A letter to Division 1 residents from candidate Mark Hammel

10 March 2020

Dear Division 1 resident,

I'm writing to you as a lifetime resident of Division 1 and Gold Coast City Council candidate, to ask for your support by Voting 1 Mark Hammel in the upcoming election on March 28.

My family has lived on the same farm in Alberton since 1880, so I know, love and understand our unique part of the Gold Coast. I am passionate about making sure it remains a great place to live, raise a family and operate a business. Division 1 should be a place we are all proud to call home.

Over the past few months, I've door-knocked nearly 7000 homes and local businesses to listen to your concerns and ideas about what needs to be done in our community. I've also conducted a community survey to learn more about what's most important to you:

• 67% say getting tough on crime and hooning is a top priority
• 64% say busting congestion on our roads is extremely important
• 51% say more needs to be done to protect the local environment and climate

I hear you. But I'm not just here to listen - I’m here to take action, and to be Your Voice. That's why I'm being proactive in creating policies that will:

• Create a community where everyone feels safe and welcome by working to secure more police resources, anti-hooning measures such as additional CCTV cameras, and providing education and funding for grassroots sporting and community groups to engage our youth.

• Deliver an integrated traffic solution where we end the blame game between governments and develop a clear pipeline of new and upgraded roads for Division 1 - combined with a new approach to developments, where we upgrade the road before we let the houses be built.

• Protect our environment and climate with education and policy that preserves more mature trees in new developments and forces new trees to be planted in other areas to offset tree losses, encourages sustainable farming and industry practices that minimise run-off into our waterways, improves access to public transport, educates about better residential waste and recycling practices, and promotes eco-tourism.

Further details on what I stand for are outlined at www.markhammel.com.au and on my social media channels on Facebook and Instagram, which are all listed at the bottom of this letter.

If I haven't yet had the chance to meet with you, or if you have any ideas you would like to discuss, I will be hosting public events every weekend in the lead up to the election where you can meet me and have your say. Alternatively, you can also visit me at my office at The Whistlestop in Pimpama (88 Pimpama-Jacobs Well Road) or contact me at [email protected] or 0409 136 669.

All my best regards,

Mark Hammel