Revamp our city's image Opinion
A COUPLE of my Cold Coast colleagues have just returned from weekends in Melbourne and Sydney. And they came back depressed.
One is heavily involved in the cultural scene on the Gold Coast, having moved down from Brisbane to try to help drive the arts locally.
She went to Sydney, where there a vibrant arts and culture scene which embraces new product Cheap Polo Shirts and is part of a very active push to cash in on Melbourne laneway bars, cafes and restaurants.
The other mate is a bit like me. He wants an overhaul of the whole image or the perceived image of the Gold Coast.
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And culture its development and growth plays a huge part in this overhaul.
He went to Melbourne for a wedding which was full of Sydney people.
They laughed at him when he said he was from the Gold Coast.
They then asked him what he did here and why, of all the places in Australia no, the world he chose to live here.
All the while, these hipsters were conjuring up images of big boys, big boobs, big toys, big houses, big highrises and big crowds of teenagers congregating for the annual Schoolies Festival in Surfers Paradise.
Yep, it all of that. It is also perceived as the land of blondes, binge drinkers, beaches, bikies, bikinis and a big, black hole when it comes to culture.
We have little in the way of professional jobs unless you a white shoe wearing property developer our nightlife is targeted at teenagers and gamblers, our claim to fame is Warwick Capper and Schapelle Corby and our Surfers Paradise streets are filled with tourists from western Sydney and the north side of Melbourne.
Young, career minded professionals travelling south for a weekend of good food, music, art, sport and wine Vibram Trainers go packed with a page long list of excuses about why the place isn too bad to live in.
We are forever justifying the why.
family lives here, my mum looks after my daughter. I couldn work full time if it weren for my family, I say, when grilled by an uber Nike Air Max 1 Uk cool Sydneysider or Melbournite, while sipping latte in a hole in the wall spot in my Sunday best (boardies and thongs not allowed).
I then realise that it not always to have kids at 29 (39 is way cooler) so I add: Coast is on the brink of some massive change, it really is. We have some very cool places to go to, you know.
I list things such as The Village Markets, the Bleach Festival, Justin Lane, Black Coffee Lyrics, rabbit and cocoon, 19 Karen, a few of the top end eateries in Surfers Paradise and then whip out a copy of the Naked City Guide to prove I not making this stuff up.
The city is filled with elements of all of the above the good and the bad.
But there is a huge groundswell for change. We want more professionals living here, supported by more cultural activities in after work hours.
We want more depth.
This needs to be recognised and supported by the new Gold Coast City Council and the State Government.
Restrictions imposed on some of the new Cheap Michael Kors Bags Uk venues trying to shift our cultural image should be lifted and the younger generation should be encouraged to stay and work here for the benefit of the city, which means dialogue with the universities and other stakeholders to develop jobs for graduates.
Don make city image, the support for the up coming generations, and the push for cultural development part of the $80 million budget cuts.
It might look good on the balance sheet now, but in the long term will contribute to Cheap Nike Sb Uk the city brain drain and impact its economic development.
Years back, the oldies moved here for a reason: less traffic, lots of beaches, a wonderful climate and its proximity to an airport, a capital city and the Hinterland.
And for years, the city has welcomed and embraced these attributes.
The youngsters the people who will help make the city a vibrant, active city, supportive of infrastructure such as the light rail and its growth corridor plan need reasons to stay here.
If you then go forwards in time
The economy enters 2014 with much better momentum
" he added.
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