Gold Coast businesses, residents speak up on how to ‘clean up’ Surfers Paradise
Taxing landlords for having empty tenancies, a giant spring clean and pedestrianising Cavill Avenue are among operator suggestions for fixing a Surfers Paradise image problem. What do you think?
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TAXING landlords for having empty tenancies, a giant spring clean and pedestrianising Cavill Avenue are among operator suggestions for fixing a Surfers Paradise image problem.
It comes after Bulletin columnist Ann Wason Moore questioned the appeal of Surfers while Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says there is “only so much council can do”.
He told the Bulletin on Wednesday: “We all know how iconic Surfers Paradise is which is why we have invested significant funds and effort in creating the new Surfers Paradise Business Centre Place Based Master Plan which included significant community consultation,” Cr Tate said.
“I’ve already seen some of the early works underway and have taken advantage of the lockdown to get some painting works done. However, there is only so much council can do. We need business to also put their best foot forward to present themselves and the precinct as best as possible.”
Major Surfers Paradise landlord Bob Ell said the visitor hub needed revitalised, “no doubt about it”.
“But we need to focus on the whole of Surfers not just the beach side because there are a number of traders and good businesses which were affected by the introduction of the light rail. It’s also about everything down towards the Nerang River end.”
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Mr Ell suggested the pedestrianisation of Cavill Mall could be extended further down Cavill Avenue past White Rhino, Finn McCool’s Irish bar and the reborn Melba bar at his site.
Costa D’Oro Italian restaurant co-owner Michael Fusco who has lived and worked in Surfers Paradise for more than three decades said “it definitely needs a bit of a clean up”.
“It’s more of a clean up of image if anything,” he said. “More hygiene or cleaning maintenance like on Orchid Avenue. Some mornings have been looking a bit shabby or dirty.
“Particularly after a Friday or Saturday night. It needs an extra clean. On weekends you have lots of tourists with family and they are walking through looking for breakfast places.
“Even along the beachfront where they are doing up all those bollards in front of McDonalds.
“That area is so filthy on the ground. It needs a gurney and a steam clean and it needs to done (more often) than every five years.”
The Surfers Paradise precinct’s ongoing master plan, done in consultation with business leaders and stakeholders, is the city’s vision is to “enhance the unique identity of Surfers Paradise as an international landmark destination and major event precinct”.
Transport and pedestrian access will be improved and infrastructure provided to develop and activate the streetscape.
Street performer Joel Fenton, 34, has lived through 12 years of change and believes it does have an outdated look but is wary of more major construction hold-ups.
“(Cavill Mall) had a revamp in 2012. It was a major construction zone. It wasn’t a good time,” Mr Fenton said. “With any revamp, you do hope there is some consideration to not making (the area) a construction zone.
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“A lot of businesses were shut down (in 2012) which made life tough - even for me, a street performer trying to make a living in the Mall.
“Everywhere needs a revamp after a while. (Surfers) certainly looks dated.
“(It needs) more open spaces - more places people can exercise and enjoy entertainment.”
Surfers Paradise Beach Cafe owner Arthur De Snoo, 54, said the suburb was “fine how it is, nothing wrong with it” - but it would be “nice” to have unfinished projects completed.
“Cavill Mall has been a permanent building site for three years,” the cafe operator of nine years said.
“There hasn’t been a week when there hasn’t been any work. I don’t know what it is but on Cavill Ave every week there seems to be something. It’s just poor planning. Every week it’s something else - a pipe, a tree, concrete.
“They did (a revamp) in (2012) and they closed (Surfers Paradise).”
Walking around Surfers Paradise hotspots, it’s not hard to miss multiple “for lease” signs.
Mr De Snoo said empty shops were the “biggest problem” and blamed over-charging landlords.
“People don’t come to an area with empty shops. It starts to look derelict and it’s the problem,” he said.
“The rent is unrealistic. The landlords would rather have it empty. If that doesn’t change you’ll continue to have the same problem.
“Put a tax on it if it’s empty so the landlord has to pay for it. It will make them want to occupy the shop.”
Matt Keegan — whose Artestian Hospitality venue stable includes White Rhino and Orchid Avenue nightclubs Sin City, The Bedroom and Havana — said there was plenty to be optimistic about and from his viewpoint the suburb “isn’t suffering at all”.
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“Why not talk about what’s actually happening in Surfers - like massive new openings, installation of greenery, and multi-million dollar new projects like White Rhino, the Best of Beers bar, The Lost Kingdom nightclub and rumoured Cali Beach Club?,” Mr Keegan said.
“Surfers has already started to reinvent itself. The reality is it’s doing better than almost anywhere on the Coast.
“Take a look at pictures from restaurants and venues during the week and on the weekends, you’ll see packed out venues.
“The issue is not being able to fit enough people, not getting people to come. Contrast that with some other areas on the Coast, which are still sadly struggling.
“I agree there is still plenty of work to be done in Surfers and changes that can make it better. But to suggest it is down and out and beyond repair is not right.”
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