Peter Young Division 5 | Politician

Peter Young Division 5

Phone: +61 414 180 118

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25.01.2022 All the info you need is in the post. Total fire ban across the City until midnight Wednesday night. Thank you.

25.01.2022 PACIFIC PINES COMMUNITY HUB EXPANSION UNDERWAY NOW A couple of years ago I managed to secure Council support for further investment in the Community Hub on Pacific Pines Boulevard. I invested Divisional funds jointly with City funds to conduct a Planning exercise with community input helping inform the intended changes. Funds from the City and Division 5 were allocated in this current financial year to progress the construction and in 2020 Council gratefully received addition...al funding for the project from the State Government, mainly to support small companies during the COVID affected economy. Those State funds have helped us move into the construction phase now with purpose and you may have noticed works underway from this week. Works are expected to be completed around July and I look forward to our new and refurbished spaces being available for the ever-growing need in our local community. Total cost: $588,000 The Pacific Pines Hub Extension Project is a joint initiative of the City of Gold Coast and the Queensland Government.

24.01.2022 CLEAN UP I received a complaint recently about the state of the play equipment in Rotaract Park, Nerang and indeed it looked very poor to my eyes. I’m glad to say it’s all been cleaned and painted and it looks great - as does the whole park with various community facilities, cricket net, half-basketball court, bubbler and dog drinking bowl, shelter, BBQ and more. With 300 parks in the Division I rely on your input to try to get things done. Thank you!

24.01.2022 A few Committee matters to get through at the Full Council meeting today.

24.01.2022 Stay safe everyone

23.01.2022 Council has a network of Gross Pollutant Traps installed throughout Pacific Pines (and in other parts of the city) that help reduce pollution of our waterways. The traps have to be removed occasionally to clean out the debris and waste. The traps don't remove chemicals and nutrients. And regardless of how many of these expensive bits of kit we have, they cannot capture every bit of rubbish - and so it is up to us all to do the right thing and put waste in bins, and not throw bins into the lake! Honestly there are some really intellectually challenged grubs around, whose single contribution to the community where they live is to throw their fast food packaging onto the road. We are better than that.

23.01.2022 CHRISTMAS CAROLS PACIFIC PINES JUST ONE WEEK AWAY! REGISTER NOW - LIMITED TICKETS. A COVID SAFE EVENT - PLEASE DO YOUR BIT TO MAKE IT A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION Pacific Pines Christmas Carols Saturday 5th December at Central Park Oval, Hotham Drive, Pacific Pines, preshow starts at 4.00pm with the Carols program beginning at 5.30pm. Thank you so much to our principal sponsor Peter Young Division 5 providing funding for the event. We will have top quality entertainment, food trucks, market stalls, children's activities and of course our fantastic Santa. The event will culminate with fireworks at 8.00pm. This is a COVID safe free ticketed event and you will have to have a ticket to gain entry. Please click on the link to obtain your tickets https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2020-pacific-pines-christma

22.01.2022 Please take note and take care.

21.01.2022 I can’t hide my pleasure with the achievements of the Victorian State government and the people of Victoria. They have done an amazing thing and I am proud of them as fellow Australians.

20.01.2022 After so much effort and good planning, the weather has got the upper hand today. But we will be back!

19.01.2022 The beautiful Guanaba Valley as captured by local photographer, landscaper, volunteer fireman, father extraordinaire and all-round great guy Cameron Neville - this photo featured in the 2016 Division 5 calendar pen (thanks Cam!). Guanaba Valley has for several weeks been hosting filming activities for the Warner Brothers Elvis Presley feature film, and this Friday 12th that will include some limited temporary closures of Guanaba Creek Road (aka Hollywood Hills) under stop-go control. My understanding is that affected locals have been letter-dropped about this today but if you have particular concerns please call my office on 55828400 and if necessary we will patch you through direct to the Location Manager. Stay safe. It's going to be fun seeing Guanaba on the big screen!!

