Southport CBD to get new master plan which includes Carey Park ‘live venue’

Council has kept potential sites for its proposed entertainment centre secret on confidential papers, but a controversial site has emerged as the favoured location.

Southport’s Carey Park is favoured as the site of an indoor live music venue, according to an updated council planning report.

The City has kept potential sites for its proposed entertainment centre secret on confidential papers, but the Bulletin had speculated Southport would be the location, with the park opposite Broadwater Parklands and next to light rail considered a prime site.

Carey Park, near Australia Fair, has recently become the focus of the homeless crisis with council dismantling a growing tent community.

Councillors considered a report at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday highlighting the site’s economic value with officers wanting it in masterplan mapping.

“This site is proposed to cater for opportunities that promote economic development and revitalisation, such as a live music arena,,” officers wrote.

Southport is to have a master plan with new mapping showing commercial activity in the CBD. A key will be a new indoor entertainment centre. Pictured are planning chair Mark Hammel and area councillor Brooke Patterson

“The catalytic transformation of Carey Park could establish an entertainment precinct that will attract people to the Gold Coast CBD and promote connection to the Broadwater Parklands.”

Area councillor Brooke Patterson outside the meeting said there would be planned community consultation on the site within months separate to the master plan.

“With the Southport entertainment precinct, that activation of live music - whether it be that location or not - I’m pretty keen. The thing with Carey Park to recognise is this is a piece of public land which at some point is going to be developed in some way,” she said.

“My preference would be if it gets developed, we do it for something that the community is happy with - maybe not a big casino, we will see.”

Planning chair Mark Hammel said Carey Park was a “key site” in Southport.

“We will be investigating all options on that site through the Masterplan Process to ensure we get the best outcome for the City and Southport,” he said.

Homeless camp site moved from Carey Park in Southport.

“Nothing has been confirmed or investigated as part of this process and the intention of this report is for the site to be included in the investigation area and acknowledge its importance.”

Asked about the need for a masterplan, Mr Hammel said the CBD had a priority development area scheme in place since 2014 which while achieving some success had “failed to deliver the major investment in the Southport CBD that it was hoped to”.

“It is not the intent of the masterplan to replace the Southport PDA. The masterplan and PDA should complement each other and provide a holistic plan for Southport that is informed from a planning, economic development and investment basis,” he said.

The master plan area for the Southport CBD.

“There is no point having colours on the map if we haven’t done the work to better understand what it is the people and groups who might be looking to invest in Southport are actually looking for.

“I believe in the past we have been too broad with our studies and this process presents us with an opportunity to narrow that focus and redefine the key sectors that we want to attract to Southport.”

Aerial view of Carey Park at Southport Picture Glenn Hampson

The masterplan will see a six-stage process, where business can be identified and consulted on, governance opportunities explored and then a strategy developed “to make sure the colours on the map convert to new investment, new jobs, new dwellings, and new commercial opportunities”.

“This process will involve external expertise combined with local knowledge. Councillors and the planning committee will continue to be key stakeholders in the process,” Mr Hammel said.

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