Broadwater Parklands to continue hosting major live events despite petition from residents to stop
Council have made a decision on whether Broadwater Parklands will remain the city’s best live outdoor venue. Read the update
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Broadwater Parklands will remain the city’s best live outdoor venue despite a push by some residents to stop concerts on its southern lawn.
But it may lose its top billing as council seeks to fast-track the planned indoor entertainment centre across the Gold Coast Highway at Southport’s Carey Park.
Gold Coast City Council officers were required to investigate the precinct after 14 residents living nearby to the Parklands put in a petition calling for an end to loud concerts.
Residents sought to stop the southern lawn “as a live music venue for loud rock concerts, pop concerts and all types of music festivals due to the proximity to residential buildings and resulting noise disturbance”.
Officers in their report said the Broadwater Parklands remains the Coast’s prime outdoor live venue and has operated largely complaint-free for 14 years.
Lifestyle committee chair Councillor Glenn Tozer said the investigation respected the views of residents who were exposed to live events nearby but it also helped explain the economic value of the live music industry.
“We remain committed to our tourism objectives and the leveraging of great open spaces for music events and for cultural promotion and economic impact,” he said.
“The Gold Coast aspires to be a live music destination, and a place where music and culture is celebrated. We building momentum in that area.”
Officers said the southern lawn, with a capacity of 8000 to 15,000 attendees, was the premier venue and choice for outdoor live music events.
“The Broadwater Parklands was reinvented in 2009 as one of Australia’s great foreshore parks. It is entrenched as a popular destination where events, history and water combine to create a 2.6 kilometre stretch of vibrant green waterfront for locals and visitors,” officers said.
The southern lawn site was used for the inaugural live music event 600 Sounds in October 2010, where the three-day concert showcased a line-up of international and national artists attracting 30,000 fans.
This event kickstarted major concerts on the southern lawn at the Parklands, next to the Southport Special Entertainment Precinct.
A broader review for significant third party delivered events will assess key event precincts in the city including Broadwater Parklands, officers said.
“The investigation will rate locations and whether they can handle crowds, require additional infrastructure requirements and impact on traffic and transport,” officers said.
The investigation was sparked by complaints from Main Beach residents about live music at the end of The Spit.
The majority of the music concerts have operated complaint-free with eight complaints linked to a number of events staged in April 2024
The future use of the southern lawn for music concerts is tipped to be reduced or influenced by other City projects including the Broadwater Parklands Main Lawn Stage Upgrade.
Infrastructure Gold Coast is currently progressing planning and concept design work on an upgrade of the community event stage on the main event lawn adjacent to Nerang Street which will offer an alternative concert location and increase capacity up to 10,000 patrons.
Councillors must also make a decision on progressing the Gold Coast Indoor Entertainment and Sports Arena after providing in-principle support for the preferred site at Carey Park. It could cater for at least 12,000 patrons.
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Originally published as Broadwater Parklands to continue hosting major live events despite petition from residents to stop
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