Beenleigh is an area with a long history of
endemic social issues (refer SEIFA Index
of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage).
Low income, low educational attainment,
high unemployment and people with low-skilled
occupations are the variables that reflect or
measure relative disadvantage. All these
factors contribute to influence how a community
copes with changing circumstances (ABS 2001b).

Although the factors which contribute to our area’s
social disadvantage may not be entirely the responsibility
of Gold Coast City Council (GCCC) the GCCC Corporate
Plan, 2005-2009 pledges commitment to Community
Capacity Building. I, personally, would like to know how
GCCC have, for instance, ‘worked in partnership with
the Beenleigh community to develop local support
networks‘? (GCCC Corporate Plan, 2005-2009,
Strategic Priority 3.3.5).

Beenleigh is also a community crossed by lines.
Divided and on the fringe of each divisional boundary.
Socio-economic factors (and the lack of a coordinated
response by all levels of government to address them)
place us, as a community, in extremely marginalized
circumstance. Marginalised not only by our poorer
demographic (in relation to other parts of Gold Coast)
but also by our isolation factor in relation to ALL
of our boundaries.

Major barriers therefore exist for people in our area,
particularly the barrier of access to relative and appropriate
information. Our local paper, the Albert & Logan News,
has such a wide circulation, predominantly in Logan areas,
that Gold Coast City news receives limited coverage. There
are anomalies unique to Beenleigh residents, also, in
the dissemination of information from Qld State government.

When the Queensland government puts out its budget report,
telling us where the money is spent, residents of Beenleigh
receive information for Gold Coast Hospital, TAFE, University,
police etc despite the fact that we do not use these institutions.
We access tertiary education at Logan TAFE and Griffith
University in Logan because of closer proximity. We use Logan
Hospital and our police and ambulance response is coordinated
from Logan. We should, therefore, receive information about
Logan Hospital, TAFE, University, police, etc.

Studies confirm social isolation is the most significant factor
contributing to the onset of depression, particularly for people
with disabilities and the frail aged. So it may not be surprising
that my greatest criticism of Gold Coast City Council (GCCC)
is their neglect in providing adequate footpaths in the long-term
established areas of Beenleigh and surrounds. It is a disgrace
that so many people with mobility problems, and there are many
of these people in Beenleigh and surrounds because we have
a high level of public housing, are virtual prisoners in their own
homes because there are no footpaths in most suburban streets.

I, personally, have seen footpaths in newer areas all over
the southern Gold Coast. If there is any prioritising by GCCC
on a needs basis then Beenleigh and districts have certainly
been neglected. All the money that has been spent on massive
road re-constructions such as Harburg Dve (which is a total
overkill at the present rate of development) could have provided
many footpaths all over the district. Community Renewal has
funded some work on footpaths but it is only in highly visible
local routes. As we are experiencing an unprecedented growth,
the lack of footpaths also causes safety issues. People pushing
prams and people in motorized wheel chairs must currently use
the roads, which are now becoming heavy with traffic.

Another area of neglect is the fact that our roads, particularly
in less visible areas such as Bethania and Eagleby, have not
been maintained to a standard consistent with most parts
of southern Gold Coast. People here have told me ’GCCC
think slap-dash patching-up is good enough for Beenleigh…
after all nobody important ever sees them’. However, all
the many bumps and potholes on much-traversed roads (such
as Riverhills Road in Eagleby) are safety hazards and contribute
to premature wear and tear on our older model cars.

Every afternoon around 3pm our traffic is in gridlock in various
parts of town. This situation is directly caused, I think, by a lack
of vision and planning by GCCC for our current growth.
Considering that GCCC approve every development that happens
in our area this situation is reprehensible. Our GCCC Division 1
Councillor tells us constantly in the media that the Beenleigh Ring
Road extension is vital to sorting out traffic problems in Beenleigh.
Many residents in the area would dispute his notion, in fact 12,000
people have signed a petition to stop this road.

