UPDATE:
Presidents Report AGM 2024:
Welcome everyone, thank you for taking the time to attend your AGM. Welcome to Cr Peter Young and a thank you to Sir Rodney Dux for his important role in tonight's event.
Tonight, I can only offer you a snapshot of the last 12 months, to detail all that has passed in the last 12 months we would be here till the next sunrise, but at the tail of the AGM if you have questions on specific subjects, we will be more than happy to respond to any requests for more information.
Committee
Before we get into the nuts and bolts I must convey a deep gratitude to the people sitting at this table (Cheryl, Peter, Robert, Warren and Lauren). They are the engine room, a key component of the continued day to day success of the parkland.
No it's not meet up once a month and make a few decisions. It's a daily workload. You have to deal with the public, the Park tenants, the ever increasing venue bookings, financial matters, responsible accounting, grounds beautification and rubbish management, public safety considerations, reporting to authorities, liaising with council, applications for events including liquor licensing and infrastructure repairs, all in all an almost endless list of tasks and duties.
In addition to the committee I would make mention of the additional helping hands namely, Rita, Dorrel, Peter L, Ray, Richard, Neil, Loretta and Ewen. We thank you on behalf of the parkland community.
The Parkland (A universal public space)
Year on year the parkland continues to grow. There are an ever increasing number of visitors to the Park. An increasing number of festivals and events, both large and small along with a growing number of members joining the various community groups on site. There has been a huge increase in the use by disability, aged and early learning groups and not to forget the increased use of the park for exercise by both 2 and 4 legged visitors and then there is the adventure park that bursts at the seams from Friday to Sunday.
Finances
Lauren will give you a snapshot of our finances but please note that we are in a transition period having Kerri retire from the committee, however we are well placed on the “black side” of the balance sheet and have worked hard to recover from the financial downturn we suffered during COVID. Equally there is a need to be financially strong as come January, the refurbishment of the main reception building and the unavailability of the barn for hire for a minimum of 6 months plus the loss of CPL rental due to the same refurbishment will see a sizeable reduction in venue hire income for the same period, not forgetting our monthly costs to open the doors will still need to be serviced.
Sustainability
We have worked diligently to be more environmentally sustainable with the installation of the maximum amount of solar panels we are allowed – installing LED lighting when we have the opportunity [ Barn lighting now LED] planting trees shrubs and grasses to lower our carbon foot print [ 1400000 plants planted] while we may not be carbon neutral we are putting our best foot forward towards this goal.
Council
After 12 plus years in our relationship we still have issues with the forming of a coherent, fruitful partnership. Yes it was always going to be difficult i.e., the marriage of the mouse and a mammoth, but not impossible.
- Has the relationship improved recently – yes!
- Are there still issues –yes!
- Are we working to resolve our differences –yes!
- We have an assigned council officer as a conduit to assist us unravel a pathway to getting things done however the commitment to this person being on site one day a week has not materialized.
- We have taken steps to clarify the roles and responsibilities of council departments and ourselves within the parkland. Delineation of responsibility for mowing, maintenance and repairs is still ongoing but we are making ground in this long term goal.
The future
The future looks bright although the first 6 months of 2025 will be challenging to say the least
- The refurbishment of the main and CPL buildings: This will be a major bonus and visual improvement to the parks future but it will take 6 months starting in January and during that time create some significant disruption to the day to day life of the park, however if all goes to plan it will be well worth it.
- The oval shed: It is close to a start, yes it has had a longer gestation period than an elephant and still needs some T’s crossed and I’s dotted, some discussions as to fit and finish and an issue as to having potable water to the building, but the wheels are in motion and it should be delivered in the last quarter of next year.
- WIFI : Yep its done and dusted up and running but still needs to be signed off by TPG (Thank you Cr Young).
- The extension to the Great walk on the new property: Community consultation to be undertaken soon somewhere around the 18th to the 25th
- The windmill: No information as to its return or not at this time.
- Speed bumps: 2 new speed bumps will be installed in the not too distant future and a new stop sign has been installed in an effort to bring some sanity to speeding way over the 10 kph speed limit (Thank you Cr Young).
Beyond tomorrow
The parkland and wider community are voting with their feet. They like Country Paradise and are flocking to the park in increasing numbers for recreation and events, our number one challenge is to meet this increasing demand from a management and infrastructure requirement.
- Most pressing is the demand for car parking on Fridays and the weekend where demand outstrips supply (events we can manage parking wise) but there are days where demand outstrip supply.