19.01.2022 FREE FLEXISKIP BULK WASTE SERVICE CITY WIDE! Long story sorry worth a read! I am delighted to finally be able to share this news with you! In years past Council provided a 'kerbside' waste service whereby residents could dispose of bulk waste material by leaving it on the road verge about once every two years. This attracted scavengers, looked terrible, was poorly utilised, cost an absolute bomb, and resulted in everything collected going to landfill.... This service was discontinued in 2019 and in 2020 a trial of a new on-demand bulky item kerbside collection service was undertaken in the southern half of the city; In 2020 (and I was publicly a keen advocate of this) Council decided to expand the trial service to the entire city; Now all eligible residents across the city will have access to the FREE service once per annum; As per the previous model, some properties are not eligible for this program. This includes: o high rise and unit complexes with existing bulk bin service o residential complexes with 10 or more units o rural areas that do not have a City-provided waste collection service; To book your FREE service, please do the following: o create an account via a secured portal at https://kerbside.handel.group/ o register your contact details o register your credit/debit card details o submit a booking request. Your FLEXiSKiP (which is a 3 cubic metre purpose-built bag) will be delivered to your home by local couriers (we are keen to support local businesses) You fill the skip with acceptable items from around the home You then scan the QR code or call the FLEXISKIP service centre to arrange to have the FLEXiSKiP collected. Your FLEXISKIP will be collected by a local driver and taken to a recycling centre. Recovery rates of more than 50% have been achieved throughout the trial!!; Fees will apply for non-compliant use of the bulky kerbside service, such as: o If the skip is delivered but not picked up within 30 days a service fee of $45.54 applies. o For every failed collection attempt a charge of $49.50 applies. o If your flexiskip contains contamination (tyres, car parts, asbestos, commercial waste etc) charges will apply and be based on the type and amount of non-accepted items. Please note that the City's Waste and Recycling Centres are open seven days a week to receive recyclable and waste materials, AT NO COST. Full details regarding the trial, including eligibility, terms and conditions, frequently asked questions and booking instructions is available at cityofgoldcoast.com.au/kerbsidecleanup Stay safe!

18.01.2022 UPDATE: WATERPLAYGROUND AT COUNTRY PARADISE PARKLANDS Wow! I was on site today to speak briefly about the waterplayground due for completion in November. The site is looking fantastic! We will finish with more vegetation than we started with and it is so shady and lovely with the trees and creek nearby. The old stables are gone and Healing Hooves has a beautiful new building purpose built for them. The new shade structures are up and heaps of other good ground work has been a...chieved AND we received these fantastic new images of the finished product. Thanks to Council for supporting this project, chiefly funded from developer infrastructure charges and Division 5 funds. Thanks to everyone at Country Paradise Parklands (especially the committee) for working positively on welcoming this project into the City’s best parkland. It is going to be a fantastic addition! See more

18.01.2022 CELEBRATION! You’ve probably already heard, but we’re going to have a bit of a celebration on Saturday 20 February to mark the opening of the new waterplayground at Country Paradise Parklands. Free snags and activities for kids from 9-12, all welcome, it’s a public park and there is no fee. Coffee and ice cream and cold drinks available. please drive slowly in the park.

18.01.2022 19 NOVEMBER WATERPLAYGROUND update There's been plenty of activity on site at Country Paradise Parklands with the installation of all play equipment (swings, springers, trampoline, carousel, tractor and junior combination unit) to be finalised this week. The big water tank has been manufactured and should be installed next week. After that the cattle ramp will be installed, and also the special disability-friendly roller slide! Works on the creek are continuing Light poles ...are on site and will be installed next week. COVID can't beat us! Hang in there folks! See more

