David E Woodley: Former Home and Away actor to run for Division 6 at 2024 Gold Coast City Council election

Former Home and Away star David E Woodley is auditioning for his next big role – acting for the community as councillor for division 6. He reveals why he’s making the move.

Former Home and Away star David E Woodley is auditioning for his next big role – acting for the community as councillor for division 6.

Despite gracing screens in major international and Australian productions over the past decades, he said he always considered the Gold Coast home.

Mr Woodley said returning to the city three years ago with his young family and now living in Southport, he was “delighted” with how much the Coast had grown up, but said it was also cause for some concern.

From overdevelopment to a lack of affordable housing, he said he had a vision not just for big picture issues, but also problems at street-level … starting with footpaths.

Former Home and Away star David E Woodley is auditioning for his next big role, in front of the community, as councillor for division 6. Picture Glenn Hampson

“As a parent of a beautiful now four-year-old, and like so many families either moving or returning to the Gold Coast since Covid, we are delighted with the change here since leaving,” said Mr Woodley, who has appeared in Australian dramas including Rake and the locally filmed Darby and Joan, as well as international productions Joe vs. Carole and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.

“There is more green, tree-filled parkland for families, great playground facilities along the Broadwater and so many attractions for children of all ages.

“The Gold Coast is truly a wonderful place to raise a family, though after living back here for the past few years, it’s not short of local issues.

“Just recently, we bought my 90-year-old father a mobility scooter and I had to drive it back from Molendinar to Labrador. I was shocked at the state of some of the footpaths, if there were any at all.

Actor David Woodley in the 1990s.

“Along the foreshore is great, although it can be overcrowded or dangerous with e-bikes and e-scooters, but overall it was a very dangerous ride.

“We can’t forget the needs of the senior citizens living here, or anyone who has accessibility needs — we’re not just a tourist strip but a community.

“Instead of the council investing in the Gold Coast Airport, let’s invest in better footpaths for a start. To me that should be a core concern of any council.”

Division 6, which takes in Southport and its surrounding suburbs, is facing up as one of the toughest battles ahead of the March 16 election.

Incumbent councillor Brooke Patterson is running for a second term along with high-profile candidate Samantha Delmege, a nurse and sister-in-law of long-serving former councillor Dawn Crichlow

Mr Woodley said, while the light rail was a fantastic addition to the city, its limited route meant a reliable bus service was compulsory.

He said he was concerned at how many local buses ran late or never arrived at all.

“By all means, keep going with the light rail. It’s a great start and hopefully will expand, but regardless, we need a more reliable bus service,” he said.

Actor David Woodley during his time on Home and Away.

“Keep the routes simple but on time and don’t neglect the fact that it’s always going to be crucial for filling the gaps for locals.

“It’s not fair to expect residents to take up public transportation but then leave them waiting at the bus stop all day.”

Mr Woodley said he grew up in Brisbane’s bayside and at 21 moved to Mudgeeraba to work with a local farmer, the late Jack Moran, and his son Peter at Woodlands Dairy.

He said he lived in a beautiful old timber cottage at Clover Hill, now the site of Somerset College, and later became involved in local theatre with Benowa’s Spotlight Theatre and Southport’s Little Theatre before becoming a professional actor.

“I was a trained horseman so I was also part of the live western stunt show at Movie World when it first opened in 1991,” he said.

“I later moved to the UK for formal acting training and when I returned I moved to Sydney for Network 10’s Echo Point, with then-teenage actor Rose Byrne. After that I got the role of police officer Joel Nash on Home and Away.

“I was lucky that I’ve pretty well been employed as an actor since then, as well as completing a Bachelor of Film Production along the way.

“But I always wanted to come back ‘home’ to the Gold Coast. My parents lived here, my dad used to own a jewellery shop in Chevron Island and he was part of the Chamber of Commerce with Lex Bell. Finally, when Covid happened, we thought it was time to come back – and we just love it.”

As well as acting, Mr Woodley works at the Gold Coast-based New York Film Academy.

He said it was his role there that alerted him to other pressures affecting the Gold Coast.

“Our kids at the academy are really struggling to live here, they’re paying $300 per week for one room in a shared house,” he said.

Former Home and Away star David E Woodley is one of three candidates to be running in Division 6 at the March election. Picture Glenn Hampson

“That’s a lot of money when you’re a student … it’s a lot of money for anyone for just one room.

“The city has to be very careful to manage growth, if we outpace ourselves we’ll lose all of our gains.

“Our theme parks are wonderful, but do we really need them to start infringing on local residents and taking up much needed space for affordable housing? Like the proposed development of the wave park at Parkwood, is that really necessary?

“That’s why, if elected as councillor of Division 6, I’ll be concentrating on affordable housing and sensible development, upgraded bus services, better pathways for bikes and mobility scooters and supporting both local and international workers and students while still accommodating the increasing tourism trade.

“I also want to safeguard our beaches and foreshores, ensure better support for local police with increased CCTV in affected suburbs, support events that benefit local trade, continue support for local and international film production and, finally, ensuring we keep our identity as a family friendly, safe and unique holiday destination.”