Happy New Year.

As the Christmas Season ends, we turn our thoughts to 2008 and the year ahead. With the Council Elections scheduled for the 15th March, the first three months of 2008 will be filled with election promises and media reaction to candidates raising issues of concern but through it all Council will continue to function in a caretaker role to ensure that the City continues to function. If you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact my office, especially if the matter involves Graffiti. We are experiencing a large amount of Graffiti at present and Council has resolved to remove this menace as soon as possible. We have a graffiti hotline that residents can use and I would encourage residents to report Graffiti as soon as possible to get it removed. The hotline number is 5581 7998. In spite of the vandalism, our area is still the best place in the City to live , work and play. I am sure you will agree that we have the best lifestyle of any other area in the City and I am proud of the community spirit that thrives here. Over the Christmas period, Sue and I have attended School Presentation nights, Sporting Award ceremonies and inspected the Christmas Lights on individual houses. You are very diverse in residential choice but you are very united in lifestyle. Congratulations for being so community minded - it is a privilege being your Council representative and I wish each and everyone, a very happy and prosperous 2008.

Alexander Drive Streetscaping.

Following the presentation of Leader Badges to the incoming School Captains at William Duncan State School, I was asked if I could help to beautify the garden beds beside the carpark off Explorers Way at Highland Park. This is a good idea and I have asked our Engineering Staff to look at a complete revamp of the gardens as a joint project with the schoolchildren. Council will install the garden beds and supply the soil and plants but it will be up to the children themselves to install and maintain the plants and shrubbery. Whilst in the region, I inspected the work done on the Alexander Drive Roundabout and noticed how tired the median looks along Alexander Drive. This should be the showcase for the area and although I have scheduled trees to be planted along the median, I think we need to go further. I would like to propose that garden beds and flowers be installed wherever possible, and a new type of tree planted that will create a boulevard effect along Alexander Drive. This is where I need your feedback. To create an improved streetscape, it would be necessary to replace the large 'Torelliana Trees'. They are in the centre median opposite the School and although they look like a gum tree, they are actually undesirable as they drop a black soot over the ground that kills off other plants and grasses. The tree's flowers are also poisonous to bees and hence Council usually removes the trees whenever possible. My question is simply, do you agree that these trees could be removed to allow for a complete rebuild of the Streetscaping?

Explorers Way - Speeding.

Over the Christmas period there has been an increase in speeding complaints along Explorers Way and although this is a Police Department matter I have been asked to consider closing Explorers Way in the middle to stop it being a through road. The only logical place to do a closure would be where the large power lines cross and Council would do this by building two Cul-de-sac ends and forcing all traffic either east or west along Explorers Way. I must say that I do not support this suggestion but I thought it worthy of presenting it to you to gauge your feedback. Could I please ask you to call my office to voice your opinion on this matter. Regardless of the outcome, I will still pursue the Nerang Police to target this area to stop the speedsters

Development is Controlled.

Recent media hype has drawn out the old complaint that development throughout the Gold Coast is uncontrolled. This is clearly not true. Council has its current Planning Scheme and a Strategic Plan, and the State Government has the SEQ Regional Plan and all three publications specifically deal with controlling development growth and ensuring that basic infrastructure is installed to keep pace with the development. Admittedly, the Coomera Area has undergone a residential spurt but with the commissioning of the Pimpama Sewerage Plant, the development of residential properties in this area is according to plan. In our area, although you can see a massive expanse of untouched bushland, let me assure you that these foothills, valleys and mountains are protected against residential development. Most have been purchased by Council or the State government to protect them as public lands or they are areas that are protected by our Planning Scheme as being not suitable for development. Basically, all of the developable areas within Division 9 are either currently being developed or are approved ready for development. There are no other areas that are allowable. I recently spoke too a resident who was concerned about a rumour that the floodplain at Mudgeeraba was being considered for residential development and I can tell you that this is totally untrue. As I said earlier, there will be many rumours and untruths put forward over the coming months and this is an example of unfounded rumours being spread. I would oppose any residential development on this floodplain area and in fact am negotiating the have the area dedicated as public open space for expansion of the Firth Park Sports Complex. This area will not be residential!