16.01.2022 PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN NERANG WELCOME! REDEVELOPMENT OF EARLE PLAZA Council has received a ‘Response to the Information Request’ from the developers of the proposed redevelopment of the Nerang cinema and shopping centre complex at Earle Plaza. It is 408 pages long and the information includes:... Detailed responses to numerous issues raised after review of the initial plans and documents submitted (everything from car parking to acid sulfate soils, retaining walls to bicycle parking); Updated Architectural Plans; Updated Statement of Landscape Intent; Updated Engineering Services Report; Updated Traffic Impact Assessment; Updated Acoustic Report; Flood Emergency Management Plan; Water Network Capacity Assessment; Services location survey; and all prepared by numerous expert consultancies. The redevelopment is substantial and comprises 9 cinemas, a cinema café, 1,807 sq m of food and drink outlets, 280 sq m of health care services, 1,549 sq m of indoor sports and recreation, plus 226 carparks (144 undercover) - to be built in three stages. Being cinemas, it is a big box - and efforts have been made to ensure the centre presents well and has architectural merit I am reviewing all of the material and I have included a few images here. It is an exciting redevelopment of a key commercial site in the heart of the Nerang CBD and as such it has my positive focus. PLEASE NOTE that the proposal is entirely in accordance with the City Plan with no relaxations or exceptions requested. It is considered ‘Code’ Assessable and therefore it will not be open to public submissions, though you can email me on [email protected] if you have any concerns. Accordingly, I intend to advise officers I am comfortable for them to decide this matter using their Delegated Authority. This is principally to benefit the developer by saving the additional time that it would take for the matter to go through committee and Council. I will try to answer any relevant questions you have here, or email me.

16.01.2022 Please note we have put a huge effort into this year’s event with a necessary strong focus on Department of Health Covid-19 compliance issues. You can help us make this a fantastic safe event by registering online beforehand, staying home if you’re not well, keeping your distance from others, gathering in family groups on picnic rugs, bringing your cash cards to pay for rides food and drinks, and being patient. Thanks Nerang!

16.01.2022 NOTICE TO RESIDENTS OF CLAGIRABA Filming on site at Clagiraba Reserve from Sunday 6 September to Wednesday 9 September. Please note that permission has been granted for filming to take place which will involve up to 30 production vehicles on site so don’t panic.... Jonathon M. Shiff Productions are producers of the 2nd season of ’The Bureau of Magical Things’ - a live-action magical drama that follows the adventures of a regular teenage girl who acquires magical powers. The twenty episode series will be seen in approximately 200 countries and viewed by 490 million people and has been presold to Network Ten Australia, German public broadcaster ZDF and Nickelodeon. Those lucky folks will get to see a bit of the magic of Clagiraba! The series has a production budget of $15 million, most of which will be directed into the local economy. I am advised that all residents in the immediate vicinity of the filming location and associated activities have been advised of the dates and times of filming by way of a letterbox drop. I’ve not been told if they need stunt doubles or crowd scenes. Gaz you might need to take down some trays of your famous sausage rolls!

15.01.2022 The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings we should take note of: Large to giant hail in excess of two centimetres, damaging wind gusts in excess of 90 kilometres per hour and rainfall that can lead to flash flooding, Those isolated severe thunderstorms could develop rapidly and are a significant risk today and we do ask people to keep an eye on the bureau website for any warnings.... Take Action "The best thing you can do to prepare is bring any objects that could fly around, inside, clear out any gutters, and keep any valuables out of the way of any storms and make sure nothing is going to fly around that could damage anyone else or their property." And please keep your animals safe!

15.01.2022 AGM season. On Monday night the Nerang Neighbourhood Centre will conduct its AGM. I have been nominated to run for the position of Chairman for my 20th consecutive year. The Neighbourhood Centre is proud of its long-standing service to the community. We offer a wide variety of support for youth, families and all individuals with counselling, food boxes, tax help, job seeking, and big doses of love. All are welcome to the AGM if you would like to meet our fabulous team and hear about the services we continue to deliver!

