THINK TANK: Health boss Ian Langdon says Gold Coast will be renowned destination for neurological treatment.

GOLD Coast Hospital and Health Board chairman Ian Langdon wants locals to stop knocking the place and start building it.

Gold Coast Hospitals and Health Board Chairman Ian Langdon at the Gold Coast University Hospital. Picture Glenn Hampson

Ian Langdon wants Gold Coasters to stop knocking the place and start building it — both literally and reputationally. He believes the city could be — no, will be — a world-renowned destination for the specialist treatment of neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

What do you love about the Gold Coast?

“The versatility, there’s so much you can do here. I particularly like it at Mount Tamborine because it’s a bit cooler at night, we’ve got beautiful gardens there which my wife does all the work on but I claim the credit for. There’s so much you can do here — the beach, local parks, shopping or whatever.”

What do you think could be done better on the Gold Coast?

“The people on the Gold Coast need to talk more positively about the Gold Coast. Every-body seems to initially focus upon what’s wrong and, in fact, you’ve got to search for things that are wrong because there are so many things that are right. I would like to see the Gold Coast Suns become premiers — that would be more than amazing.”

In your travels, what have you seen being done elsewhere you think could work here?

“If you go to really big cities and you see the public transport you see has been missing here, but is now largely rectified by the introduction of the G.

“It’s not just a means of transport, it can actually change the feeling of a city.

“I wouldn’t suggest the Gold Coast has got to do anything more radical than what it’s doing at the moment and that is building up its infrastructure.

“There will be a day, not too far away, maybe 10 years down the track, when people will come out here and they will not know where the university or the hospital starts and finishes — this whole precinct will be unique. It will be like a city in its own right.”

If time, money laws and approvals were no issue, what is the one big project you would undertake tomorrow?

“We have a project we’re working on here with the university and it’s what we call the Institute of Neurodiversity.

“An institute of neurodiversity will be a hospital, with out-services as well, which would very much be a one-stop specialist centre looking at a whole range of neuro-related problems like Alzeimer’s, MS, Parkinson’s — all in that area.

“At the moment, that is a group throughout the whole of Australia that is really not catered for in a way that recognises their diverse needs.

“The institute of neurodiversity — and we’re developing proposals and a business case at the moment — is going to cost many hundreds of millions of dollars.

“It would be a national leader in the provision of services of a clinical, psychological and quality-of-life services.

“The Gold Coast would be a good location for that.

“It will happen — I’d love to have it yesterday because it’s so badly needed.”

What conversations should Gold Coast movers and shakers be having?

“The first priority is to maintain a positive attitude and start articulating all the things that are good about the Gold Coast.

“There are many cities that don’t have the natural attributes that we have here.

“They should be positively talking the region up because out of positivity will come many other initiatives. They should be talking up this precinct — this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where you have a world-class university, a world class health precinct — not only in the work they do but in the facilities they’ve got — they’re both extremely modern.

“You have the opportunity to build a city within a city.”

Biography

Gold Coast Hospital and Health Board chairman Ian Langdon experience on boards for diverse companies in industries like peanuts, milk and education. He was appointed chairman of the Peanut Company of Australia in March 2008, was Chairman of Australian Co-operative Foods Ltd (the Dairy Farmers Group) from 1989 until its sale in November 2008, was a director of Rabobank Australia Limited 1995-2004, Pivot Limited between 1993 and 2003 and Delta Electricity from 2000-2006.

“I was one of the first academic staff here at Griffith University, many years ago, initially I was an associate professor there and I set up the business school. At that stage it was The College of Advanced Education,” he said. He’s also a proud father of three and grandfather of six.

CORRECTION: Last week’s Think Tank had an error in the checklist which showed Brett Frizelle was not in favour of the cruise ship terminal or of backing local sporting teams. Mr Frizelle is strongly supportive of both of these things. The Bulletin apologises for this production error.