Beach visitor numbers explode on Coast creating need for more lifeguard towers and patrols
A new report has revealed the number of people visiting Gold Coast beaches will explode to 30 million a year in less than a decade.
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The Gold Coast needs more lifeguard towers and longer patrol hours with predictions that visitor numbers to beaches will explode to 30 million a year.
A deep dive by Gold Coast City Council officers has found, over the past decade, beach visitation had increased by 228 per cent to 19.5 million in 2023.
Forecasts are now that the number of visits, in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic Games, will reach 29 million by 2031.
Officers tip it will top 30 million by the 2032 Olympics. Lifeguards complete beach counts several times each day and other data has been obtained by Griffith University using drones.
Southport-based councillor Brooke Patterson at a lifestyle committee meeting on Thursday where the report was debated described lifeguards as the City’s ultimate positive brand.
“This is our protection. Thanks again – hats off,” she said. Colleagues including Burleigh’s Josh Martin welcomed additional resources at packed beaches. Council officers say central to their plan is the expansion of patrol hours and the addition of five new lifeguard towers at high-demand locations over the next six years, improving coverage and response capacity.
Nine of the city’s 27 beaches require extra lifeguard support.
Those locations include Surfers Paradise North, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, North Burleigh Burleigh, Palm Beach, Coolangatta, Greenmount and Rainbow Bay.
The amenity review has also highlighted the need for five additional lifeguard towers along the coastline over the next six years to address key service challenges.
These locations are next to light rail and the oceanway. They include 1st Ave Burleigh, South Main Beach, Flat Rock and Sea Street at Tugun and 1st Ave Broadbeach.
New data provided show an increase of 104,000 new residents – 32,480 are expected – to arrive on the Coast over the next two years.
This will require 55,917 new dwellings. The predicted growth in visitor numbers are between 24 to 28 per cent.
The City says a comprehensive capacity plan is being developed, which will see an 11 per cent increase in patrol hours in hot spot locations.
Lifestyle committee chair Glenn Tozer said population growth along with increased tourism had caused a surge in beach visitation.
“The lifeguard’s capacity plan is designed to meet these rising demands through to 2031, ensuring safety and accessibility,” he said.
“To improve beach safety, the plan includes expanding patrol and lifeguard towers at high demand locations over the next six years, ensuring better coverage and response times.”
Officers recommend an additional Ocean Lifeguard Supervisor be appointed and budgeted for the 2025-26 financial year. Councillors backed the move.
No details have been provided yet on budget costs and actual increase in patrol times.
The report said council was expanding its beach camera network, feeding into the City’s beaches app, allowing beachgoers to access real-time visuals and make informed choices about when and where to visit.
Council is also exploring artificial intelligence (AI) applications, particularly in people counting and swimmer behaviour monitoring.
“While there are current reliability challenges in outdoor and ocean environments, AI is proving advantageous in controlled environments, such as aquatic centres,” the report said.
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