15.01.2022 NEW RESTRICTIONS AFFECTING THE GOLD COAST https://www.facebook.com/523586527672529/posts/3460247137339772/?extid=KHK0VVy7IJBqF8wR&d=n

14.01.2022 ACTIVE AND HEALTHY PROGRAM - spring! Boring school holidays??? Check out the A&H Holiday program for young people and families! Feature activities include: roller skating workshops Aerial Angles Cirque... splashtacular water fun 3 on 3 basketball silent discos kayaking family ninja warrior sessions nature adventure and much more. There is an activity for everyone, not only outdoors but also at home, so make sure you get involved and embrace the good times these holidays! To check out the full program click here: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/active-healthy-summer-holi

14.01.2022 ROAD WORKS Chesterton Road, Guanaba and Clagiraba Road Please note that Council intends to progress road works on one section of Chesterton Road and two sections of Clagiraba Road (south of Gerara Court and Arunta through to Shepherds Hill) as per these maps on these dates: Chesterton: Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 September Clagiraba : Wednesday 30 Sep Friday 2 October Initial works comprise doing patch work with asphalt. There may be loose stones. Works will be completed shortly after Christmas with two layers of pavement seal. Stay safe!

13.01.2022 NOTICE: ROAD CLOSURES IN GUANABA on Sunday 16 August the Queensland State Junior Road Race Championships are to be staged on a 7.5km circuit at Guanaba, from 7.00am to 11.00am. The races will be conducted on various roads road closures will affect TARATA RD, GUANABA CREEK RD, LYNWOOD ROAD, COOMERA VALEY DRIVE, STEWART RD and COLLAROY RD. There are several minor roads that intersect with the circuit along Guanaba Creek Road. Licensed Traffic Controllers will be deployed thr...oughout the circuit at intersections and roads, Police will be in attendance, Maximum delays are not expected to exceed five (5) minutes. The riders do a number of lasp fo the same course, shown on this poor quality map. Perhaps go out and encourage the riders - and stay safe.

13.01.2022 With almost a thousand students spread across 40 home class groups, Pacific Pines Primary School is a vital part of our community. It was a great pleasure this morning to attend the first assembly held during the past 12 months and recognise the 2021 student leadership teams. Mums and dads if your kids are involved please give them a fist bump from me. I know that your encouragement of their achievement and through the challenges ahead will be of great importance.

12.01.2022 My first night as a volunteer fire fighter with a great team from Guanaba Rural Fire Brigade up at Springbrook

12.01.2022 MCLAREN ROAD/MACKELLAR DRIVE INSTALLATION OF SAFETY BARRIER In 2013 after a vehicle collision at this roundabout a decision was made by a qualified traffic engineer to remove the guard rail situated at the north-east corner near the St Brigid's primary school. On behalf of concerned residents I (unsuccessfully) challenged the decision at the time and whereas subsequent efforts have been made to improve the safety here with pavement treatment, modifications to the kerb align...ment, line marking, signage, installation of a small ‘island’ for pedestrians and etc., none of these have addressed the key concern being the potential for vehicles to depart the road and collide with pedestrians, especially kids. A resident raised a petition which I presented to Council on 27 May and a report has been presented to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee, of which I am a member. Officers have investigated the concerns and hold that the initial decision to remove the barrier was sound, but there is GOOD NEWS - an alternative treatment can be installed. This is in the form of a barrier that basically looks like two lines of guardrail back-to-back (see the image showing an example installed at Molendinar).This has been endorsed by the Committee and now Council has determined to install a barrier at the north-east corner of the roundabout. Thanks to the petitioners, especially Phillip! Well done!

