Tweed Shire Council talks 2024 Growth Management and Housing Strategy: Continuation of Gold Coast not on ‘radar’

A Tweed council planning expert says Surfers Paradise-sized skyscrapers on the shores of Cabarita Beach isn’t on the “radar”, despite a huge anticipated population spike by 2041. Here’s what to expect.

The Tweed. Picture: Supplied/Tweed Shire Council.

A council planning expert says despite 30,000 people flocking to the Tweed by 2041, seeing Surfers Paradise-sized skyscrapers smack-bang on the shores of Cabarita Beach isn’t on the “radar”.

Tweed Shire Council has launched a six-week community consultation with hopes a revised options paper will formulate the basis for its 2024 Growth Management and Housing Strategy.

The council aims to release the strategy – which will future proof the Tweed to 2041 and beyond – by the time local council elections start in September.

The community consultation period gives residents a chance to have their say on proposed options to meet demand for housing and employment land over the next 20 years.

And while census-based state government data projections indicated that the Tweed’s population is expected to grow to 13,290 people by 2041, council’s own consultant (Informed Decisions) said the region could expect as many as 31,571 people.

A council planning expert says the Tweed is unlikely to become a booming vertical metropolis like the central and northern Gold Coast. Picture: Destination Gold Coast.

The council states planning is also required to accommodate for 11,000 jobs in the shire in the same period.

With some residents expressing concerns the Gold Coast’s urban sprawl will crawl on south through the Tweed and beyond – a council planning expert has said it’s not the case.

Tweed Shire Council unit co-ordinator, strategic planning and urban design Iain Lonsdale said residents were extremely unlikely to see “Surfers Paradise-sized skyscrapers on Cabarita Beach”.

“We’re not talking about massive moves in terms of building heights. Tweed Heads already has some high-rises but having them throughout the region is not really on our radar,” he said.

“We have heard concerns from people that they don’t want the Tweed to be the Gold Coast, and we get that.

“But people forget that the Gold Coast has an incredible amount of open spaces, recreation spaces and high-density housing that doesn’t always go vertical.

“We are not looking to go vertical in the Tweed.”

Mr Lonsdale, however, said it was “important we do look at high density options that can relate to the Tweed’s character – and are of low scale”.

“Everyone that moved here did it because of the lifestyle that the Tweed offers. We want to retain it as long as we can,” he said.

“But the reality is the average income earners have been priced out of the Tweed a long time ago. Something has to change.”

Mr Lonsdale said the community now realised diverse housing supply was “critical” and people attending community consultation sessions were “more open to higher density options than they once were”.

“It’s at a point where we need to accept the crisis we are facing and look at what changes we can make to improve that outlook for the next two decades,” he said.

Mr Lonsdale said meetings have been held with City of Gold Coast in relation to the city’s high density, low-rise communities in Varsity Lakes and Southport – and what similar communities could look like in the Tweed.

He said addressing infrastructure concerns and the management of greenfield and employment land sites would also go into the strategy.

The council’s director of planning Denise Galle said community feedback played a vital role in future-proofing the Tweed.

“We need to plan for a future that is adaptive to growth and change while respecting the beautiful attributes of the Tweed,” she said.

“This plan is about increasing the diversity of options to address future growth. Some of the possible changes include higher density living in some zones, change of land use, rural village expansion, review of greenfield sites and more housing diversity.”

Council is inviting community feedback on the Draft Options paper. Residents are invited to attend a community information session (either in person or online) before making their submission online at yoursaytweed.com.au/futuretweed.

Submissions are open until Friday 22 March 2024.

Community information sessions – registration essential

• Tweed Heads Administration Office, Tuesday 5 March, 5.30pm – 7pm

• Kingscliff Bowls Club, Tuesday, 12 March, 5.30pm – 7pm

• Murwillumbah Services Club, Wednesday 13 March, 5.30pm – 7pm

• Drop-in sessions – no registration required

• Kingscliff markets: Saturday 10 February, 8am – 12 noon

• Kingscliff Shopping Village: Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 February, 9am – 2pm

• Murwillumbah Makers and Finders market: Saturday 17 February, 8.30am – 1pm

• Murwillumbah Farmers Markets: Wednesday 14 February, 7am – 11am

• Murwillumbah Sunnyside Shopping Centre: Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 February, 11am – 4pm

• Pottsville markets: Sunday 18 February, 8am – 12 noon

• Tyalgum village markets: Saturday 24 February, 8am – 12 noon

• Tweed City Shopping Centre: Tuesday 20 – Thursday 22 February, 9am – 2pm

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Originally published as Tweed Shire Council talks 2024 Growth Management and Housing Strategy: Continuation of Gold Coast not on ‘radar’