Division 1 candidate Mark Hammel calls on Gold Coasters to vote for councillors with vision to get city through turbulent economic times ahead

27 March 2020

Division 1 candidate Mark Hammel has announced a economic, business and job creation strategy that aims to help lift the Gold Coast out of an impending recession triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Hammel said the coming months were critical for the Gold Coast economy, and that council would not be able to rest on its economic plans of the past or present.

He said a multi-faceted economic plan would require councillors to work collaboratively together with all levels of government to shield the northern Gold Coast and wider city from the impacts of a recession.

"Obviously there are a lot of economic factors at play here, but what we need is a plan that will give our city the best opportunity to be resilient in the face of this crisis," said Mr Hammel.

“During these unprecedented times, all councillors must have a vision for their division and unite to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to have secure employment.

“A key driver of my economic plan is calling for a 12-month reduction in infrastructure charges to give construction and other industries an injection to kick-start major development projects.

“A lot of people will be out of work as a result of the recession, so I would also be calling on council to freeze rates and associated charges for two years for people find it easier to make ends meet and get back on their feet.

“I was once told that people won’t have pride in their community until they have pride in themselves, and they won’t have pride in themselves until they have a job.  That’s why I would also prioritise council reducing red tape and application fees for new businesses to make it more affordable and less complicated to start-up small and medium-sized businesses on the Gold Coast.”

Mr Hammel said the Yatala Enterprise Area (YEA) had the key to restoring economic prosperity for Division 1 and the wider Gold Coast.

He said this could be achieved by allocating more land and infrastructure to sustainably develop Division 1’s industrial precinct, the Yatala Enterprise Area (YEA).

“Division 1 has the advantage of housing the largest employment hub in south-east Queensland,” said Mr Hammel.

“In the current climate, future-proofing the YEA and jobs growth is perhaps the greatest challenge I would face if elected, but has the most potential to help the Gold Coast in the event of a recession.

“The YEA is nearing saturation, and demand in the area is on the increase. Council needs to work with the State Government to plan for more industrial land and infrastructure to support it.

 “The YEA already has a workforce of nearly 40,000 people. I believe we can double this with correct planning and investment in infrastructure upgrades, including building the Coomera Connector, upgrading every M1 interchange in Division 1 and delivering an integrated traffic solution to build a future-proof local road network.

“Supporting the YEA and jobs growth has underpinned the traffic and public transport initiatives that I have released in the past few weeks. It is Council’s responsibility to work with the other two levels of government to provide leadership, and I look forward to being part of the solution.”

Mr Hammel said the Gold Coast could no longer rely on its major economic drivers of tourism and development.

He said residents had a unique opportunity at the upcoming election to vote for the Mayor and councillors with the vision to guide Gold Coast through the challenging economic times ahead.

 “The Gold Coast has it all – amazing beaches through to a breathtaking hinterland environment - while it thrives on tourism and development, the circumstances we now find ourselves in a place where these two economic drivers are at risk,” said Mr Hammel.

“There will be no quick fix, no magic solution - and it just can’t be all talk from Council and risk from the city’s businesses and investors - council needs to have some skin in the game.

“I recall the initiative from Mayor Tom Tate in past years where he fought for and won infrastructure charges relief and a Major Projects Branch within Council for development in return for construction and development being fast-tracked. I remember reading that this one initiative generated more than $1 billion in investment in our city during that period. These are the kind of initiatives we need in these times to reduce the economic impact to our city and make sure we bounce back as fast as possible when this crisis ends.

“Our city needs more jobs, more security and more pride. It’s time to elect councillors who dare to lead.

“I hope that March 28 will signal the next exciting chapter of the growth and pride of our community and I plan to be there to drive it every step of the way.”