Gold Coast City Council election 2024: What candidates are promising to do if elected on March 16
With 46 candidates in the race, the 2024 Gold Coast City Council election campaign is heating up, with each candidate unveiling their plans for the city’s future.
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The 2024 Gold Coast City Council election campaign is in full-swing, with 46 candidates all making pledges of what they plan to do if voters chose them on March 16.
With 46 candidates vying for votes, the 2024 Gold Coast City Council election campaign is heating up with pledges to address resident issues.
Here, we delve into those campaign trail promises in the mayoral race and divisional contests.
‘Imagine what we could do’: How to prevent more Spit gridlock
Bus services should not stop at theme parks but would continue to end of The Spit, under a transport plan released by a council candidate.
Division 10 candidate Mona Hecke has put up a solution for a glaring “missing link” in the public transport plan for one of the city’s top tourist attractions.
Ms Hecke said she has identified some common sense improvements to local bus services around and through Division 10.
“A classic one is the 704 and 705 routes from Helensvale and Broadbeach which currently terminate at Sea World. It’s a no-brainer to extend these bus services to the Seaway,” she said.
“If you don’t have a car, it’s a long walk or ride, or a very expensive taxi fare, to reach the top of The Spit, so many people miss out on experiencing this spectacular part of our city.”
The Bulletin in a report two years ago detailed how tourists and residents were struggling to access Australia’s third-best beach because of traffic gridlock around construction sites at Main Beach.
Authorities were ignoring calls for a public bus service to be extended from the theme parks and hotels to the Seaway to ease the number of vehicles on the roads.
Businesses asked Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek to lobby TransLink to get an extended service.
Ms Hecke said the council had an excellent Active Transport Plan but its implementation was stuck in first gear with only a trickle of funding.
“Of the annual $220m-plus transport works budget, just $6.1m was allocated for specific active transport infrastructure initiatives — to provide a shared path at Miami and upgrade a narrow path at Reedy Creek,” she said.
“The United Nations recommends that governments dedicate 20 per cent of transport funding to non-motorised or active transport. Our spend amounts to 2.7 per cent.
“Imagine the walkways, bikeways and green bridges we could roll out each year if expenditure is boosted even just to 10 per cent.”
HOMELESS STRATEGY NEEDED
All mayoral candidates and those running in the Gold Coast’s 14 divisions have been “put on notice” about developing a strategy to solve the city’s homeless and housing crisis.
They have been warned that 22,229 tenants – more than 52 per cent of renters – are facing rental stress on the Coast.
More than 56 per cent of low-income mortgage holders – almost 7000 households – were suffering from mortgage stress compared to 49 per cent across the State.
In letters addressed to candidates, Q Shelter provided the update and outlined the key role the council can play in solutions to homelessness, increasing housing supply, and partnering with community providers.
It is the first time in the lead-up to Saturday’s poll that cost of living concerns were detailed.
Q Shelter’s executive director Fiona Caniglia said councils were in the front line to help.
“In terms of public attitudes and response to homelessness, they are also key to engagement with the broader community,” she said.
“They often field local concerns about visible homelessness, the welfare of those experiencing homelessness and the community concerns about housing diversity and density.”
Q Shelter wants an expansion of Public Space Liaison Officer (PSLO) roles across the local government sector connected to housing, homelessness and health issues.
“We would also like to see the development of an integrated Housing and Homelessness strategy to align the work across local government and industry in a place-based framework,” Ms Caniglia said.
“Local governments could consider discounts on development application fees, infrastructure charges and rates for social and affordable housing projects.”
Revealed: What Tate wrote to King Charles in never-before-seen letter
King Charles’s role in uniting people has been praised in a private letter from Mayor Tom Tate to the British monarch.
The Bulletin has obtained the letter, which was sent to Buckingham Palace in February following the King’s cancer diagnosis.
In the letter, which is directed via the King’s private secretary Sir Clive Alderton, Mr Tate praises the sovereign, commiserates over his cancer diagnosis and reminisces about his previous visits, and that of his mother Elizabeth II, to the Gold Coast.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time and on behalf of the City of Gold Coast, we extend our warmest wishes for a swift and complete recovery from your cancer diagnosis,” he wrote.