11.01.2022 I've got a great face for radio .. and I'm very happy to support this great school and great teachers like Michael Jay. 'Say What' is all about the community and we hope you can enjoy some of our podcasts and we invite you to submit topics or to get involved on air. We want to promote local businesses and enterprises, we want to focus on the good things about Pacific Pines. Check out the list of topics here:

11.01.2022 TOWN AND COUNTRY SITE REDEVELOPMENT No doubt you have seen demolition works underway at the former Town & Country site squeezed between Council’s administration building and the M1, or perhaps a media article about those works. I am a bit late(!) notifying you, but 12 months ago I gave my consent for the redevelopment of that site to be approved by Planning Officers under delegation. This is a very prominent site and the new development will certainly occupy a substantial amo...unt of the site, with conditions requiring preservation of important vegetation, and the new development to be used for office accommodation, café, and parking over seven storeys and 14,500 square metres floor space. I see this as a key site and a positive injection to the ongoing significance of Nerang as an important business centre servicing the city. Farewell to the old T&C! I am wishing the owners well with the works program and future use of the site!

11.01.2022 PROJECTS UNDERWAY OR RECENTLY COMPLETED Here’s an update on a few small things going on around the Division. Wajin Park, Pacific Pines three bench seats installed for people to watch the netballers practice - see photo Explorers Way Linear Park, Highland Park dog fence repositioning and reinstatement of dog off-leash area see photos... Bimberi Row, Pacific Pines - Some lovely street trees planted in the median see before and after photos Bischof Park, Nerang shade structure completed see photos Carter Street, Boyer Street, Macauley Parade, Springwood Avenue, Carmarthern Court, Aspect Place Pacific Pines installation of various barriers to deter unlawful vehicular access to the unused arterial road corridor should be under construction soon. Park Lake Park, Maudsland installation of a bench seat see photo. Nerang Street, Nerang replacement of park seats and bench seats on frontage to Bischof Park underway soon see photo.

11.01.2022 BEAUTIFUL STREET TREES I am very pleased to report that lovely trees have been planted in the medians of Bimberi Row, Pacific Pines, and Alexander Drive, Highland Park. Both of these projects were requested by residents and I am hoping that we will all enjoy their beauty and shade for many years to come. These projects were funded by Division 5. They don’t come cheap, but it is genuinely worthwhile expenditure. Pease don't drive into them...

10.01.2022 Don’t watch this if you dislike fantastic drumming. I was at the Nerang State High School Year 10-12 Awards Night and I’m so proud of the young people at this school, in fact the whole school community has shown great resilience and determination throughout this bas#%rd of a year, especially the Year 12 cohort. You nailed it. Thank you for persevering. Good luck for your future!!

10.01.2022 EDIT: DATE CHANGE! I’ve just been advised the dates have changed to Sunday night (9th) and Monday night (10th). Sorry. ROADWORKS PACIFIC PINES THIS WEEKEND - PLEASE NOTE Roadworks will be undertaken on Saturday night (8th) and Sunday night (9th) at the roundabout of Pitcairn Way, Pacific Pines Boulevard and Smith Street. Work commences at 7:30pm and runs through the night until 6am and THERE WILL BE IMPACTS, so please take note.... The roundabout will remain partially open but under stop/go control. You can not access the roundabout from Pitcairn if heading east you will be diverted along Santa Isobel Blvd and Hotham Drive and then Pac Pines Boulevard, with the reverse on the way back home. If you’re heading to Pitcairn from Pac Pines Blvd you will be diverted onto Hotham Drive near the gym. Vehicular access will be retained for businesses along Pitcairn in the section from Pac Pines Blvd to Archipelago Street. PLEASE TAKE CARE!! Any questions, let me know.

