Greetings Members,
October is here and we start the run to Christmas. This gives us the opportunity to reflect on the ups and downs of the previous month, and what they have meant for the Gold Coast. Cost of living reared its head again in the final weeks of September. Reports indicate that inflation is surging at 5.2% ahead of the RBA’s meeting in early October, impacting the affordability of basic household items. Residents of the Gold Coast will feel the sting of inflation in the rising cost of their electricity, rent and insurance premiums. The price of petrol is also on the rise. With some service stations on the Gold Coast already hitting $2.30 per litre, the advice for motorists is to fill up now. It is important to remember that electricity, rent, and insurance are all critical responsibilities of the state government; taking pressure off hard-working Queenslanders by addressing these soaring costs should be at the top of the Palaszczuk government’s list. However, it seems that this largely absentee government has, once again, left Queenslanders in the lurch.
Tourism on the Gold Coast has been riding a high the last few weeks. The September school holidays were a big success with events packed with attendees, and the shopping centres overflowing with patrons; Pacific Fair even managed to get in on the artistic excitement of the Swell Sculpture Festival with their spring themed instalments! I have no doubt that these holidays provided our local businesses with a much-needed break. However, it is important to remain on the look-out for new opportunities that will continue to support Gold Coast businesses.
The light rail Stage 3 seems to be moving very slowly in construction and the pain for businesses along the route continues to put further pressure on long-term operators. Southport and Surfers Paradise are prime examples of how long businesses take to repair after the light rail construction period and I feel Pacific Fair to Burleigh leg will have a similar recovery period. The Federal Labor Government is about to release its cost-cutting on national infrastructure projects that have been committed that is doesn’t agree with so it will be interesting to see if light rail 4 from Burleigh to the airport makes the cut.
Should you have any State issues you would like to discuss please feel free to contact my office on:
Tel: 5600 0100 / Email: Mermaid.Beach@parliament.qld.gov.au
You can also find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RayStevensMP.
Best wishes,
Ray Stevens MP
State Member for Mermaid Beach
