Page 8 - Tropic Magazine Issue 13

EDITOR’S
LETTER

Gavin King

The Sydney Morning Herald headline of confidence in the city’s commercial
screamed out from the screen: future. I asked what he thought of Cairns
“Suffocating Sydneysiders rise up against after spending a few days here. His
overdevelopment”. Another article on response: “I’ve been surprised”. Surprised
the same site shouted: “Our beloved city by how relaxed it all feels. Surprised by the
is being destroyed as we watch”. Both quality of cafes and restaurants. Surprised
pieces chronicled a nightmarish version of by the beautiful winter weather. Surprised
life in the mega-metropolis I once called by the level of economic activity, even
home. Back then, Sydney was a beautiful though he understands it isn’t filtering
jewel of a city, the most happening place through to the coalface of small business
in the nation for a 21-year-old music just yet.
journalist living a rock n’ roll lifestyle that The one negative he noted during his
would make Keith Richards proud. My visit was the general lack of positivity in
recollections of the time are a little hazy, the business community. Things aren’t
but I know it was a magical era. booming, sure, but they’re not in the
Fast forward 20 years, and Sydney along doldrums either. We should know by now
with its booming counterpart Melbourne that the golden years of growth in the
are victims of their own success. The run-up to the GFC aren’t coming back.
articles I read summed up the current Instead we have to lean in to a future of
situation: “All across Sydney people feel slower, steadier growth, tighter margins
underserviced, overcrowded, dwarfed by and constant hustle. So long as we take
high-rises, squished into train carriages, time to enjoy our tropical lifestyle and get
smothered by streets flooded with cars to work in a positive, proactive business
and crammed onto toll roads.” community, we should be happy with that.
And that was just the opening paragraph. Our next challenge is to grow our
A couple of hours after reading those population within a framework of
articles, I was reaching for a beer at the sustainable, sensible urban planning. Tell
VIP opening night of The Chambers while our story, sell our strengths, understand
talking in a circle with representatives our weaknesses. And, most importantly,
from both Crystalbrook Collection and manage and maintain the lifestyle that
Nova City. They discussed the latest attracted so many of us here in the first
progress on these two game-changing place. As I’ve written before, we’re working
projects as we enjoyed the beautifully with local businesses to launch a Brand
appointed new venue. Outside on this cool Cairns city marketing campaign to help
Friday evening in June, it was 24C as the fuel a faster rate of growth. Drop me a line
drizzling rain passed us by. It was at this if you’d like to be part of the campaign,
point I compared the grinding horrors and thanks as always for reading.
of daily life in Sydney with the oft-voiced
inconvenience of parking in the Cairns
CBD. On this occasion, it took me at least
5 minutes to find a spot about 100 metres
away from the venue. I even got rained
on as I walked across Spence St! Inside
with the jovial crowd I smiled and grabbed
another beer. We may not have it all in Gavin King
Cairns, I thought, but on balance we’ve got
it pretty damn good. [email protected]
A few days after The Chambers opening,
I was at the restaurant right next door PS: Don’t forget to grab a subscription
eating yum cha at the Golden Boat, to Tropic. Getting a package in the mail
spinning a lazy Susan at a lunch with every two months with the region’s most
a senior partner of national law firm readable magazine inside is a delight
Holding Redlich. The company had just in this digital age. Email us at info@
acquired local firm Law Solutions in a sign tropicnow.com.au for details.

8 • Tropic • Issue 13