Budds Beach: Why this enclave is pushing to be its own suburb
Residents say this area is one of the Gold Coast’s best kept secrets. But that could be about to change. HERE’S WHY
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Residents of Budds Beach say it’s one of the Gold Coast’s best kept secrets – but they’re still in favour of it being named a suburb.
Opinion was unanimous when the Bulletin took the pulse of the area to see where locals stood on the push to secede from Surfers Paradise from the Budds Beach Community Association.
Resident of nearly two decades Dr Ashley Vanhouten said: “The idea of Budds Beach being its own suburb is a good idea.
“We have our own identity, it’s its own place - we turn our back on the noise of Surfers Paradise.
“It’s a double edged sword because the beautiful thing about Budds Beach is no one knows about it so usually when people ask me where it is I say ‘if I tell you I’m going to have to shoot you’.
“But only on the fact that we’ve got a really lovely community, we get together and do mindfulness meditation once a week at alternate houses and that can only happen because Budds Beach is a really small community, so having its own identity is a great idea.”
Also an advocate for independence is resident of four years Christine O’Connor.
“It’s a great idea - it would be good for real estate, it would be really good for people to know that Budds Beach is very different to the touristy action of Surfers Paradise and all the scallywags,” Ms O’Connor said.
“It gives it its own identity. We talk about living in Budds Beach - not Surfers.”
Fresh to the beat of Budds Beach is Ian Maynard, crossing over from the centre of Surfers Paradise after five years.
“I’m not sure I know what the benefits of being a separate suburb would be - but if it protects and preserves what we’ve got here – it just makes sense,” Mr Maynard said.
EXCLUSIVE ENCLAVE’S PLAN TO QUIT SURFERS PARADISE
BUDDS Beach residents have asked the Gold Coast City Council to allow them to cede from Surfers Paradise and have their enclave named its own suburb.
The residents say the change is necessary to differentiate the low rise “family oriented” area from “fast paced” Surfers Paradise, where a raft of new towers are rising.
A letter has been sent by the Budds Beach Community Association to area councillor Darren Taylor calling for the change after years of growing discontent from its residents over increasing development.
“This change would greatly assist Budds Beach in protecting its history and maintaining the special amenity and atmosphere of the area,” wrote Association president Charlie Green.
“Surfers Paradise has its own charms in terms of being a fast paced, inner city, world class, cosmopolitan tourist and entertainment precinct.
“It is important to uphold the attributes of Surfers Paradise while also protecting the quiet, relaxed, family oriented and low-density area of Budds Beach through a recognised name change.
“Providing delineation between the two areas assists in achieving unique diversity in Division 10 and also aids in providing clear definition of areas and amenity when addressing future development.”
Fears of increasing development have been a long-running issue for the area, with its most prominent resident – billionaire Bob Ell – joining the fight against a giant tower proposed in 2015.
More recently Melbourne-based developer Tim Gurner has secured approval to build a $1.75bn four-tower project on the edge of Budds Beach which will be home to more than 2000 people.
Construction is expected to begin this year.
Acting Mayor Donna Gates acknowledged the request of the area’s residents, but said making Budds Beach a suburb would not be easy.
“Gazetting suburbs is a state responsibility and while some residents in areas of our city may want their patch formalised into a suburb, it isn’t a simple process,” she said.
“Boundaries need to be defined and population numbers confirmed before any consideration at state level.”
Mr Taylor said the legitimacy of the area was not dependent on being an official suburb.
“Everyone knows it as Budds Beach and it is no different than Chevron Island or Isle of Capri which is part of Surfers Paradise or Sorrento which falls under Bundall,” he said.
“We have suburbs which have their own little names that we as locals have but in relation to changing the name, it’s not under our mantra.”
Budds Beach is now the third enclave to ask for suburban recognition, following Kirra and Chirn Park.
The move would require the support of the council and the state government, which would be responsible for gazetting the name.
It is a seven-step process which requires a letter from the council showing its backing, and “include an acknowledgment that the council may need to reallocate location addresses and notify affected persons”.
Documentation would also be required “showing widespread support from affected persons, including acknowledgment that they may need to change their location and postal address details.”
The name Budds Beach dates back to the 1940s and one of its first residents to live and build in the area – Alan Foster Budd.
It’s not the first time a small area has secured such a change.
In 2008 the historic Hinterland area of Neranwood, which has just 67 residents according to census data, was recognised as a suburb despite having previously been stripped of the title under a previous realignment.
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