Revealed: What Gold Coasters really think about the city being home to one million residents
Older residents in coastal suburbs have told council the prospect of one million people living on the Gold Coast is “unthinkable” and “challenging” – but young people have a very different view. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK - VOTE IN OUR POLL
Gold Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Gold Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Residents at Palm Beach, Surfers Paradise and Labrador have told the City that plans for one million people living on the Gold Coast within two decades is “unthinkable” and challenging.
But younger residents are welcoming “inland” developments which will freshen up older suburbs with high rises around new retail and commercial precincts.
The City has just completed the biggest ever surveying of residents as $5 million of ratepayer money is plunged into shaping a new City Plan.
State Government targets for south-east Queensland will see the Coast accommodate 388,000 new residents by 2046 and require 161,100 new homes and 173,800 extra jobs.
A resident during surveying told council: “The entire GC is already overpopulated, with not enough affordable housing and the roads cannot handle the influx of people.”
But another said: “The Gold Coast can manage the increase and still have a beautiful city where we can walk, still have our greenery and tropical look interlaced with many buildings.”
The only agreement is on the building of “inland” high rises west of the coastal strip.
The surveying included a Market Research segment – covering all ages and suburbs – and a GC Have Your Say (GCHYS) segment where council used its online program.
Only nine per cent of Market Research respondents – a younger group – found the population targets were “unthinkable and challenging”.
But 45 per cent of GCHYS online responses – residents mostly from Palm Beach, Surfers Paradise and Labrador – voiced strong opposition.
At least 54 per cent of GCHYS residents were opposed to growing the southern coastal corridor. This compares to only 23 per cent of Market Research respondents.
“I fear there will be too many developments approved whereby we are fitting too many people into smaller spaces. Our infrastructure will not cope,” a resident said.
Their key concerns, listed in a new report to council, are:
* housing affordability, rising cost of living especially for families.
* distrust with the City and developers after poorly managed growth in the past.
* fears of increased traffic and poorer quality of life.
* the Coast’s relaxed and unique lifestyle will be lost.
* beaches, a loss of green spaces and impact on wildlife.
City Planning chair Mark Hammel admitted he was concerned that only 40 per cent of residents surveyed admitted having a moderate knowledge of the scale of population growth.
“It wasn’t just an online survey, it was actually a qualitative approach through specifically engaging people across the city from all different age demographics and all different backgrounds to ensure we knew where we needed to target our messaging,” he said.
“We knew we had a big one (task), I don’t think we understood that it was going to be this big or how many people we need to get the messaging to.”
Mr Hammel acknowledged the split between older people in coastal suburbs opposed to growth to younger people focused more on housing affordability.
“The City Plan is for the entire Gold Coast. It has to have voices from the very north, to the very south and everywhere in between,” he said.
“Age is really important. A City Plan is about looking forward in the future.
“If we are not heavily looking at what our 20 year old and 30 year olds are telling us about what their expectations of lifestyle and dwellings choice looks like in the future, then we are missing the point.”
Mr Hammel said representatives from community, environment and suburbs as part of the next stage would be invited to council to debate the Plan.
“We need to get everyone on board with where the city is heading. Everyone can hear the challenges at the same time. So that someone from a planning background can listen to a 20-year-old and understand where they are coming from.
“But just as importantly, someone from Palm Beach can listen to someone from Labrador where they share common concerns, where they share a different concern as well, so all those voices are heard.”
Community Alliance spokesperson Sally Spain, a leading environmentalist, congratulated Mr Hammel on the surveying but cautioned council about allowing developers to head up technical groups advising on the City Plan in the final stages.
“It’s a very broad process it’s welcome, they’ve been thorough, and the consultation is essential and inclusive,” Ms Spain said.
“At the peak of the process, there is more need for the environment to be the focus. The city in the future, otherwise, will suffer.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Revealed: What Gold Coasters really think about the city being home to one million residents
Work stalls on luxury $50m Brisbane Hilton as builder restricted
Work has stalled indefinitely on a $50m Hilton hotel in central Brisbane, and its builder has been hit with a crippling licence restriction. Read what’s happened
Accused getaway driver’s ‘wild’ claim in bikie execution case
The accused getaway driver in the “military” style execution of bikie Shane Bowden has denied affiliation with the Mongols despite the prosecution’s claims.