Our projects and focus for 2021…
Walking through the Mudgeeraba Market Shopping Centre recently, I was asked by the President of the Mudgeeraba Chamber of Commerce, Terry Hobson, for an update on what to expect for the first half of 2021. His business was thriving so he told me (perhaps unfortunately, being a funeral director) but he was interested to hear about the focus of my office on projects in Mudgeeraba and the Hinterland for the coming months, and my thoughts on other sectors as they adjust to a post-COVID economy. I thought it would be good to summarise our work as we closed out 2020 and our planned priorities for the first half of 2021 for you here in a blog post.
Firth Park expansion
The scope for our expansion of the sports facilities and open space development of Firth Park has been devised and early meetings with community groups have commenced. This scope for an external consultants work, planning future development and staging investment, will be important as we budget for delivery of facilities for cricket, junior AFL, baseball, and improvements to other existing sports and community uses based at the park. It is anticipated that my Councillor’s office will relocate to the precinct by June 2021 to enable better oversight of the project over the coming years.
The project is hoped to include significant open parkland abutting Mudgeeraba Creek to advance environmental initiatives there, and also mitigate flood impact on the new fields hoped to be delivered.
Mudgeeraba Show Society
Strategic Plan “Towards 2040”
Last year, the Mudgeeraba Show Society released a strategic plan intended to address their objectives over the coming 20 years. These objectives cover not just how they run their major event each year, the Mudgeeraba Agricultural Show, but how they manage the showgrounds, work with their partners like the Mudgeeraba Light Horse Museum and Mudgeeraba Pony and Hack Club, and train and support their volunteers and contractors.
The plan is actually modelled on the City of Gold Coast’s Annual Plan and each year the plan is tabled at the AGM for adjustments and to check the infrastructure priorities. Of course, developing the showgrounds and improving infrastructure for events is critically important for the main event, but by establishing a strategic plan, the objectives of each elected leadership team at the Mudgeeraba Show Society can be directed by building on the legacy of those past.
Already some of the infrastructure priorities are being realised, with the expansion of the city’s digital fibre project being extended out to the showgrounds to enable Wi-Fi delivery and better internet capbility on site. This in turn may enable the use of sensors or other technology on site to assist with managing large groups of people and vehicles that attend major events. Most importantly, connecting this digital fibre to a new camera system to improve security and monitoring on site is hoped to reduce vandalism and theft, and may even positively impact a reduction in hooning in the area, as cameras can be beamed back to capture illegal activity.
With greater regulation of major events expected in this post-COVID world, these improvements along with other initiatives in the strategic plan are hoped to grow and enable the Mudgeeraba Show Society, and the Mudgeeraba Agricultural Show, to be the bets it can be for many years to come.
Cableway and hinterland tourism
A pre-feasibility report for the Cableway project from Mudgeeraba to Springbrook is expected in the first half of 2021. Already, I’ve been briefed on some of the particulars, and while those are confidential at this time, no proponent has been identified beyond those previously noted in the public domain, and there is no doubt a positive economic impact from a tourism perspective is achievable.
Important questions remain regarding the impact of a cableway on the existing Springbrook economy and it’s small businesses, the environmental and disaster preparedness impact remains front of mind, and there is a social impact reality that must be considered as we count the cost of advancing the project. I remain focussed on other achievable and deliverable projects at this time but 2021 will see the Cableway issue openly, and hotly, debated.
Our new Dog Park brochure!
Residents write to me about their dogs regularly and it’s become very clear that many local dog owners do not realise how many off-leash dog parks are located within 5 minutes drive of Mudgeeraba Village. Most weeks we get requests for new equipment in a residents local dog park when not minutes away another dog park exists with just that sort of facility already available. While we’ve been strongly committed to improving all our dog parks, one initiative has been to design and informative brochure for dog owners to keep them informed of all the dog parks in the area and their unique facilities.
Some dog parks have a creek or lake for water activity, some have agility equipment, some have fences and some open spaces to throw a ball and run. Some have shade structures for larger meetings and barbeques and playgrounds for families to enjoy with their fur babies.
The first edition of the brochure will be out soon so keep an eye out for this important work. Recently we’ve improved the fenced area at Hardy’s Park, and upgraded the carpark at Little Nerang dog park, introduced bench seats at Cobber Park, and are planting shade trees at other parks. If you have an idea for an improvement at your local park, please let us know.
Beechmountain community building
After the fires of 2019/20 it became clear that a community building asset in Lower Beechmont was a necessary project and needed prioritising. The Beechmountain QCWA offered their oversight and the community has rallied around the concept. A small budget has been allocated for design and preliminary planning this year and it is hoped that in the coming two financial years enough funding can be provided by Council to leverage a commitment from other levels of government or grant programs to realise this important project.
The building is hoped to serve the local community in times of storm or fire, but is also expected to be a valuable asset for local mothers group, interest and recreational groups and for community meetings.
Elsie Laver Park and the
Mudgeeraba-Robina sub-branch of the RSL
Elsie Laver Park is an important memorial park, remembering members of our community who served and their families who have given so much to the fabric of our neighbourhoods in the hinterland. Just this week, the RSL have informed me they intend to embark on a lighting project for the park, and deliver a mural near their home underneath the beautiful Mudgeeraba Memorial Hall. It is hoped these projects can be scoped and budgeted for the coming year.
The group opens their room and kitchen for visitors on Friday night between 5pm and 8pm. The RSL’s “Cedar Cutters Day Club” also meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month for lunch and trivia. The executive team are responsible for managing the ANZAC Day events in Mudgeeraba, both at Elsie Laver Park and many local schools, as well as the Remembrance Day events in November.
If you’ve got a connection to the armed forces, and you’d like to volunteer at a local community group, I encourage you to drop in and meet the Mudgeeraba-Robina sub-branch of the RSL at one of the events this year.
Development update…
Development applications are a part of every day work here in the Division 9 office and this coming six months is no exception. Pacific View Estate have lodged applications, generally in accordance with their already issued state preliminary approval, for 331 new home sites in Worongary. There’ll be up to 3000 dwellings delivered over the coming decade or so, nd a display village will materialise within the first half of 2021, it is expected.
Additionally, some 80 or so new home sites are expected for assessment in Gilston along with a small shop development, the Mudgeeraba Caravan Park has been purchased, and we have been assessing several dozen smaller two-lot sub-divisions on acreage lots most months. While we ae excited to have new families join us in this beautiful part of the city, we remain acutely aware of how important sustainable and responsible development is to our local area. We’ll keep you informed as application progress to public notificiation.