📌 Chamber’s Concern: The Chamber calls for a reduction in government-imposed red tape, compliance burdens, and excessive taxation that stifle business growth.

✅ Our Policy Response:

• We support reviewing and streamlining business regulations, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to remove unnecessary bureaucratic barriers.

• We are committed to lobbying for fairer business rates, particularly for small businesses, to ensure they can remain competitive and profitable.

• We support advocating for greater transparency and accountability in state and local government policies that affect business operations.

📌 The Problem: Large corporations and multinational chains are dominating markets, making it harder for small businesses to compete.

✅ Our Policy Response:

• Shift the focus from big business to small business. We need policies that encourage consumers to spend their money locally rather than at corporate giants that take profits offshore.

• Government contracts and support should prioritise local businesses, ensuring money circulates within our community rather than being funneled into multinational profits.

• Encourage small business spending incentives—exploring local loyalty programs, small business grants, and tax incentives for shopping locally.

💡 Why This Matters:
Gold Coasters don’t win when the biggest businesses get bigger and small, locally owned businesses struggle to survive. Supporting small businesses keeps money in our economy, creates more jobs, and ensures our community reaps the benefits—not just corporate shareholders.

📌 The Problem: Tourism and hospitality are vital to our economy, but they are wants, not needs. With soaring rents, power bills, and grocery prices, locals have less discretionary spending to enjoy restaurants, events, and holidays.

✅ Our Policy Response:

• Fight for cost-of-living relief through policies that ease housing affordability, reduce excessive energy costs, and stop price gouging on essential goods and services.

• Push for stronger wage growth for workers, ensuring people have money left over after paying for necessities.

• Advocate for targeted government support that helps people keep more of their earnings—so they can spend it at local businesses, cafés, restaurants, and attractions.

💡 Why This Matters:
Gold Coast businesses rely on locals having the spending power to support them—not just tourists. If we want a thriving hospitality and tourism industry, we need a population that can afford to participate in it. Lowering cost-of-living pressures puts more money back into local businesses, where it belongs.

📌 Chamber’s Concern: The Chamber wants to see the fast-tracking of major infrastructure projects, including the Gold Coast Light Rail extension to the airport, and better public transport links.

✅ Our Policy Response:

• Public Transport Expansion: We support extending the Gold Coast Light Rail to the airport before the 2032 Olympics, with strategic park-and-ride options to ease congestion.

• Road Upgrades: We have called for urgent investment in upgrading major roads and intersections to keep up with rapid population growth.

• Better Bus Networks: We advocate for a review of public transport routes, including East-West connections, to reduce car dependency.

📌 Chamber’s Concern: The Chamber supports responsible, environmentally sensitive development, including on The Spit, while opposing unnecessary planning delays that hinder investment.

✅ Our Policy Response:

• Balanced Growth: We support sensible and sustainable development that prioritises jobs, tourism, and local business opportunities.

• The Spit Master Plan: We believe in a balanced approach that protects open spaces while allowing innovative and architecturally significant development.

• Affordable Housing & Urban Planning: We advocate for strategic housing development that considers local infrastructure capacity rather than uncontrolled urban sprawl.

📌 Chamber’s Concern: The Chamber supports a cruise ship terminal to attract more tourism revenue.

❌ Our Stance: We Oppose a Cruise Ship Terminal
The idea of a cruise ship terminal on the Gold Coast has been proven to be environmentally, socially, and economically unviable. Here’s why we oppose it:

• Environmental Impact: Large-scale dredging and infrastructure for a terminal would damage the Broadwater’s marine ecosystems, threatening local fisheries and natural habitats.

• Economic Disruption: Studies have shown that passengers from cruise ships spend very little in the local economy, as most services and excursions are pre-arranged with cruise lines rather than benefiting local businesses.

• Traffic & Congestion Issues: The additional infrastructure needed would place strain on already congested roads, increasing transport challenges for residents and visitors alike.

• Better Alternatives for Tourism Growth: Instead of a terminal, we support eco-tourism, adventure tourism, and nature-based tourism investments that align with the Gold Coast’s brand as a clean, green, and family-friendly destination.

We should not sacrifice our coastal environment for a short-sighted project that provides minimal long-term benefits.

📌 Chamber’s Concern: The Chamber wants an increase in police numbers, better technology, and a reversal of the police communications center move to Beenleigh.

✅ Our Policy Response:

• More Frontline Police for the Gold Coast: We are advocating for an immediate increase in police presence, particularly in high-traffic and tourism areas.

• Better Domestic Violence & Community Safety Measures: Our campaign has already prioritised stronger domestic violence response measures, which also contribute to a safer city for all residents.

• Community Policing Initiatives: We support local policing programs, including youth engagement and community-driven crime prevention strategies.