Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week will mark the start of the Cooly Rocks On festival on the southern Gold Coast, which will run from the 3 to 13 June. This 1950s and 1960s festival is a wonderful example of community spirit and determination. For many years this part of the Gold Coast hosted the Wintersun Festival but, following a decision to move the festival further south, angry locals and business owners banded together to create a new festival, Cooly Rocks On. Thanks to the time and effort of the Cooly Rocks On executive management committee and managers: Steve Archdeacon, Phil Villiers, James Sullivan, Jim Wilson, Bob Newman, Brian Foster, Steve Bowman, Professor Kerry Brown, Ross Mercer, Tony Cannon, Lloyd Collingwood and Gail O'Neill—as well as many other supporters—the dream to host a fifties and sixties festival based at Coolangatta has become a reality.

An extensive program has been put in place including: a street parade with Aussie rock'n'roll singer Little Pattie, who has been named the official patron for the very first festival; over 900 classic cars and hot rods, which will take to the streets on 11 and 12 June; the world freestyle rock'n'roll and swing championships; surfboard championship with riders on pre-1968 boards; a fifties and sixties rock'n'roll dance competition; markets where I am sure there will certainly be some fascinating and amazing vintage finds; Australia's largest Elvis Presley memorabilia collection; and the 'ain't nothin' but a hound dog' poodle competition. There will be heaps of entertainment for the whole family, including many live bands and outdoor performances, throughout the festival as well as sideshow alley and carnival rides.

Whilst this will certainly be a fun filled festival, there is a serious side to it. I know there is a very serious aspect to this festival. It is expected that we will have between 50,000 and 80,000 people attending the festival including those from within Queensland and interstate and overseas visitors. Many of these visitors will holiday on the Gold Coast for the whole 11 days of the festival and, hopefully, they will take the opportunity to visit other parts of the Gold Coast as well. Based on those estimated numbers, it is likely that Cooly Rocks On will inject a minimum of $3 million into the local economy. This will come from accommodation, hospitality, memorabilia, ticket and retail sales. It will be a welcome boost to an area of the Gold Coast that has been hit very hard in recent times by a downturn in the tourism industry. The Gold Coast needs to attract visitors for longer stays, and the Cooly Rocks On festival fits perfectly with this model. I am very confident that the success of this year's festival will ensure that it becomes an annual event which will bring an increasing number of visitors to the Gold Coast. I will certainly be attending and I invite you all to join me.