Southport business owners disappointed with development on Gold Coast

CITY leaders have rubbished claims that Southport is failing to draw in developments as businesses say the area is ‘boring’ and lacking unique stores.

There are a number of shops up for lease- and have been for months. Picture Glenn Hampson

CITY leaders have rubbished claims that Southport is failing to attract new businesses to the area.

Local businesses have labelled the suburb “boring” due to empty store fronts and zoning laws.

Owner of Gold Coast Tattoo Shop Ben Braniff said he had been in the area for more than a decade and tourists were failing to visit Southport thanks to a lack of unique stores.

“As soon as they (lifted zoning laws) that destroyed it,” he said.

Three shops up for lease on Scarborough Street. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Do we really need coffee shops 20m from away from each other?

“There’s no variety left in the suburbs. It’s the same thing after same thing.”

THE ‘DEAD’ SUBURB ON THE GOLD COAST

Scarborough Street’s 1st Cafe owner Jean Min, who only opened her shop under a year ago, said there was little to draw tourists to the area.

“There’s not many people around,” she said.

“People having been getting less and less.

The trams are quiet on the weekend according to business owners. Picture Glenn Hampson

“It’s quiet. There’s not many people around on a Saturday ... and I notice the tram on the weekend is very empty. Hopefully once Australia Fair is renovated, people will come to this area.”

Ms Min said she was also concerned at the number of shop fronts that had been available for lease for months on end.

President of the Southport Chamber of Commerce Laird Marshall said the suburb needed developers and investors to bring large companies to the area and to fill up vacant blocks of land.

Some of the seedier areas of the Southport CBD. Picture Glenn Hampson

“One of the issues is investors, particularly from overseas, have bought decent parcels for major residential developments ... but they’re still vacant,” he said.

“It’s a disappointment to the locals and businesses because they want to see positive action and want to see businesses moving in. We would like to have the actual building proceeding ... so they can house larger companies.”

DUMPED AND APPROVED DEVELOPMENTS ON THE COAST

Mr Marshall said state government and council had given the green light to development through appropriate rezoning, but the lack of a reliable NBN connection was keeping businesses away.

Scarborough Street in Southport. Picture Glenn Hampson

“(NBN) is patchy in Southport,” he said.

“It promised the world and it’s not delivering, it’s very fragmented.”

But local MP Rob Molhoek fired back, saying he was “sick of people talking Southport down.”

“There’s really a buzz in terms of development, Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he said.

“I understand the frustration with under-developed sites in the area, but no developer is going to start developing if it’s not going to sell.”

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He said development at the old hospital site would have already begun at the Queen Street Village if it hadn’t been for the Commonwealth Games.

Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow said business activity in the area was healthy.

“The towers are full in Southport,” she said.

“A big solicitors firm has just moved from Bundall to Southport, Caldwell Family Law.”