09.01.2022 GAVEN AND HIGHLAND PARK INVESTIGATION AREAS Many moons ago Council determined to create a list of ‘Investigation Areas’ across the city - these are focused on about 15 areas where old large lot developments might be suitable for intensification of development. Amongst the list is Gaven and also Highland Park (please see the maps which show the proeprties within the investigation areas - actual studies may go beyond these boundaries considering parks, roads, etc). The ‘Invest...igation’ process is long-winded and from the time of commencement to any evident change it may be many years, so the recent rumour that ‘Peter Young is putting in sewage infrastructure in Gaven’ is unfortunately not correct. By way of example, the process for the Oxenford large lot investigation area commenced several years ago, involving workshops and information sessions, surveys of property owner sentiment, and investigation of the real potential for and real issues associated with increasing development density including the provision of infrastructure necessary to support that development such as sewage, water, roads and how to stage that and fund it. That planning work will be completed by 2023 and then comes the actual process of infrastructure delivery. Now the bad news is that due to funding constraints and in particular this year due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the capacity to undertake the necessary planning work, Council has yet again put the brakes on most of the ‘Investigation Areas’ program. The current schedule looks like this: 2020-21. No new areas. Continuation of work on Oxenford, Napper Road, and Arundel. 2021-22. Commence Gaven North and Highland Park, continue Oxenford. Completion of Napper Road 2022-23. Continuation of Gaven North and Highland Park. Completion of Oxenford and Ormeau. 2023-24. Commence Molendinar. Completion of Gaven North and Highland Park. I am happy to try to respond to any of your general queries here. For anything more detailed please email me [email protected]

08.01.2022 Advice re controlled burn: The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) intend to conduct a hazard reduction burn of a northern section of the Nerang National Park near ALDGATE CRESCENT, PACIFIC PINES. Date: Thursday 27 August - weather permitting. (11ha) approx 11am - 4pm. Incident Control Contact: John Grayson 0423 027 483... (This was originally notified for June but was postponed due to weather conditions) See more

08.01.2022 Its AGM season. I had the pleasure today of attending the AGM of the Nerang Community Gardens at Country Paradise Parklands today. It’s always a pleasure to see a vibrant group of people enjoying the beautiful surroundings and getting a good dose of socialising in at the same time. Congratulations and thanks to Pete Cardona for continuing as Chairman with a great committee alongside.

08.01.2022 CANCELLATION OF EVENTS It is with a heavy heart that I advise the series of Music in the Park events planned for Division 5 (at Pacific Pines, Maudsland, Clagiraba and Nerang) has been cancelled. A lot of effort and good endeavour has gone into the necessary pre-delivery planning and preparation but in the end the COVID-19 requirements have been a big obstacle. Better to be safe than sorry. I hope to see you soon

08.01.2022 Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Service. All are welcome to join us at the Veteran’s Garden at the Nerang RSL & Memorial Club, 10:30am tomorrow (Tuesday) 18th. This is not a celebration of war, but remembrance of all who served and suffered. I’ll be laying this lovely wreath on your behalf. Lest We Forget.

08.01.2022 Status as at 1.15PM Sunday. Key messages from The Mayor, who is Chairman of the Disaster Management Group (DMU). This weather event is not over It is expected to get worse later tonight and into the morning. From 10.00pm tonight, based on current forecasts, some parts of the City are expected to get another 300mm of rain... The absolute heaviest rain is expected to hit around 2.00am and it is likely that quite intense rain will continue through until about 8.00am tomorrow morning The biggest falls may be in the hinterland and two valleys Currumbin and Tallebudgera Overnight rainfall in some parts has already exceeded 300mm so the ground is wet, and the creeks are running There is some localised flooding in our two creek catchments Currumbin and Tallebudgera This is our focus overnight and we will watch developments closely Our DMU will of course be activated throughout and is currently at stand up BEACHES All beaches remain closed There is some minor scarping, worse towards southern beaches, but no major damage yet The message is simple stay away from the beaches SANDBAGGING We have three sandbagging stations Coomera, Reedy Creek and Tugun These will close at 6.00pm tonight as we do not want people on the roads at night. If necessary, they will re-open in the morning UPCOMING WEATHER PREDICTION Rainfall in the next 18-24 hours could reach 300mm in parts of the City This is a large weather system WHAT RESIDENTS SHOULD DO Remain vigilant and as ever, be alert not alarmed Do not travel on roads unless it’s essential Keep everyone away from flooded creeks If its flooded forget it. Do not attempt to cross. The City’s Disaster Dashboard has all the latest information Follow the City’s social media channels [A final word from me: stay safe. 2020 is not quite done with us yet ]