“The Gold Coast holds fond memories of the Royal visit to the Gold Coast during the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“Your Majesty’s presence graced our city with a sense of unity and celebration that is forever embedded in our collective memory (and) we remain hopeful, health permitting, that you can visit Australia later in the year and hope the Gold Coast will be on your itinerary.
The Mayor also mentions his continued discussions with the new Commonwealth Games boss and the “sabotage” of the 2026 event Mr Tate hoped to bid on.
“I continue to have positive discussions with the new Commonwealth Games President, Chris Jenkins, about the sabotaging of the 2026 Games and will be happy to update you at your convenience,” he said.
Revealed: How King Charles will be lured back to the Gold Coast
King Charles and Queen Camilla will be officially invited to visit the Gold Coast this week as plans for a royal tour ramp up.
The royals are expected to travel to Australia in October despite the King’s ongoing cancer battle, with local and state leaders already scrambling to secure a coveted visit.
NSW is tipped to extend an invite to attend The Everest race day at Royal Randwick, something the King has previously expressed an interest in, while Mayor Tom Tate has been working on “an itinerary that is quintessential Gold Coast”.
“I will this week write to The Palace to formally invite King Charles and Queen Camilla to visit our city as part of their Australian tour,” he said.
“I know from speaking with Charles in 2018 he thoroughly enjoyed his time here during the (Commonwealth) Games.
“I accompanied Camilla to the water’s edge at Kurrawa and she remarked on the beauty of our city and our successful 2018 Games.
“If re-elected, I plan on continuing discussions with councillors to name a park in honour of The King.
“We have Philip Park in honour of his father, and Queen Elizabeth II park as well as the Jubilee Walkway.”
King Charles last visited the Gold Coast in 2018 when he was Prince of Wales and standing in for his mother, the late Queen.
It was his 16th trip to Australia and seventh to Queensland.
His Majesty opened the Commonwealth Games at Metricon Stadium on April 5, 2018 and then toured the city, meeting with Mr Tate, then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and placing the final piece of the Commonwealth Games walkway in.
The then-Prince walked Surfers Paradise beach, met with fans and even inspected a wheelie bin shown to him by Robina High students.
He had previously visited in the 1960s and 1970s when he was infamously shielded from meeting three bikini girls by then-mayor Sir Bruce Small, despite expressing his interest to then-NSW premier Neville Wran.
“You’re right about the healthiest-looking girls being in Australia,” he said at the time.
“I would have liked to have seen the bikini girls at Coolangatta.
“I’m told I lead a sheltered life, I see what people mean.”
‘IT’S ALREADY FLOWING’: PRESSURE ON TATE TO SPEND $350,000
Tom Tate says he’ll reconsider the Gold Coast’s membership on a powerful decision-making body if he is re-elected on March 16.
Pressure is growing on the Mayor to rejoin the South East Queensland Council of Mayors (COMSEQ) to ensure the city doesn’t continue to miss out on critical funding deals for key infrastructure projects.
Mr Tate has previously argued the city was saving $350,000 annually by not being a member and argues his negotiation skills and salesmanship are up to the task and uses the securing of light rail Stage 3 funding as an example of his success.
But with many council candidates pushing for the issue to be revisited, Mr Tate confirmed the issue would be revisited by the new council once its members were sworn in.
“Re-joining it is a council decision and we will have to decide it in the next term,” he said.
“We debate it every term and I give an insight on what has been done and look at the advocacy we have been able to do by ourselves.
“It’s easy say go and spend $350,000 but what do you get from it when you are already getting funding and I can just ring premiers and prime ministers for a catch-up?
“I don’t see why we need to be part of the council of mayors when the advocacy is already flowing.”
The vast bulk of candidates who spoke on Wednesday at a Central Chamber of Commerce breakfast were supportive of returning to the high-power decision-making body.
Mayoral hopeful Danielle Dunsmore was critical of Mr Tate, saying: “If I was in corporate, where I have been before and I made a f--k up and didn’t pay $250,000 to get $100m I would get sacked.”
