin forum will be told tonight.

Division 13 Candidate Bern Young says the biggest issue facing the Coast, apart from coronavirus, was managing the city’s increasing population while maintaining the relaxed lifestyle and green behind the gold.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BULLETIN’S ELECTION FORUMS

Development on the beachfront at Palm Beach. Picture Glenn Hampson.

The You Decide forum hosted by The Bulletin, which starts at 6pm at the Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park Surf Life Saving Club, will be live streamed on our website from 6pm.

In the interest of public health and safety, it will now be held without an audience present.

“The current forecasts say we’ll have 350,000 more locals by 2041, that’s close to a million people citywide. We know the northern suburbs of the city can’t keep doing the heavy lifting as they’ve done for the past 15 to 20 years and while we don’t want big subdivisions in our valleys and hinterland, we also don’t want endless highrises all along the coast,” Ms Young said.

“I believe we’re at a tipping point right now and we must step back and design a place like Palm Beach with community input and not let it be shaped development by development, transport project by transport project.

“This entire suburb, creek to creek, motorway to beach can become a model of population growth and people movement that’s liveable and loveable and an example to other booming coastal suburbs in Australia and overseas.”

Bern Young has a population plan for Division 13. Pic Mike Batterham.

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Ms Young believes a Palm Beach Precinct could be created under State planning laws similar to The Spit masterplan which saw unprecedented community involvement and agreement on protecting the area north of Main Beach.

“We must bring in local and leading urban designers, architects, landscape architects, environmental engineers and traffic engineers, together with community input,” Ms Young said.

The popular journalist and ABC 91.7 presenter said she would be seeking solutions on how to best manage the rollout of light rail.

“I get a lot of hate on Facebook because I’ve said I will work towards the best outcome possible with light rail past Burleigh Heads, the haters seem to blindly believe it’s my idea to build it and the current councillor can stop it,” Ms Young said.

“Any candidate who says they can turn this decision around will need to firstly convince a majority of councillors and or the Mayor to reverse the current position on the light rail network as highlighted in the City’s Transport Strategy 2031.

Cranes in the Palm Beach skyline. Picture Glenn Hampson.

“This is also a State Government project so a councillor’s influence is already limited but wherever I can, I will be part of finding solutions, ensuring our community gets a real chance to shape how the trams will move through this unique part of the Gold Coast and be properly informed along the way.”

“For Burleigh Heads, where the tram will be running by 2023 we must, as a community, pull together and buy from Burleigh so our traders are supported by locals during the disruptive construction phase.”

“In Burleigh Heads we must always prioritise the village. I’ve previously advocated for a 12-metre (3 storey) height limit in the James Street precinct. That village feel is not just something locals want, it’s something to be celebrated as a unique offering to tourists, a slice of the “old Gold Coast” within a thriving and vibrant destination.”