Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this morning to talk about the various progress associations and residents associations in Fadden. I have said before in this place that Fadden is the fastest growing electorate in the nation. In the last six years it has grown by 31.6 per cent, compared to the closest electorate growth of 25 per cent. In such a high-growth area, with more people wanting to come to Fadden on the northern Gold Coast than any other electorate represented in this place, progress and residents associations play a significant part in organising communities, providing a voice for people and getting people together. The roles of progress associations are many and varied. They inform, they equip with research and guidance, they allow the combined voice of residents to be heard and, of course, they bring the opportunity for residents to join together to lobby for change, reform and outcomes.

In Fadden, we have a number of very active and prominent progress and residents associations. A few that spring to mind are Paradise Point Progress Association, Jacobs Well Progress Association, Park Lake Residents Association and Helensvale Residents Association. I would like to specifically mention the Paradise Point Progress Association, so ably led for many years by Fred Woodley. This progress association has led the charge on many local community reforms within the electorate of Fadden. Recently, it has been working with the developers on the Paradise Point Esplanade and shopping precinct redevelopment, working on the ‘no cruise ship terminal’ campaign in the Broadwater, working to try to get the Broadwater dredged and, of course, raising environmental concerns about the desalination plant that is going ahead within the Gold Coast. I salute the Paradise Point Progress Association for taking an active involvement and interest in the community and especially Fred Woodley’s involvement in so ably leading the progress association with all that it is doing on the northern Gold Coast.