My family moved to Miami in the 1960s and still live in the same house in Kallay Street that they built all those years ago.

My two daughters are their great grandchildren, which makes four generations of family growing up in the division enjoying the parks, the beaches, the community clubs and businesses.

I want our area to stay a place where the next four generations can raise their family with plenty of green spaces, accessible pathways and a reduction in development.

It breaks my heart to drive the streets of Chainey, Nobby and Sunshine Parade and see not a single place to park a car. It seems real-estate agents and developers have bought up every house, converted them into a duplex and then resold for a large profit.

I’ve also watched the areas around us, such as Broadbeach and Burleigh/Palm Beach, slowly become more and more over developed to a point where housing options are scarce and there is limited green space areas for families to enjoy. To reduce the loss of these areas and prevent further over development we need a council that is not motivated by greed and selling, but by listening to the locals and preserving the beauty of our division.

I can’t say that we will agree on everything, but what I can say is that I believe the key to a good councillor is always being accessible, approachable and able to listen. As a local Physiotherapist for the last 25 years (owner of Surf Life Physio Miami) I pride myself on my ability to listen to people. We haven’t always agreed, but we have always come to a joint decision on how to problem solve their pain or injury and work together for a solution.

This is exactly what I intend to do if elected.

My Visions for the Division are below :

1. Construction of the Oceanway.

The Oceanway is the missing link in the path that connects Kurrawa Park to the Miami pathway at Marine Parade.

This path isn’t just a vital piece for the division but for the entire Gold Coast. It is a pathway that allows a beach experience for all abilities and, in particular, those living with compromised mobility. Importantly, it allows kids to ride safely to school away from cars (Miami and Broadbeach primary school kids currently use Hedges Avenue and this is not safe). The Oceanway promotes the city’s commitment to active transport and a healthy active lifestyle. It reduces vehicles on the road and decreases the need for carparking spaces at the main swimming areas of the beach.

2. Commitment to keeping the area free from greedy overdevelopment.

From door knocking over the last four months and my family living in Miami since the 1960s, I am aware that there has been a constant bending of the rules for development.

It is the council’s job to use the QLD legislated City Development Plan. When people purchase a property, they do so with an understanding that they are aware of what can be developed in that street and the area where they live.

Unfortunately, of late, real-estate agents and developers have lent in to the knowledge that we have a housing crisis on the Gold Coast (which is true) to gain approval for a development that is in contrast to the current Gold Coast City Plan.

You need only look at the streets in Miami, Nobby, Chainey and Sunshine Parades, where there once stood houses, to see that every second house has now been bulldozed for triplex or duplex buildings, doubling and tripling the cars in the street. These leaves residents unable to park within two streets of where they live. While the City Plan is not perfect and up for review, we do have areas on the Gold Coast that have appropriate zoning for development and should be utilised first. The arrival of the Tram will bring a desire for more developers to buy single dwelling blocks to convert to high density living. We need a division councillor that can advocate to enforce the legislation and not let down the residents that already live in the division.

3. Completion of the Pizzey Park Master Plan.

This is a $150 million dollar city and state government investment and a centre piece for the division.

Our division needs a councillor with demonstrated sport and event experience, which I possess, to capitalise on its use and give a financial return to our residents and their local businesses. As a sports physio I have spent the better part of the last 25 years travelling internationally to establish training camp bases leading into major competitions and Olympics. While the Brisbane 2032 Olympics is only a two week festival it is a 5–6-year opportunity to maximise athletes and teams traveling to our area to utilise our world class facilities, such as Pizzey Park pool, the skatepark, pump track, the ovals, the kayaking facility, triathlon base and running track.

These athletes and their teams will be coming to Brisbane and the Gold Coast to train and establish a base. I have demonstrated experience doing this with swimming and other sports for decades. When these athletes travel to the area they buy coffees, groceries and meals locally in our shops, they hire cars locally, use our facilities and pay accordingly. This boost to our very local economy is not asking local people to spend more money in the area but bringing in new money.

4. Disability Tourism

This is a $14 billion dollar industry within Australia that is barely touched by Division 12. In order to encourage disability tourism within our area we need far more simplified access to beach matting, available beach wheelchairs, and upgraded toilets and change rooms. This will bring new money into the division, boosting our local shops and business’ economy with very little outlaying of funds.

5. Address Youth Crime

While law and order and policing is a state government issue, there are things we can do at a council level to better engage our youth and reduce anti-social behaviours, such as developing more organised local sporting opportunities. After all, “Kids in Sport, aren’t kids in Court”!

A particularly successful program in reducing youth crime is the ‘Kicks’ program, which was developed in the UK by establishing a well-structured 5-a side weekly football competitions. It was well researched and has proven to be successful in tackling youth crime for over a decade. We too can create organised youth sport competitions at Pizzey Park based around the lifestyle sports of Skateboarding, BMX and Scooters at the skate park and soon to be completed Pump Track.

If we better understand youth behaviours, such as the desire for fame, we can then also establish the development of further youth services around media, where young people film these events and upload to You Tube and Facebook live and give potentially disengaged youth a platform to express themselves.

6. Again addressing Crime

I have begun talks with the current state member for the area to investigate the opportunity of establishing a police office/shop front at Miami One shops. Crime is increasing and so is the population, but we do not have a police station in the division.

As our closest police stations are Broadbeach and Palm Beach, a greater police presence in the area would be a positive for the residents and their safety.

7. Off lead Dog Beaches

Our city talks of a beach lifestyle and the need to be fit and active, however we have little opportunities for those with pets to have their dogs on the sand as we have no off-lead dog beaches in Division 12.

Adopting what similar councils in the country do, we can have sections dedicated to off-lead dogs before 6 am. This allows for a beach experience for pet owners while also meaning they have left by the time families come to the beach for a swim.

8. Save Lake Hugh Muntz

Having spent 20 years coaching weekly at the lake, I have seen and felt dramatic changes. As a long-time member of the Lake Hugh Muntz stakeholders group I’ve spent time with Griffith University experts who have made a number of recommendations to improve the current state of the lake.

If elected I plan to lead a full community approach to restore the water quality and maintain this irreplicable community recreational piece.