Fellow mayoral hopeful Lavinia Rampino said “we need to be at that table” while divisional candidates Nikki Archer and Monique Jeremiah both supported membership.
Carrara councillor Bob La Castra is against returning, while incumbent Southport councillor Brooke Patterson said she did not support rejoining COMSEQ while Mr Tate was mayor but would reconsider it if someone else won the election.
‘STOP BAGGING SURFERS’: WHY ONE-TIME TATE RIVAL VOTED FOR HIM
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek posted a photograph of his ballot paper on social media on Tuesday night, showing Mr Tate was his first pick for the top job.
Businesswoman Lavinia Rampino and Animal Justice Party candidate Jennifer Horsburgh were his second and third choices.
Mr Langbroek, who this month marked 20 years in state parliament, placed Danielle Dunsmore and Eddy Sarroff last after both had criticised the state of Surfers Paradise.
“Stop bagging the heart of our beautiful city,” he wrote.
Ms Dunsmore hit back at a Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce candidate breakfast on Wednesday morning.
“I don’t care but down the bottom (John-Paul Langbroek) tagged me and actually said don’t crap on Surfers or something. I kinda had this whoa moment – we are being gaslit,” she said.
“Eddy last week said Surfers was okay. I said Surfers is not okay. It’s not looking good. We rely on tourists. Tourists who come here are going to be so disappointed.
“People are passionate about Surfers and want to love it. We are paying these people to fix our problems and they not fixing them. They are gaslighting us, it’s actually their job.”
BOB BACKS DIVERSITY
The man set to become the Gold Coast’s longest-serving councillor has defended the council against criticisms it’s not racially diverse enough.
Experienced councillor Bob La Castra is running for an eighth term representing Carrara and Ashmore and is being challenged by first-time candidate Monique Jeremiah.
The Diversity Models agency owner, speaking at the Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce’s Meet the Candidates breakfast on Wednesday morning, said she wanted to bring greater diversity to council.
“The Gold Coast has a place which has a very Australianised environment,” she said.
“I’ve been here 28 years, I love the Gold Coast and I think we can grow and improve and be a place where people feel they belong.”
Ms Jeremiah argued the council needed to do more to draw in tourists and embrace more cultural pursuits such as European markets
“We have Chinatown, which is an amazing investment thanks to (former councillor) Dawn Crichlow but do we have influences for European markets and other markets” she said.
“Look at why people go to Sydney and Melbourne.
But Mr La Castra bristled at Ms Jeremiah’s comments, arguing the council had strong credentials on diversity in its ranks.
“In case anyone hasn’t noticed, I’m actually black,” he said.
“I think our city embraced diversity when they elected me and since then they have elected a Thai-Australian mayor (Tom Tate), so I think we are leading by example in terms of embracing culture and diversity.
Mr La Castra, if re-elected on March 16, will become the city’s longest-serving councillor following the retirement of Daphne McDonald.
He pointed to Ms McDonald’s retirement alongside three other incumbents and argued the next council needed experience alongside the new faces.
IMPROVING SAFETY
Mayoral hopeful Eddy Sarroff wants to fund a flying army of drones to improve safety on the Gold Coast.
Mr Sarroff has unveiled his campaign pitch for fighting crime and ramping up safety measures in the suburbs.
Mr Sarroff, previously a six-term councillor is campaigning on improving safety, including using hi-tech unmanned craft.
“Drones assist Surf Lifesaving Queensland by keeping us safe on the beach and in the water, why not in our neighbourhoods,” he said.
“We will also consult with the relevant authorities about using the latest and most sophisticated drones to help us fight crime in our suburbs.
“My council will fund Neighbourhood Watch programs conjointly with communities and allow communities to set the priorities, after all they live in their local neighbourhoods”.
“We will also work with local communities and identify additional street lighting and lighting in public areas including a greater concentration on public safety in our most popular night-time locations across the city.”
Mr Sarroff said he would authorise spending $10m to expand the Gold Coast’s CCTV network under a plan to improve safety and fight crime.
“I will convene a yearly “Neighbourhood Think Tank” for all Neighbourhood Watch committees across the city and invite representatives from Police, Justice, Housing, Education and leading criminologists,” he said.
