From 2014 to 2017, the Gold Coast Bulletin published a weekly Monday feature called Think Tank, in which the same set of five questions was asked of 162 selected Movers and Shakers.

For each of these questions I have extracted and aggregated the 122,977 words text and applied a rigorous phenomenological process to distil the essence of the answers in less than 500 words. I also ran wordclouds that select and display the top 100 repeated words and give a loose visual reflection of the sentiments expressed.

In 2018, I also surveyed member groups of the Gold Coast Community Alliance with the same set of questions and applied the same process to compare the results and identify common and dichotomous narratives. Here is the outcome of the first of the five questions.

Question 1. ‘What do you love about the Gold Coast?’

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

<500 WORD DESCRIPTION

“We are so blessed to live in an area of comparative lushness, in probably the best climate in the world.”[1] The Gold Coast is a beautiful setting for life. “I've never seen such picturesque nature encasing a city like this – not just natural areas but also the way anything grows – related to climate”.[2] Our weather is warm and dependably sunny. Our winters are mild. Our skies are blue, clear and pollution-free.

The main attraction is the coastline with ocean surf and pristine, white, sandy beaches. The relationship of the beach and city creates a coastal laid-back urban vibe. Living at the Gold Coast feels like constantly being on holidays. It’s a clean, healthy, happy, outdoor, active, relaxed lifestyle – and great for raising kids. It’s family friendly. It feels safe. It has good school and universities. It’s more affordable than Sydney and Melbourne.

Living is easy here. “It's like the Goldilocks city - it's not too big and it's not too small, it's just right”.[3] We have all the infrastructure and attractions of a big city without the negatives like congestion. We live at a more enjoyable pace. When we talk about diversity we mean the geography - from the beach to the hinterland and everything in between, plus the wide range of experiences - sports, entertainment, shopping and dining.

Gold Coasters are typically friendly and optimistic. “People come to live and work here from all over Australia and internationally and they are welcomed and accepted.”[4] We attribute positive attitudes to the fact that most people have chosen to live here, having come from elsewhere. There’s a sense of freedom, unbridled confidence and preparedness to try new things. “It has an entrepreneurial spirit - a bit of 'let's have a go' - and a willingness, or an aspiration to punch above its weight.”[5]

And it’s more than sunshine that makes the Gold Coast vibrant. This is a dynamic, forward-looking, evolving, exciting city, with a palpable buzz from tourism for added extra sense of fun. “I love its vibrancy… Everywhere you're going there's something happening, there's buildings going on here and there… It's a happy place and I'm right in it”[6]

[1] Jonathan Fisher, CEO National Trust of Queensland, Gold Coast Bulletin, 1 February 2016, p13

[2] Jan Hutton, Chief Marketing Officer, Gold Coast Tourism, Gold Coast Bulletin, 10 October 2016, p17

[3] Hal Morris, CEO Gold Coast Waterways Authority, Gold Coast Bulletin, 12 September 2016, p13

[4] John Morris, GM, RACV Royal Pines, Gold Coast Bulletin, 25 August 2014, p13

[5] Travis Auld, CEO Gold Coast Suns, Gold Coast Bulletin 31 March 2014, p13

[6] Warren von Bibra, Gold Coast Bulletin, 25 May 2015, p13

When I asked the same question in a survey of Gold Coast Community Alliance member groups, there was a lot of common ground - and several standout differences.

COMMUNITY ALLIANCE MEMBER GROUPS

<500 WORD DESCRIPTION

We love the sub-tropical climate, clean air, bountiful nature and the outdoor, healthy lifestyles that these features facilitate. The beautiful, clean beaches sea and waterways are a drawcard for every age group, whether it’s swimming, surfing, sailing, diving or fishing. The hinterland is a biodiversity hotspot. National Parks and other natural environments and wildlife habitats, rural landscapes, and recreational parks are conveniently accessible to visit and explore.

Along with spectacular natural scenery, the Gold Coast offers a variety of destinations and experiences. There are small villages, party precincts, world-class shopping centres and sporting facilities, plus an improving array of café/restaurant and arts/cultural options.

People of the Gold Coast are well known for our friendly smiles, openness and love of life. We are proud of the camaraderie and persistence of residents committed to the protection of the natural environment and quality of life, in the face of considerable urban development pressures. We delight in the ease of living and mobility: “the ability to get from A to B without too much delay”[1] , but we fear these qualities are diminishing. The Gold Coast is a beautiful and fun place to live. Let’s keep it that way!

[1] Preserve Evandale Parkland community group

Analysis

I’ll save the full analysis for the PhD thesis, but you can get the general gist here. The common narrative of what people love about this place is clear.

The Gold Coast is a lifestyle proposition with ridiculously simple ingredients: perfect climate + beautiful natural landscape = healthy, happy lives.

However, conflicts of opinion also emerge, where some people lean towards business and development, while others pursue community and environmental agendas. Contests usually arise in response to the speed and nature of change. People have different perspectives on how development is managed by the council and/or State Government, and how things could be done better - which is the topic of Question 2. But whatever the topic, prevailing narratives driven by the people in power, and propped up by commercially-influenced news media, will ALWAYS win. When you control the narrative in this city, you control its development. That’s it in a nutshell