Southport councillor Brooke Patterson admits it will take a decade to fix the CBD
Business leaders have been warned any turnaround for Southport is still years away, despite growing concerns about illegal dumping, rampant homelessness and empty shop fronts.
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Southport councillor Brooke Patterson has told business leaders it would be a decade-long project to fix the CBD as it is confronted by the homeless and needs a “tower of power”.
At the Central Chamber of Commerce Meet the Candidates breakfast on Wednesday, Cr Patterson defended her record as a first-term councillor when asked about the homeless issue, the bid to secure an office tower to house council staffers and a federal court and a Priority Development Area plan.
Her rival, Samantha Delmege, who has focused on a back to basics campaign, said the CBD was a mess with homelessness and people urinating in the streets.
Cr Patterson said when she was elected she knew it would take a decade to fix the housing problem, secure a tower of power and get the area firing with commercial development.
“When I started I said this is a ten-year plan. I’m four years in and I’m on track,” she said.
Cr Patterson acknowledged homelessness was a state issue but she had pushed the case for the City to be involved because it was occurring on council streets.
“What that has enabled us is to be able to hold the state government to account. All of a sudden we know how many people are on our streets sleeping at night,” she said.
Cr Patterson later posted a video, taken on Davenport St, saying public space liaison officers were organising for housing for the homeless.
“So these trolleys are on the move very shortly. But we are giving them a little bit more time while that transition occurs,” she said, at the time.
Cr Patterson at the chamber breakfast said she had spoken recently to the federal opposition about getting a commitment to reinvestigate a federal circuit court being based in the CBD.
She said a report would provided to the next council after the March 16 poll on future staff accommodation in the CBD.
She said it made sense to have council workers based in Southport.
Ms Delmege said as registered nurse, she had cared for people over 20 years and now wanted to extend that to embrace the entire community.
“I want to take it back to roads, rates and rubbish. Starting from the ground up on those issues we can create big things,” she said.
Ms Delmege said she would reintroduce Chinatown markets and more foot traffic with multicultural events, and “create a more family friendly division”.
Her plan with the homeless was to work with all levels of government and push for more CCTV and lighting.
“If you start from the ground up and fix those things first, you will get more people who will want to come in to the CBD for their small businesses, a few corporations and government agencies,” she said.
“You need to make it look good. At the moment you walk through the CBD there is illegal dumping everywhere, there is a lot of homelessness, people urinating. It is terrible.
“For the CBD of the Gold Coast, is really needs fixing, desperately.”
Candidate David Woodley, known for his work as an actor, said he returned to the Coast three years ago from Sydney with his young family.
He promised to be “good listener” as a councillor.
He said the establishing the marine tourism boats at Howards Wharf would help attract more shoppers and tourists back into the CBD.
Originally published as Southport councillor Brooke Patterson admits it will take a decade to fix the CBD
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