Burleigh, Gold Coast: The biggest talking points and issues with the iconic suburb including towers, parking and light rail
It was once a sleepy village on the Gold Coast famous for its relaxed lifestyle. Today locals claim their slice of heaven has been compromised by light rail. VOTE IN OUR POLL
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BOOMING Burleigh Heads is experiencing a wave of rapid change – so it’s no surprise some long-time locals fear the trendy southern suburb is going to the dogs.
From tower trouble to the looming light rail and parking pain, the Bulletin’s special report highlights 10 talking points in recent times.
PARKING FURORE
Parking in popular Burleigh is already at a premium, so it’s no wonder there was an uproar when it was revealed Gold Coast City Council planned to remove almost 50 car parks during streetscaping.
Traders and landlords were furious in November that sought-after spots on James St would be ripped up, particularly as businesses battled through the COVID-19 crisis.
The removal of the parks was flagged as part of a new master plan for Burleigh CBD before the light rail extension.
At the time, Burleigh Property Sales real estate agent Scott Boniwell said removing scarce car parks would destroy the suburb’s village feel and character.
“The locals don’t want it and the holiday-makers don’t want it,” he said.
“It’s a ridiculous proposal. The council claims it is engaging in public consultation but they haven’t asked one person in town.”
The situation was not helped by a letter to traders and landlords from a council officer accusing them of being alarmed by “rumours and fearmongering”.
A council spokeswoman said feedback was sought on “early design concepts”.
“It is important to note that draft design concepts are for discussion only at this point,” she said.
KAILUA TOWER
A two-storey Burleigh office building that housed the No Limit group corporate headquarters for a decade is due to be bulldozed for the 12-level apartment tower Kailua.
The development on the Gold Coast Highway at Burleigh is one of a string of controversial towers being built close to flagged light rail stations.
Speaking about the development and Burleigh generally, Urbis director Matthew Schneider raised eyebrows when he said the suburb was “maturing into a better version of itself”.
“What we are seeing in central Burleigh is the fundamentals of the Gold Coast lifestyle coming together – the beach, amenities, access to services and a distinct neighbourhood with access to public transport,” he said.
“Burleigh Heads is a great case study of a contemporary neighbourhood and if you look anywhere in Australia, any neighbourhood with those features, that’s the place where people want to live.”
LIGHT RAIL
Stage 3 of the light rail between Broadbeach and Burleigh is under construction, despite continuing criticism from some vocal opponents.
They fear the $709 million extension will kill the vibe in Burleigh, reduce parking and drive down the number of people visiting the suburb.
They have pointed to Southport and Surfers Paradise – both scattered with empty shopfronts – as examples of the negative impact light rail has on suburbs, during and after construction.
Additionally, residents have expressed concerns light rail will be accompanied by the overdevelopment of Burleigh.
The light rail has been described by detractors as outdated, slow and expensive for authorities and passengers. The aesthetics of running tram tracks down major roads, and of the trams themselves, have also copped criticism.
But Gold Coast City Council, the State Government and various businesspeople have fiercely defended the light rail as critical to service the city’s booming population in coming years.
It was revealed in 2019 the light rail carried more than 42 million passengers in its first five years.
Mayor Tom Tate said at the time extending trams to the airport was a “no-brainer” and the figures spoke for themselves.
“Numerous Gold Coast leaders are behind the project, as are peak planning, development and transport experts,” he said.
“We are Australia’s number one tourism destination and light rail direct to the airport is essential. It will mean less cars on the roads, increased property prices, increased rates and an economic upside for all levels of government.”
The tram had its busiest weeks during the 2018 Commonwealth Games when more than 100,000 people used it each day.
Late last year, it was revealed patronage nosedived, which was blamed on coronavirus shutdowns and a tourism downturn.
The G-Link tram carried 8.46 million passengers in 2019-20 – but 11.1 million were predicted in the 2019 budget.
Only 5.66 million passenger trips were expected through to June, down almost 50 per cent on the previous year and the lowest since the light rail system first launched in July 2015.
VENUE BULLDOZED
In yet another example of the changing face of Burleigh, The Fish House restaurant in Goodwin Tce closed in February last year to make way for the eight-storey Norfolk tower.
The penthouse in Luna sold for $7 million.
The Fish House was of the Coast’s most popular foodie haunts before it was bulldozed.
It hosted the likes of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Hugh Jackman, Orlando Bloom and the hosts of MasterChef.
Next door to The Fish House site, Brisbane’s Forme group is building a second 10-storey tower, Norfolk.
Apartments in Norfolk have sold for up to $8.5 million.
BURLEIGH PAVILION
Residents rallied in early 2019, worried Burleigh Pavilion would be granted a hotel licence and be allowed to trade beyond midnight.
It followed a number of noise complaints relating to the exclusive oceanfront site.
