The Main Beach Association for the first time backs Cr Darren Taylor against Mona Hecke
A high profile Gold Coast community group, in a shock step, thrown its support behind a surprise party just a week out from the council elections. FIND OUT WHY
Council Election
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A high profile Gold Coast community group in a shock step has backed their area councillor as voting starts in the 2024 local government poll.
Main Beach Association (MBA) says it has after “considerable deliberation” decided to announce its support for Division 10 councillor Darren Taylor in the March 16 poll.
The decision stunned Cr Taylor’s rival Mona Hecke who ran as a community-backed candidate against Mayor Tom Tate in the 2020 poll.
“I honestly do not understand where that has come from. I’ve always been part of all the community groups, including the Alliance, GECKO, the Main Beach Association, Save Our Spit,” Ms Hecke said.
“I’ve always supported what they have stood for and how they have defended the community. I don’t understand where that is coming from, and for what reasons they are behaving that way.”
MBA leader Sue Donovan said there were several reasons for supporting Cr Taylor.
“The first is his voting record. Darren has stuck his neck out from the very beginning of his term, consistently voting against the more egregious development applications in Main Beach,” Ms Donovan said.
“He also stood up to the Mayor in voting against the sale the Bruce Bishop carpark.”
Ms Donovan said Cr Taylor had staged constructive bi-monthly meetings of the Main Beach Collective, which included Spit groups, the surf club and Gold Coast Waterways Authority.
Other members included business operators and the building managers of apartment towers.
“Through the Main Beach Collective, we have all learned an enormous amount about how the different levels of government can work together – and what practical actions can be taken to protect and improve the liveability of Main Beach,” Ms Donovan said.
She accused Ms Hecke of “throwing her hat in the ring at the very last moment” and questioned her running under the banner that residents of Division 10 “want more involvement in the decision-making processes that affect their daily lives”.
“Frankly, it is hard to see how Darren Taylor could have done more, at least as far as Main Beach is concerned,” Ms Donovan said.
Another community group source said their members were concerned about Ms Hecke’s push for a “concrete path” through the dune system at Phillip Park at the top of The Spit.
“Cr Taylor, has been working with the actual community groups involved for the past four years and is aware of these issues, understands the scientific nature of them, and most importantly has been acting on these issues on behalf of the community,” the source said.
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