Ray White Surfers Paradise Group CEO Andrew Bell says Gold Coast has potential to be Australia’s own Silicon Valley
The Gold Coast has the potential to be Australia’s own “Silicon Valley-style smart centre”, according to a prominent businessman. Here’s what’s holding us back.
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THE Gold Coast could be Australia’s own “Silicon Valley-style smart centre” but more must be done to attract business and support those flocking to the city off the back of the COVID-19 crisis, says a top real estate boss.
Ray White Surfers Paradise Group CEO Andrew Bell says that while the promise of sun, surf and sand is bringing mass migration to the Gold Coast, it is jobs that will keep them here.
“We know that there is a relocation of people – singles, couples, families, professionals and retirees – moving here for different reasons, and many will need a job,” he said.
“One of the things I would like to see come out of this year is for our local governments to make a much more concerted effort to attract the migration of businesses.”
Mr Bell is among a think tank of community and industry leaders taking part in the Gold Coast Bulletin’s Future Gold Coast initiative examining the opportunities and challenges faced by the city in coming years.
While the rise in remote working during COVID-19 had presented many Australians with the freedom to relocate, Mr Bell said incentives were needed to entice businesses to follow suit.
“We need to have that attitude – be it grants, taxation benefits, payroll taxes – a range of different measures to make it attractive for businesses to relocate. We need to get that message out there: we’re open for business, come talk to us.”
AUSTRALIA’S OWN SILICON VALLEY
But the Gold Coast did not want just any business – Mr Bell said the city was more suited to developing knowledge-based industries, such as technology and health, to preserve the lifestyle that people were moving here for.
“For a population base of say 650,000, it’s incredible to think we’ve got three universities and a large number of high-quality schools,” he said.
“We’ve said for years that we don’t like the fact that our kids then have to leave here to get a good-paying job. Well, now we’ve got the opportunity to make this a centre for jobs.
“There’s a beautiful blend that we can have if we’re selective about the types of business that we encourage here.
“We could almost have like a Silicon Valley mentality where we haven’t got heavy industry and be seen more as the ‘smart centre’.
“We want this to remain a beautiful, comfortable city to live in.”
A MASTERPLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT
Striking that balance will be one of the city’s greatest challenges, according to Mr Bell who said further development was inevitable to meet the demand for beachside living.
“There is a limited ability to expand on the Gold Coast – we’ve got ocean to the east, a mountain range to the west, cut off point to the north and a border to the south,” he said.
“Most people who come here – tourists or residents – want to be close to the beach and we can only go up.
“We just need to be mindful of what people have come here to get away from, which in many cases is those densely populated areas. If we had a clearer master plan of where development is likely to occur over the next 40-50 years then people could take some comfort in deciding where they choose to live.”
A recent report by listings site realestate.com.au shows property search activity is heavily centred on the southern Gold Coast, in particular the strip from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta where prices are well on the rise.
A string of new restaurants, cafes and shopping have established Palm Beach as a beachside hot spot, while projects such as the planned redevelopment of the Nobby Beach precinct and the Kirra Beach Hotel promise a “world-class” transformation.
A MAJOR OVERHAUL OF SURFERS PARADISE
The so-called Glitter Strip has lost the lustre that once made it a global tourist centre and Mr Bell said a “major rethink” and investment were needed to revive Surfers Paradise for locals and visitors.
“Nobody comes to the Gold Coast and doesn’t want to go to Surfers Paradise,” he said. “This is where so much of our holiday accommodation is so it’s a natural thing that those visitors spill out on to the streets, but there isn’t much for them.
“The area is largely boycotted by local families and there have been three fatal stabbings there in the past 12 months.”
Mr Bell proposes moving the nightclub precinct to Southport, placing it in proximity to the police station and Gold Coast University Hospital.
“Providing incentives for people to move their nightclubs over there, to me, makes more sense,” he said.
“Bring Surfers Paradise back to being an attractive place for better restaurants and a great shopping area where people can walk around at 10 or 11 at night with their kids and feel that they’re in a beautiful area.”
OPTIMISTIC BUT NOT COMPLACENT
Transport, restaurants and pollution were other topics high on the Future Gold Coast hit list for Mr Bell who said the city could not afford to waste the opportunity thrust upon it by the COVID-19 crisis.
“We have to be very careful we don’t just think, we’re it. That we don’t have to do anything. We exist and therefore they will come,” he said. “If we want people to come and stay, they need to enjoy living here. We need to have an awareness of what will make this city enjoyable, outside of great weather and the beach.
“We have every reason to be optimistic but not complacent. There’s work to be done to plan around this and we can’t sit back on our laurels.”
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