Gold Coast City Council election 2024: Mayor Tom Tate’s brutal sledge of community alliance
Mayor Tom Tate has branded the Gold Coast’s leading resident organisation “the Negative Community Alliance” after snubbing their extensive pre-poll questionnaire. FIND OUT WHY
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Mayor Tom Tate has branded the Gold Coast’s leading resident organisation “the Negative Community Alliance” after snubbing their extensive pre-poll questionnaire.
The Bulletin understands Mr Tate is not alone in rejecting the survey, with other candidates reluctant to give answers which will determine their future voting in the chamber.
Candidates are being surveyed on “privatisation of assets” including whether they support bars and clubs on beaches and the sale of Bruce Bishop carpark.
Other hot topics include support or opposition to a cruise ship terminal for The Spit or Broadwater and tourism cableway in the hinterland.
The Alliance has been stunned by the Mayor’s response which he has asked to be printed in full on their website. He says his political views are well known.
“Being an elected official brings with it responsibility to ensure the public is aware of your position on a suite of issues. Over the coming weeks, I will communicate directly with the public on my policies,” Mr Tate wrote.
“I note that not one member of the Community Alliance is elected by the public. My bigger concern is that the Alliance appears to not know my position on the subjects they have hand-picked for their questionnaire.
“They should know my stance as nothing has changed in 12 years. I suggest they subscribe to the Bulletin and purchase several hundred back copies to refresh themselves on my policies, which I’ve taken to the last three elections.
“And while they are at it, the Alliance should also rebrand itself to the Negative Community Alliance as negativity is their core business.”
The Community Alliance vehemently rejected this suggestion, saying they are there to serve the community.
Alliance leader John Hicks said he was disappointed Mr Tate had not engaged in the survey, adding it created concerns “about a lack of transparency”.
“We reject the suggestions. We are not negative. We consider our role to be making proactive recommendations about city growth,” he said.
Mr Hicks thanked the many candidates including sitting councillors who have
responded.
“We will also publish a list of all candidates noting those who did respond and those
who did not. We hope the candidate responses will be a useful point of reference to help inform how you vote,” he said.
A political source said several other candidates had legitimate concerns that if they answered questions they could be seen as having a biased view in the future.
Councillors are supposed to have “an open and persuadable mind” when about to vote in the council chamber.
They must not be conflicted or have bias which could surface on topics like City Plan and light rail, where stage four would see Burleigh connected to the Gold Coast Airport.
“Several candidates are concerned about the survey. They don’t want to be accused of effectively running on a ticket,” the source added.
A wave of anti-Tom Tate candidates last week were late nominations for council.
Eddy Sarroff along with Mona Hecke, in Division 10, and Brett Lambert, both previous mayoral candidates, all nominated just before the midday close of nominations on Tuesday.
Just 46 people have put themselves forward as candidates for the March 16 election, down from the record 68 who ran in 2012 and 56 who ran in 2020, including a record nine mayoral hopefuls.
The Community Alliance will start publishing the candidate responses on our Facebook pages on Monday.
Council candidates: Opinion on cruise ships, trams and beach bars
Candidates running for council will be asked to reveal key positions on a cruise ship terminal, cableway and other controversial projects like beach bars in the lead-up to voting.
They will also need to divulge their preference for light rail to the border or zero emission buses as an alternative.
Political hopefuls will also be grilled on City Plan reforms and whether they support a Gotham City skyline from Main Beach to Coolangatta or want tougher measures to reduce building heights.
The Community Alliance, the Gold Coast’s peak body for residents, has begun sending out a lengthy survey to all candidates. At least 10 candidates have completed it. All answers will be made publicly available online during the campaign so voters can gauge where candidates stand on critical issues.
Candidates will be asked key questions on “privatisation of assets” including whether they support bars and clubs on beaches and the sale of Bruce Bishop carpark.
They will be asked if they support or oppose a cruise ship terminal for The
Spit or Broadwater and tourism cableway in the hinterland.
Other key questions include whether they back council plans to acquire a shareholding stake in the Gold Coast Airport via its overarching company Queensland Airports Ltd.
Community Alliance wants to know if candidates support investment in public parks and
sports fields to meet the city’s massive population growth, and whether they back a major street greening program starting in 2024 in preparation for the 2032 Olympics.
The group has challenged candidates to state their position on Light Rail Stage Four to the Airport, saying the $3 billion project compromises other public transport alternatives.
Community Alliance president John Hicks said the City was facing many challenges as the population continues to grow and the residents need to know that aspiring councillors were up to meeting these challenges
“The decisions made by our elected Councillors and Mayor have a huge influence on how residents work, live, and play and the legacy left to future generations,” he said.
“It is essential voters have the opportunity to gain deeper insights into the
people who seek to represent them.”
The group will send proforma questionnaires to all divisional and mayoral candidates.
“The questions focus on better management of city growth and planning, better
public transport for the whole of the city not just the coastal corridor, potential privatisation of public land and assets and investment of ratepayer funds,” Mr Hicks said.
“And importantly it will ask how the candidate proposes to deliver meaningful community engagement that places residents at the centre of their decision making and voting in council.”
Community Alliance will publish candidate responses verbatim on its web page after February 16 so that voters can judge for themselves how the candidates measure up in
their Division and for the city as a whole.
The survey focuses on the City Plan and whether candidates would support tougher measures to prevent a Gotham city style skyline from Main Beach to Coolangatta.
The Main Beach Association, using a graphic design, has shown the impact of light rail on potential building height in their suburb.
Questions include support for the reintroduction of Local Area Plans, having a range of
range of built form heights along the coastal strip “to avoid a high rise monoculture from Main Beach to Coolangatta”.
The Community Alliance wants minimum lot sizes for tall buildings to stop super towers being built on tiny single house lot sites.
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