This Ring Road was planned over twenty years ago
and patterns of road use have changed dramatically
since that time. If there has been a recent GCCC traffic study
in our area it has not been publicised. Instead of consulting
the wider community, our Councillor seems to make decisions
which affect traffic in Beenleigh based on the opinions of a ‘couple
of Beenleigh-Yatala Chamber of Commerce’ members (see Albert
& Logan News, Beenleigh edition, Wednesday, May 16^th, page 8,
Letter to the Editor, ‘Creating Parking Confusion’).

Additionally, increased traffic over the past ten years has caused
many ‘hot spots’ and despite verbage within their Corporate Plan
(see Strategic Priority 2: Advocacy – ‘….Advancing the interests
of the city, through proactive representation and effective working
relationships, in particular with State and Federal governments’)
GCCC do not seem to have effective processes established for
negotiation and cooperation with Queensland Main Roads to
rectify these dangerous traffic problems.

Where a council road and a main road intersect, each authority
shirks their responsibility to resolve the problem leaving residents
at risk. Examples of these ‘hot spots' include:

• Kokoda Street and Milne Street - a much used local route
• to Beenleigh town centre for people in Mt Warren Park
  

and the scene of many accidents over the years

· Tallegandra Road and Beenleigh-Beaudesert Rd – GCCC

have created a traffic problem at this intersection by completing

a massive up-grade of Harburg Dve allowing through traffic

from Logan access to the M1.

We must put up with dangerous situations for many years, like

the lack of traffic lights at Distillery Rd and Fryar Rd, until they

are termed ‘hot spots’ and receive Federal government funding.

However, the strongest case I think against Beenleigh remaining

in Gold Coast is the fact that our rates will inevitably increase.

According to FiscalStar (the peak body which assesses councils,

nationally, for their fiscal sustainability), GCCC’s ‘existing financial

policies are not sustainable, with disruptive increases in rates &

charges and/or cutbacks in services likely going forward as imbalances

evident in its financial performance and position are tackled’.

FiscalStar has assigned GCCC a one-star financial sustainability

rating on account of its unsustainable operating deficit. Logan City

Council which operates with a considerably smaller rate pool was

assigned a two star rating in the same study.

Logan City Council (LCC) takes a responsibility for providing human

service infrastructure and support to assist people with a diverse

range of social problems. GCCC pays lip service to ‘helping’ the

community, but provides very little assistance to community groups

here in Beenleigh. We have a decrepit Neighbourhood Centre,

white ant ridden and depressing. This building is sited in a

ridiculously inaccessible part of town and has no parking spaces

available for visitors to the Centre.

LCC has numerous Community and Neighbourhood Centres

together with other premises rented by community groups at

‘peppercorn’ rents. The availability of these community houses

allows many human service agencies to provide low cost

programs to help people experiencing family relationship problems,

domestic violence, child abuse, depression and other more serious

mental health problems. A distinct lack of similar council buildings

in Beenleigh, particularly over the past ten years has inhibited

the growth and development of numerous community groups

endeavoring to address these problems.

In conclusion, I reiterate these points for your consideration :

• Beenleigh’s continuing level of relative social

disadvantage is unacceptable, particularly in the current

environment of rapid economic development in our area

• Beenleigh needs a local government that will pay more

than ‘lip service’ to strengthening our communities capacity

to take ownership of the social problems in our area

and work towards change

• GCCC’s unsustainable operating deficit and the inevitability

of rate increases or decrease in services would have

more impact on Beenleigh residents than residents from

less disadvantaged socio-economic areas of southern Gold Coast

• Regardless of our local area boundary, we are intrinsically

linked with Logan due to the fact that we use Logan-based

institutions, trades and services

• GCCC have failed to plan proactively for the rapid

development which has occurred in Beenleigh

over the past ten years

• Our footpaths, roads and community buildings are below

par and highly visible examples of this neglect.

Beenleigh’s position needs to be strengthened by any amalgamation.

We can hardly be a Qld State Development classified Major Economic

Centre if our community development does not keep abreast

of our economic development.

Thank you for offering me an opportunity to vent…