AS we rocket closer to the top of the Gold Coast Power 100, numbers 60 to 41 include real estate agents, politicians and developers — including some who’ve dropped from last year’s top 10.
Read, ponder and tell us what you think.
We’ll publish another 20 here tomorrow ahead of a gloss magazine featuring the full list — plus more features on our influential people — in Friday’s Gold Coast Bulletin.
60. JOHN NEWLANDS
NEW TO THE LIST
THE Professionals Surfers Paradise Principal was elected to the board of the Real Estate Institute of Queensland in October after a five-year stint as chairman of the group’s Gold Coast zone.
An authority on the Gold Coast property landscape and the issues facing the industry.
59. MARTIN HALL
NEW TO THE LIST
THE Surfside general manager and Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president is a vocal advocate for fully integrated public transport and has been instrumental in a push to city’s two biggest business groups into one.
Leads a team of 800 staff, including 650 bus drivers, at Surfside.
FLASHBACK 2016: POWER 100: GOLD COAST’S MOST INFLUENTIAL 60-41
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58. ROLAND EVANS
THE Canford Property founder hasn’t let government restrictions in his key buyer’s country China stop him from making some big deals.
Mr Evans brokered the $55 million deal between two Chinese interests for land at Nerang he’d sold for $20 million three years earlier, sold Harry Triguboff a chunk of Surfers Paradise for a record-breaking tower, and helped put together 6000 hectares of farmland at Norwell, which could break a national land sales record.
57. STUART ROBERT
THE LNP Member for Fadden retained his seat in the 2016 election despite a 3.3 per cent swing to Labor.
Stayed squeaky clean during a corruption probe into funding of two of his staffers who ran in the Gold Coast council elections and remains an influential figure and key fundraiser for his party.
56. DONNA GATES
THE deputy mayor, one of two sitting councillors unopposed in the 2016 election, was grilled at the corruption watchdog hearing into those elections and criticised for voting on development approvals sought by developers who donated to her campaign.
A strong ally of Mayor Tom Tate, Cr Gates has spent much of 2017 as acting Mayor while Tom Tate was overseas or dealing with personal problems.
55. DAVID FANG and MIN YANG
THE pair behind ASF Group’s $3 billion integrated resort bid suffered a major blow this year, losing their “preferred proponent” status for a second Gold Coast casino.
The group still has approval for a 66-storey golden tower in Southport and major developments at Hope Island which launched in the past year.
54. IAN LANGDON
THE chair of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Board has a diverse background which has served him well.
Mr Langdon is a vocal advocate for the Parkwood health and knowledge precinct, which is poised to take over after the Commonwealth Games as a key city growth opportunity.
53. NORM & GREG RIX
THE veteran father-son Rix combination is a key developer on the Coast and one of the longest-running development operations.
Their shopping centre developments include Ashmore City and the Coomera Grand shopping centre in skyrocketing northern growth corridor. Mr Rix senior, a former councillor, is one of the State’s richest people.
52. ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER BRIAN CODD
IT’S been a heavy year for Gold Coast police, with allegations of fudged crime stats and officers who have been the subject of two Crime and Corruption Commission probes. Superintendent Michelle Stenner was charged with perjury after the daughter of Chief Superintendent Terry Borland was employed by the force.
51. TERRY MORRIS
THE Sirromet Wine founder and veteran Gold Coast businessman has a diverse range of interests.
He is into motorsports, hotels and property and is well regarded by the business community. His Mount Cotton winery is enjoying growing popularity and his Carrara Markets are undergoing a growth spurt.
50. CON MAKRIS
THE Greek billionaire owns some of the city’s best-known properties, including Marina Mirage marina and shopping centre, which he bought for $52 million in 2013.
He shelled out another $65 million in 2015 for the retail and office precinct at the Oracle, Broadbeach.
49. BARRY BOWDITCH
NEW TO THE LIST
WAS appointed managing director of Magic Millions in October after the departure of long-time boss Vin Cox.
Mr Bowditch, previously the Bloodstock and Sales Selection Manager for Magic Millions, now heads the most successful thoroughbred auction house in the southern hemisphere.
48. WILLIAM O’DWYER
THE Ralan Group owner, who debuted on the list at number 51 last year, is among Surfers Paradise’s biggest landowners and is making his presence in the city felt.
He has six towers and nearly 3000 apartments planned at Budds Beach, and owns the Paradise Resort and the city block immediately to the south, where he is well advanced on construction of the mammoth four-tower Ruby development.
47. MARION CHARLTON
The COO of Gold Coast Airport has kicked off the airport’s Project Lift redevelopment and overseen the Federal approval of the airport’s master plan and successful court appeal of the ILS. She is on the advisory Board for Southern Cross Uni’s Business School and the Board of Trustees for the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation.
46. MARK EVANS
NEW TO THE LIST
SNAGGING the New Gold Coast Suns CEO from AFL HQ in Melbourne in March turned out to be the best thing the Suns did all year.
The well-respected administrator has got stuck in making the big changes needed to turn the club’s fortunes and played a massive part in the Gold Coast nabbing a team in the women’s league in 2020.
45. CHRIS MILLS
THE Queensland Airports Ltd CEO is responsible for the Gold Coast, Townsville and Mount Isa airports.
The former GM of Economic Development Queensland and manager for Brisbane’s Southbank Corporation, Mr Mills is well connected in business, government and tourism and is overseeing the airport redevelopment.
44. GREG AND ANDREW BELL
The Bell brothers, with Andrew at the helm for residential and Greg heading commercial and industrial, have spent more 25 years building the Coast’s most successful real estate empire. The Ray White Surfers Paradise Group was last month named the Gold Coast Business of the Year.
43. RI YU LI
THE chairman of Ridong group is the local in charge of the $1 billion Jewel development.
Mr Li’s company is partnered with Dalian Wanda to complete the hotel and residential project on the border of Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise.
The project’s team has begun marketing the third tower of Jewel, which is due for completion in mid-2019.
42. BOB ELL
MR Ell has spent 40 years in charge of the powerful Leda Development group with a portfolio of residential, commercial, retail and industrial developments completed and under way.
Mr Ell is a no-nonsense billionaire with contacts across the country and fingers in a lot of pies.
Splits his time between Sydney and the Gold Coast, where he has major developments at Pimpama and south of the border in the Tweed.
41. SIMON GLOFTIS
THIS popular restaurateur is a well-connected and savvy businessman with an instinct for customer service which has driven his success.
This year relaunched his wildly-popular Hellenika restaurant and has a major project on the cards for next year which is likely to see his stocks soar further.
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