Campaigners were also concerned changes would put an original lease arrangement at risk, which safeguarded community assets including a kiosk and swimming pool.
Ultimately, a Gold Coast City Council officer’s report outlined the changes and alleviated concerns.
The report in 2020 stated the Pavilion would continue operating as a restaurant, despite the change of use. no gambling, short term accommodation would occur.
In the end, hours of operation were not extended.
COVID CONCERNS
Large crowds gathered at Burleigh Hill on several occasions last year, defying COVID-19 social distancing, rubbing residents the wrong way and prompting criticism from Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll.
“I have an additional 900 police out across the state. It is a warning, please don’t do that again this afternoon, there will be more police out,” she said in May.
“We were trying to do the right thing yesterday and asking people to stay apart.
“The message all along is if an area is very, very busy please move away from there so we can maintain that social distancing.”
In March, it was reported drivers were taking half an hour to find parking spaces in scenes reminiscent of the peak summer season.
“It’s crazy, it feels like summer again,” said Nook Espresso co-owner Marcus Wilkins.
“I couldn’t get a carpark at 5.30 in the morning yesterday.
Come May, police were forced to move on crowds from Burleigh Hill due to breaches of social distancing and gathering restrictions.
Thousands of people flocked to Goodwin Tce to watch the sunset.
In September, a bongo-driven party flouting COVID-19 restrictions was shut down by police.
The event featuring musicians, fire twirlers and other performers was reportedly attended by hundreds of people.
Gold Coast City Council was aware a gathering was occurring on a much smaller scale, but said it spiralled out of control, with attendees seen failing to social distance.
PROPERTY PRICES
Burleigh house prices jumped 18.3 per cent in 12 months to a median of $905,000, according to Real Estate Institute of Queensland data up to the June quarter – and prices show no sign of dropping anytime soon.
The price represented a surge of 46.8 per cent over five years, making Burleigh one of the best performing suburbs on the Gold Coast.
More than $5 billion of development is underway or in the pipeline for Burleigh.
Unsurprisingly, rental prices have also skyrocketed.
It comes as real estate agents across the city report an influx of new arrivals from Victoria and New South Wales.
Developers are no doubt eyeing off the ever-increasing property prices in Burleigh, to the dismay of long-time locals who have watched much-loved beach shacks be bulldozed.
Towers are continually cropping up in the once-sleepy southern suburb and it appears there is many more to come.
DRINKING CULTURE
In recent days, it emerged Gold Coast residents were some of the heaviest drinkers in Queensland – and Burleigh tops the city’s list for the most drinks consumed.
New statistics show one in every three Gold Coasters skol the maximum four drinks a day once a week — behind only inner-city Brisbane, Mackay and the Darling Downs.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) altered the drinking guidelines this week after a four-year review.
More drinking venues are opening up in Burleigh by the month, perhaps due to the suburb’s rapidly growing population and perceived trendiness.
OLD THEATRE
The future of the old Burleigh Theatre Arcade was the subject of much discussion last year.
Wei Wang, head of Weiya Holdings, said in July his project’s design would honour “the cultural significance of the Old Burleigh Theatre”.
Weiya bought the site for $18.5 million and in August 2019 announced plans for a 14-storey luxury apartment tower with a new arcade at its base.
The design was revamped after community outrage that the 1950s-era facade would be lost.
The Queensland Heritage Council did not accept a council application for the arcade to be heritage listed on the basis that it had already been heavily redeveloped several times, most recently in 1977, and that nothing remained from the original 1930s building.
The new tower will feature a street-front retail arcade that retains the original “bookend” facade and will include a cafe and retail tenancies.
The corner site will have direct frontage to the Gold Coast Highway next to the planned Burleigh Heads light rail station, which will open in 2023.
In December, Nicolle Archer and a group of residents opposed to the project lodged an alternative proposal as part of the Gold Coast City Council submission progress.
They argued the Weiya development would change the character of Burleigh.
The group’s proposal was, however, still focused on preserving the arcade’s shell around a residential tower, including a theatre, art gallery, bar, and dining.
TWO TOWERS
Gold Coast City Council approved two 22-storey towers, located on First Ave and 48-58 The Esplanade, in the middle of 2020, despite controversy over the development application.
The northern tower will contain 77 luxury apartments, while the southern tower will include a five-star hotel with 132 suites and supporting resort facilities.
The council received 347 submissions against the beachfront project, citing building height scale, the impact on residential density and the visual amenity.
But 377 submissions backed the development.
The main building on the development site White Horse Holiday Apartment was built in the 1950s, however, it’s not heritage listed.
“Although the original building has a local identity and has contributed to the community fabric of Burleigh Heads, it has not been formally registered in the Gold Coast Local Heritage
Register and therefore is not subject to heritage protection,” council officers said in their report.
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