Gold Coast council boundary change: Major shopping centre excluded from plans

The review of council divisional boundaries on the Gold Coast has a glaring fault — and a city councillor wants to fix it.

THE review of council divisional boundaries on the Gold Coast has a glaring fault — and a city councillor wants to fix it.

The Gold Coast Bulletin can reveal the Helensvale Town Centre which includes the light and heavy rail station connection along with the nearby new residential estate called The Surrounds is excluded from the northern suburb.

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Westfield Helensvale is not included in the Helensvale council division.

Area councillor William Owen-Jones in a Facebook post to residents has urged them to provide feedback on the internal boundaries proposed by the Change Commission.

Residents have previously voiced how they want to send their children to Helensvale schools rather than those at Pacific Pines.

Cr Owen-Jones said the new maps for the city’s 14 divisions showed significant changes to accommodate both the growth in the city’s north and community call for Southport and Nerang not to be split.

In his division, Helensvale and Oxenford would gain Hope Island and Sanctuary Cove, and lose Arundel, and parts of Upper Coomera and Maudsland.

“Overall I think it generally makes sense, particularly in respect to the changes in, and around, the area that I currently represent,” Cr Owen-Jones wrote.

COAST ‘NEEDS ANOTHER COUNCILLOR’

Councillor William Owen-Jones is writing a submission on boundary changes. Picture: Richard Gosling.

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“I do however intend to make a submission regarding the inclusion of the residents in The Surrounds area of Helensvale into Division 2, and to suggest Riverstone Crossing residents be represented by one division, the proposed Division 3.”

Cr Owen-Jones told The Bulletin he believed Coombabah Creek should form the natural boundary in the division and not Brisbane Road.

“There is a community of interest that says the Helensvale Town Centre and the railway station and the new Surrounds should all stay within Helensvale,” he said.