Consultation opens on World Surf Reserve protection, Gold Coast surf community invited to weigh in

The State Government has called on Gold Coast beachlovers for their thoughts – how would you go about protecting the city’s beaches?

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GOLD Coast surfers are being asked to weigh in on how to protect the city’s beaches as the Queensland Government opens consultation.

Queenslanders are being invited to have their say on preserving the state’s World Surfing Reserves for surfers and beachgoers “now and into the future”.

Sports Minister Mick de Brenni said the Palaszczuk Government was committed to protecting beaches on the southern Gold Coast.

“We’ve heard from experts, now we’ve opened consultation to hear from people who visit our beaches, swim in our waters and surf our waves,” he said.

The Gold Coast’s World Surf Reserve stretches down to Snapper Rocks. Photo: Scott Powick Newscorp

“Our government knows the waves on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are a key driver of economic and social prosperity in these regions.”

Much of the area around the surf breaks is already protected, including the vegetation, bushland, threatened species and water quality.

Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve Chairman Andrew McKinnon said the value of the reserve was “immeasurable”.

“They’re important in an environmental, tourism and economic sense, but especially to the thousands of surfers, beachgoers and boaties who enjoy them every day,” he said.

“Now that these two areas have been recognised globally, we have a unique opportunity to craft formal protections for the waves which ultimately support hundreds of surfboard and apparel shops, surfing schools, hotels, surfing festivals and surf lifesaving competitions.”

Have your say by visiting qld.gov.au/worldsurfingreserves.

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