How a central Gold Coast suburb went from family friendly to topping the crime charts
FIFTY years ago this suburb was the pride of the Gold Coast. But a quick scan of the area today leaves locals and tourists disappointed. It’s now being called a ‘dead’ suburb.
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It was once a place where residents never locked their doors.
A suburb where locals enjoyed strolling through bustling streets teeming with colourful shops.
But with boarded up shops, graffiti and homeless people sleeping on the streets, the Southport of today is a very different place.
The central suburb is home to many parks and businesses, and the city’s new Chinatown district. But it has resisted council’s many attempts at regeneration and regularly tops the charts in crime statistics. Shops sit empty and gangs of kids roam the streets.
Former Mayor Denis O’Connell said the suburb had changed enormously since he first moved there in 1962.
“We lived on The Esplanade, by Land’s End,” he said.
“My parents would go for walks at night and never lock the back door. Never knew where the key was.
“It’s changed tremendously, as far as security goes, no doubt.”
Mr O’Connell said he still held out hope that development could transform the area.
Wife Lorraine O’Connell said she used to enjoy shopping trips to central Southport – but not any more.
“Southport is dead and not attractive, my husband doesn’t shop so he doesn’t know,” she said. “God, 50 years ago, even 40 years ago, Nerang Street used to be fantastic, there were theatres and all these dressing material shops.
“I would drop the kids off at school and go shopping.”
Today Nerang Street has a number of store fronts available for lease, with one business owner saying it had taken years for two stores to be filled.
Along Scarborough Street, there are at least half a dozen shops that have been up for lease for months.
Alley-ways are filled with graffiti and homeless people sit on benches.
According to the Queensland Police Crime Map, Southport recorded the highest amount of break-ins in the Gold Coast last year with 302 instances recorded.
The area also reported the highest number of RSPCA animal cruelty complaints on the Gold Coast for 2017, with 92 complaints lodged, while some of Southport’s busiest streets were hot spots for drug crimes.
But councillor Dawn Crichlow said there was no more crime in Southport than any other suburb and she was working hard to clean up vacant dwellings and properties.
“I can’t see any more crime here than there is at Robina or any other area,” she said.
“Next week I’m meeting with the Gold Coast co-ordinator for Neighbourhood Watch to possibly get something for Southport, it’s what we need.”
Cr Crichlow said she wrote to owners of vacant land and dwellings to ensure they were well maintained, but said sometimes owners failed to meet their obligations of keeping the area tidy.
“I’m really angry about (a Queen Street property),” she said.
“The owners haven’t answered, so more people are living in that house and the owners won’t do anything.”
Meanwhile council has long-term plans to revitalise Southport with a direct focus on improving building facades and connecting the CBD to the Broadwater precinct.
The Gold Coast CBD 2025 program aims to overhaul the Southport area over the next seven years, and is open for consultation on the council’s website.
Businesses in Southport said they were concerned with kids hanging around on streets in the area.
Scarborough Street 1st Cafe owner Jean Min said she was unnerved by loitering teenagers who came into her shop.
“Of course I’m concerned with crime,” she said.
“Sometimes they come in (and they ask) can I have water? Or it’s nice and cool in here, because I have the airconditioning on at the front of the shop so they sit at the tables, but sometimes I’m alone. It feels like it’s dangerous.”
Ms Jin said she had spotted a group of teens kicking around a glass bottle close to her shop.
Ben Braniff, Gold Coast Tattoo Shop owner, said youth crime appeared to have reduced the past few years. He said it was good that council had finally put CCTV cameras on Nerang Street.
“There’s a lot of homeless people here and street kids running around,” he said.
“Southport crazies as they’re called, it’s just Southport. It’s still the same, it’s been the same the past 10-15 years.”
A Queensland police spokesman said: “One of a number of intelligence-driven operations being conducted on the Gold Coast is Operation Quebec Luminous. The ongoing police operation is targeting public order and crime on the G-link light rail and surrounding areas such as the Southport CBD.
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“Police employ a wide range of proactive strategies including operations and partnership programs with residents, business owners and government agencies to prevent and reduce crime in the area.”
Census data from 2016 shows that Southport had 2,710 unemployed residents while there were 1018 social housing units in the area.
Southport also hosts the city’s only parole office and the largest Centrelink on the Gold Coast.
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