Main Beach residents predict traffic chaos as suburb will be home to four times the population
It’s been revealed the population of one Gold Coast suburb could surge as much as 420 per cent by 2040. Here’s what it could mean for traffic.
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THE population of Main Beach is tipped to quadruple within 20 years, creating a future traffic nightmare, planning consultants say.
The Bulletin has obtained data gathered after an audit of 122 buildings east of Tedder Ave. It was prepared for a study to be presented at the Main Beach Association’s annual general meeting on Tuesday night.
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Planning chair Cameron Caldwell, area councillor Darren Taylor and Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek accepted invitations to the forum of more than 180 residents at the Southport Yacht Club from 6pm.
MBA president Sue Donovan told the Bulletin: “If council continues to approve densities as in current trends you would expect the population to increase by 420 per cent by 2040. Main Beach will be subjected to much greater population growth than the Gold Coast average.”
The figures are based on what is allowable under council’s light rail overlap map and influenced by the current surge during Covid from developers amalgamating sites for super towers with luxury apartments.
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Architects considered red, orange and yellow zones that included replacing 50-year-old buildings.
The redevelopment probability survey found 3584 people would be accommodated in the red high-probability buildings, 1800 in the medium-probability orange and 11,018 in the yellow low probability buildings.
By 2040, Main Beach could have 16,411 people living in a total building area of 253,914sq m.
The luxury beachfront suburb had 3883 residents in the 2016 Census. Council projections show it has about 4247 residents now.
Ms Donovan said Main Beach was being targeted for growth as both the state government and the council increased population densities under the South East Queensland Regional Plan.
“It’s far in excess of what’s required in other areas. It’s almost made Main Beach become a targeted growth area by stealth. It’s not that we are against population as such. It’s the impact on our suburb and the traffic.
“The (Southport) Yacht Club is having to tow away cars. That’s before the influx of tradies that’s going to happen with the new developments. It’s going to become a traffic nightmare.
“These multi-developments are going to make Main Beach unliveable for a couple of years.”
The MBA will present reports at the AGM showing how recent developments were legally approved by council despite exceeding “acceptable outcomes of the City Plan” on density, site coverage and setbacks, and massive opposition by residents.
“Clearly, it does not pass the pub test,” Ms Donovan said.
“Of course, these bulky towers that are ruining the amenity of adjacent buildings and the character of our suburb, are not confined to Main Beach.
“Our presentation will show some recently completed examples from Broadbeach, which also suffers from being located within the light rail urban renewal overlay.”
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