06.01.2022 REGRETTABLE DELAY ON A LOCAL PROJECT - PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE IN WATERBIRD PARK, HIGHLAND PARK In September I reported to you that I had been monitoring and agitating for the replacement of the small bridge in Waterbird Park, which has been out of action since before this park came into Division 5 in March. I had initially been promised the bridge would be the highest priority bridge project in the 2020-21 Financial Year, however when the financial year commenced it was revealed t...o me the bridge works were now being dealt with as part of a ‘package’ of similar works across the city, and this would delay the commencement of the works on our bridge to November 10. When November 10 came and went I asked again, and now I have been informed the tender for that package of works did not go out to market, at all. I am pretty unimpressed with this failure and I have asked for reasons, and I have asked for action. I am sorry to be the bearer of this bad news. It simply defies belief that an asset like this in a well-used park should stay out of action for 18 months! Apparently a higher priority was given to processing works that the Federal government had unexpectedly funded as a means of COVID support carrying a requirement that the funds be spent this financial year. That is understandable but unfortunately projects like our bridge got pushed back. So the bad news is yes it has been delayed further, but the good news is that this particular project is now being dealt with as a discrete body of work and will no longer be part of a package of works. Given the normal processes for tendering and appointing contractors, I am hoping with fingers and toes crossed this bridge will be replaced in February. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I want to assure you I am shaking the tree on your behalf. See more

06.01.2022 AGM season. I had the pleasure to attend the AGM of Watergum today. Formerly the Gold Coast Catchment Association, Watergum is all about connecting and supporting groups and people with nature conservation activities and education. I first became a member of the GCCA in 1995 when we were fighting battles to protect vital creeks and waterways. I’m no longer a member but I’m so pleased to see Watergum thriving and strengthening its position, message and role. And I’m very pleased to see strong connections and partnerships between Watergum and the many connected groups and the City of Gold Coast. Thanks especially to Wal Mayr for his genuine and passionate leadership and congratulations to the re-elected Committee! Stay strong!

05.01.2022 SIGNS, SIGNS, EVERYWHERE THERE’S SIGNS Some new signs have been installed in the Nerang CBD to help direct pedestrians and cyclists in particular to get to some key public locations. In conjunction with this I am happy to advise of the new sign at Gus Braun Park on Stevens Street, which is a place not well known, but which is the home of some great social enterprises including Javeenbah Theatre and Meals on Wheels.

05.01.2022 SMOKE HAZARD SATURDAY 13th

04.01.2022 The mosh pit at the Pacific Pines Christmas Carols on Saturday night. In my opinion one of the best Christmas shows yet with a happy, relaxed audience enjoying being ‘almost normal’ at the end of a tough year with a fabulous show, food and drink, absolutely incident free. Well done Pacific Pines Residents Group Inc.and in particular Vikki Hocking, Pac Pines resident of the year in my opinion. Merry Christmas everyone!

04.01.2022 Merry Christmas! It’s been a real privilege to be your Councillor this year. Thanks to so many of you for your efforts, reports, requests and patience. I’m in Riverton, South Australia with my sister and her family, and I’m wishing you a very beautiful and Merry Christmas. My office is closed til Monday 4 January. If you have an urgent Council issue, please phone 1300 465 326 or the after hours emergency number 1800 637 000. Stay safe. Be as lovely as you can

04.01.2022 ROAD WORKS BANYULA DRIVE Please note that roadworks will take place at the southern end of Banyula Drive this Sunday evening (1 Nov) from 6pm til 6am on Monday, and again from 6pm Monday (2 Nov) til 6am Tuesday. Please take care.

02.01.2022 ROADWORKS OVER FOUR NIGHTS: Road resurfacing will be undertaken in Short Street and Nerang Street, Nerang, commencing at 6pm Sunday 16th and hopefully finishing on the Thursday night shift (19th), subject to weather. All works will be conducted at night (6pm to 6am) to minimise impact on local residents, the school, businesses, traffic flows, and to ensure the safety of the construction teams. There will be minor temporary traffic delays which will be managed by traffic control personnel. All concrete works on the kerbs and footpaths have been completed. The streets are going to look fabulous. Please stay safe!

