Fears for Gold Coast construction industry as city’s ‘zombie’ building sites slammed

Crisis in the construction industry has led to a concerning number of empty building sites on the Gold Coast. Now city leaders have revealed what can be done about them.

Crisis in the construction industry has fuelled fears over the future of a number of empty building sites on the Gold Coast.

Surfers Paradise residents of more than 30 years, Mark and Sue Jamieson, are fed up with the number of “zombie sites” in their neighbourhood – blocks of land slated for construction that sit vacant for months or years before building starts.

Mr Jamieson said he counted three of these sites in one Surfers Paradise block alone, including the $160m Amaya, being constructed by major building company GCB Constructions.

Australian’s construction industry has been hit by a rise in material costs and interest rates, with many Gold Coast companies facing tough times.

Concerns were raised this week over the financial stability of GCB Constructions, as work came to a halt on its developments across the state.

Residents Sue and Mark Jamieson have lived in Surfers Paradise for more than 30 years. Picture: John Gass

“You’re talking about two years of disruption to the area from the building (phase),” he said.

“If it looks like this for six to 10 months, it adds another year to it.

“It attracts vermin, you get squatters in there and all sorts of things.

“It is just a bad element that gets around – It looks terrible.”

An overgrown block of land in Surfers Paradise slated for construction of a residential tower. Picture: Melanie Whiting

Division 10 Councillor Darren Taylor said it was difficult for council to dictate what happens to any privately owned land or property in the interim.

“At the end of the day, the owner of the property is responsible for managing their land,” Cr Taylor said.

“If the blocks are left unkempt, council officers can put a show cause notice to owners to ensure they keep the property to an acceptable standard.

“It’s a challenge at the moment because the construction industry is going through a lot of turmoil.”

The GCB Constructions Marine Quarter site was all but deserted on Monday morning, May 8, 2023. Picture: Kathleen Skene

In London, a plan was put forward to transform 2711 hectares of land that sat undeveloped despite having planning permission for homes, offices or shops.

It was proposed the unused land be put to use as temporary homes and pop-up businesses under what was called a “meanwhile scheme”.

But Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said it was difficult to legislate on what an owner could do with their property.

“Some of these sites can be turned into carparks in the short-term if the owner wants some sort of revenue, but it is really up to the owner,” he said.

The Surfers Paradise MP urged any residents with concerns about safety issues at vacant building sites to contact his or Cr Taylor’s office.

“If the council is made aware of safety issues, then they can do things about that,” he said.

“Unfortunately, this situation is really just a reflection on the market, with developers and builders going through challenging times.”