“I will also lead a Crime and Community Safety Committee with well credentialed members of both the public and private sector.
“My council will work with all state bodies to improve the safety and lifestyle for all residents across the city.”
SOLVING HOUSING
Mayoral hopeful Gary Pead says he wants to stop the “housing Ponzi scheme” if elected.
Mr Pead, who has previously run twice for the mayoralty, has unveiled a series of campaign promises he will fulfil if he secures the city’s top job, including introducing daylight saving, a state government responsibility.
“(I want to) introduce solutions to stop the “housing Ponzi scheme”, most prominent on the Gold Coast and mirroring the scheme that has worked effectively in developing Canberra City,” he said
“Doing so will ease the housing and homelessness problem on the Gold Coast.
“I will demand the billions of dollars collected by the state government from Gold Coast City stamp duty to be returned in full each year to address these problems.”
Mr Pead said he also wanted to “refine town planning requirements for residential rooftop electrification” and a “tourist pioneer theme park” in Mudgeeraba, as well as other green measures.
“(I will) introduce the only existing global solution to eliminate the waste crisis of plastic pollution, which will create profitable income for the city,” he said.
“(We need to) bring in Daylight Savings (sic) to (southeast) Queensland because the economies of Northern NSW and the Gold Coast city are intimately linked. The current situation is unsustainable for residents on both sides of the border.”
PARKING SHORTAGE
Lack of parking in some suburban streets has surfaced as a major safety issue with Varsity a hot spot, warns Division 11 candidate Nic Rone.
“Even essential services and delivery trucks have trouble getting into streets at times. It is more the small back suburban streets, rather than the main strips,” Mr Rone told the Bulletin.
“The current 2-hour parking limit only serves to exacerbate these issues, forcing residents to navigate our streets amid traffic, compromising safety and accessibility.”
Mr Rone said feedback from community engagements, emails and door-to-door conversations showed a critical need for a solution addressing the unique parking needs of the Division.
Residents complained about the location of yellow lines, dangerous corners and the confusion surrounding parking permits.
“Current restrictions penalise residents for attempting to creatively address these challenges, such as partially parking on grassy verges, further highlighting the inadequacies of our current system,” he said.
Mr Rone said he had an “action plan” which would re-evaluate the restrictive two hour limit, allow for a “two wheels on and two wheels off” supporting partial parking on verges in streets without sidewalks.
He said the fast forwarding of a council investigation should include reassessing parking boundaries.
But Mr Rone’s “action plan” came under immediate attack.
His opponent in Division 11, Dan Doran said parking on nature strips and verges was not permitted under Transport operation and regulation laws.
“We have parking issues in Division 11 but what Mr Rone is suggesting with his two wheels on and two wheels off plan is either that he can change the State road rule or that residents should break the law,” Mr Doran said.
“It’s an unserious suggestion and just another example of Mr Rone trying to mislead voters to get elected.”
CITY PLAN OVERALL
Division 10 candidate Mona Hecke is not going to push for overhauling the City Plan, rather focus on greening up the streets in built-up areas like Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
Ms Hecke admitted the State Government was not going to repeal the unlimited building height and density provisions of the 2016 City Plan which supercharged the current
boom of high-rise development.
“I’m not going to crusade for a complete overhaul of the City Plan,” she said.
“Except for Chevron Island which the council has already recognised, cannot cope with the intensity of development currently allowable.”
Ms Hecke said it important to ensure more tree planting to beautify the streets.
“I think this can be achieved by reintroduction of requirements for landscaping, with deep planting, at the front,” she said.
“And in the central shopping areas of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, where buildings come right to the front boundary, designs should provide greenery on walls and cascading from terraces, or contributions to a street tree planting program led by our council.”
Ms Hecke said greening the streets along with greater investment in active and public transport were her two major public space initiatives and focus before the March 16 poll.
“I want a concerted effort by council to bring nature back into the city. We can encourage developers and residents to plant shade trees and gardens, but the greatest opportunity to enhance the look and feel of the city, lies squarely with the council,” she said.
“Locals tell me they want tree planting across Isle of Capri and Chevron Island to create shaded boulevards.”
- The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology then edited and approved for publication by an editor.
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