02.01.2022 WEATHER EVENT MONDAY 14 DECEMBER - UPDATE The system has been slower moving than was predicted yesterday afternoon. It is now expected to hit the City over the next few hours and continue into the afternoon as the surface trough deepens off the SEQ coast. A low-pressure system is likely to form along this trough. Upper Springbrook received 173mm in the period from 9.00am Sunday to 5.00am this morning, on top of 300mm+ on Saturday. Abnormally high tides exceeding the highest ...tide of the year are expected on the morning high tides for the next few days. Stay alert to rising creeks. Power is out in some areas. Al waste recovery centres and landfills are closed today. Roads are closed throughout the City. Even if the water level is down, if a sign exists, it is legally closed and it is an offence to remove or disobey the sign and enter. Use Council's dashboard for full updates. Your priority is to stay safe and not endanger others. http://dashboard.cityofgoldcoast.com.au See more

02.01.2022 I’m at the Nerang Aquatic Centre to open the new $950,000 Learn-to-Swim pool and everyone is welcome It’s a beautiful day and the water is warm. The two 25m pools have also been significantly refurbished during the COVID-19 shutdown but now it is all systems GO! New programs are underway with a fabulous new app to help you manage your bookings and track your child’s swimming progress. Love it!

02.01.2022 UPDATE FRIDAY 31st. ALL WORKS WERE COMPLETED IN A MARATHON SHIFT LAST NIGHT AND THERE’S NO NEED FOR WORKS ON MONDAY NIGHT. Line marking will be undertaken when the pavement surface has cured, in about a week. * * * * * ROADWORKS COMMENCING TONIGHT 6PM... Gilston Road/Riverpark Drive/Sandalwood Terrace roundbout. Works will be undertaken to replace the bitumen surface at this roundabout, weather and conditions permitting (tonight 30th July and if necessary next week on the night of Monday 3rd). Works will be conducted at night to minimise impact on local residents, businesses, traffic flow and to ensure the safety of construction teams. There will be minor temporary traffic delays which will be managed by traffic control personnel, approved traffic management plans and approved road closure permits. Please stay safe

01.01.2022 PROJECT STATUS - WATERBIRD PARK PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND REPLACEMENT OF A DANGEROUS SECTION OF FOOTPATH ON ALEXANDER DRIVE Bridge: I am sorry to report to you that the footbridge in Waterhen Park, near Explorers Way, is not to be replaced until December! Prior to the election, when this bridge was still in Division 9, I was advised the replacement was to occur as the number one priority in the new financial year (which began 1 July). The more detailed information I have recently... received is that this bridge will indeed be repaired first, but as a part of a package of bridge works that are to be bundled into one contract package and delivered from December. Officers advise me The most effective way to achieve value for money for the footbridge / path structure program is to package all projects together and tender them out at once. This results in significant savings to this organisation however obviously takes more planning and administrative effort up front. So it is good financial management but frustrating for residents. The Manager of the program has further advised I have asked my team to discuss timings for geotechnical assessment and surveys with our delivery partners to see if we can expedite those tasks which could improve the delivery timeframe by a few weeks. I can assure you we have made this one top priority in the program and it is a requirement of the successful contractor to complete this project first. So you can be sure I am on the back of the officers and I will keep pursuing this. Footpath. As notified by me beforehand, my attention in April was drawn to the state of the footpath on Alexander Drive between the big park and Cozens Way, which is much less than ideal, with power poles in the middle and a steep cross-fall towards the road, and dodgy pram ramps etc. I have initiated an engineering review and this project continues to get attention with the latest advice to me being it is proposed to secure funding for design of the replacement in next year’s budget, and funds for construction (which might be near $1.5m) intended for the following year. A long way off, but at least we have a target to aim for now. See more