- The undercover area in the new oval shed should relieve some of the pressure on existing buildings provided we can supply the necessary infrastructure in the shed to support community use.
Finally thank you all for the parts you play in making Country Paradise Parklands the special place it is - A SLICE OF PARADISE!
Mark Tierney
President NCPA
Much has happened since the Park was opened under the stewardship of the Community, Volunteer, Nerang Country Paradise Association Inc. A snapshot of the Park's evolution is represented in Secretary Cheryl's image galleries below. The text content is now dated and due for renewal in the near future:
From what was Paradise Country
to the success story that is
Country Paradise Parklands:
C.P.P. Achievements:
Achievement No 1:
The catalyst for the creation of Country Paradise Parklands (CPP) was the inspired vision of a small group of people who eventually came together in the Nerang Neighbour Centre to discuss the feasibility of their dream concept. The idea focussed on giving back to the people of Nerang in particular and the City in general, something that had been once cherished and promoted in the area but was now fast disappearing i.e., the Village Approach.
The rationale was to re-introduce the sense of belonging to a small town with its village atmosphere and community hub and in so doing create a good place to meet, to socialize, play sport , have events , community gardens , walks and a good mix of proactive community groups established in the precinct once a suitable and available location had been secured. Suffice to say the initial outcome was positive thereby meeting the first goal.
Achievement No 2:
Finding Country Paradise - a brave crew of people were the first to walk the grounds of Paradise Country (as it was then known) and after 10 years of being abandoned it reminded the casual observer of the “Lost City of the Incas.” Two metre high grass, a sea of palm fronds and weeds, amongst other detritus, surrounded the site. The grounds were cluttered with broken fences and steel poking out of the undergrowth , buildings that had become the domain of the local wild life, gutters falling off, staircases rusted and rotten, floor boards and walls fallen prey to termites and vermin.
A determined work crew including Council, Community, Skilling Australia, Contractors rolled up their sleeves and together they found Country Paradise. These works should not be understated they were monumental for the small investment in funds committed and the shear hard yakka put in by all. It would be hard for anybody not there from day one to reconcile what a difference has been made in such a short time.
Achievement No 3:
The CPP Community: Following a process of community consultation, a Vision Statement was born, a master plan formalised and from these modest beginnings a vibrant Parklands community has emerged with the following park volunteer groups being the foundation licensees:
Mens Shed - Sheilas Shack - Community Gardens - Healing Hooves
Nerang Riverkeepers - Gold Coast Acoustics
Country Paradise Management & general members.
Simply to walk around the CPP site and poke your head in some doors is quite uplifting to witness the progress that has been made. The sheds cleaned and painted, stacked full of equipment, nurseries full of plants, Gardens overflowing with vegies, horses, chooks and everybody busy getting on with their quality community involvement.
Achievement No 4:
CPP Events and uses when you visit the site during the nominated times, group interaction or third party events you will be impressed by the amount of harmonious activity within the precinct. Between facility hire and management by the dynamic CPP Committee and the ongoing day to day proactive participation by the on site licensees, the enterprise continues to grow at a healthy rate.
Each month new events and community groups are meeting on site and new enquiries are being received by the management team enquiring about the steps necessary to become a participant in the Country Paradise experience.
Achievement No 5:
Country Paradise Parklands is a unique experiment that has no equivalent on the Gold Coast. It runs on the smell of an oil rag [literally & not much oil on the rag] and it is run for the community by the community. There is no “ Pot of Gold” for the project. Council and our Divisional Councillor commit what funding is available in difficult economic times.
The CPP committee works diligently for this ‘not for profit’ organization to hire out the venue at prices the community can afford. They source and apply for appropriate grants, run small events to bolster the coffers and are focused on continuing the forward momentum utilising the limited resources at its disposal. The wider community have been more than generous with donations of monies, equipment, materials and labour. It’s difficult to imagine where we would be without the bobcats, Kato’s, timber, gravel, trees, tables and chairs, pavers and above all sincere community spirit and well wishes.
Take note of where we started and have come from in just a few short years and then add all of the above together: Now that is an Achievement!
Aerial views of Park improvements in recent years:
The aerial view below is the latest available to the author (October 2023) from local government and it is not up to date regards actual content however it is included here to show the new land addition on the Western boundary of the existing site that was recently purchased by the Council i.e., where the 'legend' has been positioned. The Oval building marked '1' has been marked for demolition with a new building to be built at position 'Y'. Position 'X' is the car park missing from the original.
