Gold Coast Oceanway: Controversial 2013 protest marches over plans to close Tugun beachside path

The completion of the Gold Coast Oceanway down the coastline has divided many, including the “affluent few” beachside property owners who fought to stop locals walking near their houses.

The completion of the Gold Coast Oceanway down the coastline has long been a divisive issue.

While the dream of a public pathway has been realised along large chunks of the beachfront, those who have frequently come out against it are residents whose houses back on to the sand.

In recent years the focus has been on parts of Surfers Paradise and particularly Mermaid Beach’s Hedges Ave where some of the Gold Coast’s most expensive houses sit.

It was 10 years ago that one of the most hotly contested issues in the city’s recent history exploded publicly.

The plan to close off the path was highly controversial.

In late 2013 the LNP state government announced it was considering proposals from Tugun residents who wanted to buy up beachfront public land in front of their properties.

The Golden Four Drive residents wanted to purchase the public road reserve on the foreshore between their homes and the beach to stop any future footpaths or the Oceanway being built.

Many beachfront residents in the area had built fences and installed beach showers on publicly owned land.

The move drew shock from community groups, including the Friends of Currumbin’s Barry Robinson.

“The foreshore belongs to the people, not to the affluent few who live along the beachfront,” he said.

The Protest group 'Friend of Currumbin' held protest walks along the contested strip of land.

A protest movement broke out, with plans to march along the public space every weekend through December 2013.

The Tugun residents argued their property was damaged by the marches, with some claiming they had been yelled at by angry beachgoers, despite only a handful of people trying to prevent the public path.

No Tugun Beach Path leader Kate Malouf claimed fences had been cut and gardens damaged during the protest.

“We feel the protest against us has gotten out of hand and the march over the weekend was a distressing ordeal for the residents,” she said.

“The council gave us assurances in the past that if we paid for the creation of rock walls in front of our properties that the beachfront land would not be used as a pathway or be built on. We have acted in good faith and should not be abused for wanting to maintain our properties.”

Golden Four Drive resident Graham Bateup said in 2013: “We’re not all millionaires – I wish I was,” he said.

“I don’t want to buy the land and I don’t mind people walking on it.

“I just don’t want a pathway built.”

Protesters had to dodge fences or in some instances cut through them.

More than 100 people joined the protests each weekend in the lead-up to the objections period against the land sale closed.

The Gold Coast City Council’s planning committee unanimously voted to “strongly oppose” the applications, which went to the state government for approval.

Area councillor Chris Robbins said the land, which is used as a public walkway, was “irreplaceable”.

“We must protect the ability of residents as well as the council to access the foreshore areas,” she said.

Protester Inga Light in a koala suit.

“If we allowed this land to be closed off, it could seriously detract from our ability to protect the rock walls along the foreshore.”

The Newman Government announced in February 2014 that it had rejected the applications of eight Tugun residents to buy the land.

Mayor Tom Tate said of the decision: “We got a result and the people have spoken.”

The Friends of Currumbin celebrated with a victory march which attracted hundreds of people.

While the Tugun issue died down, the battle continues in Mermaid Beach and parts of Surfers Paradise over beachfront extensions of the Oceanway.