graemeh7

View wise, great, but lacks, and will always lack, a community centre with any heart, as, apart from the primary school, which while good, always struggles to maintain its role, and therefore its funding, the sense of community is just a veneer.
Essentially there are two major camps - those that see it as being in their interests to grow the community by making decisions that would entice more to the mountain, and those that want the complete opposite - they like the isolation, and the lack of facilities, as it means that they won’t be ‘overrun’ by newcomers, they will thereby retain their position as influencers in the community that is.
Unfortunately, to add to this dichotomy, there are also those that just don’t like change of any sort, and seek their own ‘power’ by ‘white anting’ anyone that they see as ‘getting ahead’. They are not averse to using the authorities as unwitting tools by laying multiple complaints against those that they see as trying to move ahead (tall poppy syndrome on steroids).
All in all, this has lead to festering undercurrents in the community over many years, and woe begins anyone appearing to upset the balance.
In a larger community, it might have been possible to progress beyond the negative effects of self interested sectorisation, but in a population as small as Beechmont & Lower Beechmont combined, this has not been possible, and is not likely to be possible in the foreseeable future, as those wanting to find and help mould an ‘ideal’ community are quickly made aware that their views are not appreciated (by one of the groups previously mentioned should they feel that the balance may be tipped against them).
It’s the classic case, that should you be thinking of moving to this community, be very aware of understanding that it, and it’s issues, should be understood for what they are, not for what you would like them to be.
That aside, the issues with the isolation, problems with the only significant road (stretching across the Mt from Nerang, to Canungra) have been well ventilated here, so I won’t go into them in any great detail again, other than to mention that some will see that isolation as being a way of trying to keep the unwanted world at bay, while others will see it as being part of the challenge to growing a more inclusive and sustainable community.
Those that buy into the area tend to stay some time (for simple reason that it is so hard to sell again (average sale times are in months rather than weeks, and can extend to years)); renters tend to come, and go, just as quickly, once they get tired of the commute up the mountain, particularly when during the rainy season, one of the regular land slips occurs on the Lower Beechmont/Advancetown stretch down to Nerang, or their children grow to high school going age, (as Nerang is the closest public funded senior school)
I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, and I fully expect this comment to incur the wrath of those that want you to believe that this is the best community in the country, so all I ask, is that you consider all comments in their own context, discount those that rely on personal attacks, and most importantly look at any move on the basis of what is, not what you would like it to be.