Gold Coast’s newest pop-up beach bar next to the city’s fastest growing homeless cesspit

The Gold Coast’s first beach bar, to be promoted as borders open up this Christmas, is on top of the city’s fastest growing squat – where campers are befouling the foreshore.

THE site of the Gold Coast’s first trial beach bar is next to the city’s fastest-growing squat where campers are urinating on the foreshore.

Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek has tabled a letter in Parliament detailing disturbing activity in the foreshore bushland east of Pratten Park, Broadbeach.

Just a stroll north is the Kurrawa Terrace, the hard stand area built for the Commonwealth Games where the council will start a beach bar trial on December 1, featuring bar and dining facilities along with live bands.

A homeless 'camp' in the dunes at Broadbeach.

In the letter, a resident asks for the Gold Coast City Council to take immediate action “regarding the horrendous stench of urine from several spots along the Pratten Park promenade”.

“Over the 12 twelve months, I have seen permanent tents erected within the dunal vegetation terrace for weeks on end,” the resident wrote.

“These tents are mostly concealed given that there are small dunes on both sides of the terrace and a lower flat area in between which creates a perfect camping site for the homeless and squatters.

“I also believe that the squatters have dug cesspits for their human waste in the sand, and this is what creates the ungodly stench for not only residents, but tourists and other visitors enjoying the promenade including exercisers using the council provided equipment.”

Squatters are dumping their rubbish in park bins and using the toilets and showers. When moved on by police, another squatter takes up the camp space.

The Bulletin has inspected the foreshore and found sealed-up tents in the bushland.

Mr Langbroek said he was concerned about the city’s image and safety of residents given the recent early morning stabbing attack at Kirra on the Coast’s southern end.

LNP MP for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek. Picture: Scott Powick Newscorp

“It’s now not just reflecting badly on tourism in areas like the Cascades (Gardens) and the Broadbeach park next to the surf club, it really brings home the safety issue,” Mr Langbroek told the Bulletin.

“It’s not appropriate, especially when we are going to have a beach bar there. We need more move-on powers (for police and council officers).”

Mr Langbroek said new Southport councillor Brooke Patterson had “done a good job” moving the homeless out of the CBD but many had relocated to Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach where they were more obvious with fewer tourists around due to Covid.

Broadbeach traders said police and council officers had been successful in moving homeless people away from parks near the bowls club.

“They haven’t been around lately,” a businessman said. “They’ve moved them on. They (the authorities) took away the shelters in the park and they moved down to the bush, by the beach.”

Broadbeach-based councillor Darren Taylor said he was aware of the complaints but commended new council public space liaison officers who were working with the homeless.

“They are doing a really good job in engaging in this space. The challenge is they (the homeless) keep moving. We are getting data,” Cr Taylor said.

A camp site on the foreshore at Broadbeach. This is in front of Pratten Park.

“It’s a state issue and the state needs to step up in that space.”

Police told the Bulletin Pratten Park was one of many known locations for rough sleepers on the Coast.

“The people there are well known to support services and police. And they are assisted regularly,” one officer said.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman confirmed it was aware of resident concerns regarding rough sleeping or homelessness in the vicinity of Pratten Park at Broadbeach.

“‘Operation Journey’ is a QPS-lead initiative, in collaboration with the Gold Coast City Council and other support agencies, which sees weekly patrols of areas where rough sleepers are known to frequent, including Pratten Park,” the spokeswoman said.

 “Officers proactively engage vulnerable people and put them in touch with relevant support

agencies for assistance.

 “Homelessness is not a criminal offence and the QPS does not ‘remove’ rough sleepers.

Should a criminal offence be detected, then officers will take appropriate action.”

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Growing wave of opposition for Gold Coast beach bar

THE Gold Coast will have its first beach bar by Christmas. Many residents don’t want a bar of it. Ask them and their opposition is wide ranging and not because they are wowsers.

Mayor Tom Tate in a mayoral minute earlier this month announced plans for the Kurrawa beach club trial — it’s dip-a-toe-in-the-water moment allowing private enterprise to use the city’s most important public space and biggest tourism asset.

Councillor Hermann Vorster could see the sense in using the hardstand area built at Kurrawa created for the Commonwealth Games, and colleague Cameron Caldwell described it as a “game changer” offering another tourism asset.

A council source told your columnist: “For the councillors, they only really knew the day before (the full council meeting). So it was a bit of a surprise.”

The proposal is for a licensed bar and kitchen, to have live bands and provide low impact exercise like yoga, tai chi and meditation.

Are we all chilled about this?

Veteran environmental campaigner Lois Levy in a response wrote: “Gecko is concerned about the precedent of encroachment on public space that this proposal raises.”

Community Alliance’s John Hicks, from the peak body for community groups, agreed.

Shorter term arrangements for appropriate festivals was not a problem, he added.

“This is a classic case of (council) ramming it through quickly. It really rubs with us,” Mr Hicks said.

Save Our Spit on its Facebook page posted a lengthy analysis by their research unit arguing why the proposal does not stack up environmentally, socially and economically.

They have included a cheeky futuristic “welcome to beautiful Burleigh” post card.

A postcard put out by Save Our Spit Facebook page showing what the group cheekily believes Burleigh could become if the beach was privatised.

“It is clear that alcohol, young males and beaches do not mix. It’s a deadly mix, literally,” SOSA wrote.

This is an important question. It was raised by emergency crews when SandTunes was planned then canned for Coolangatta beach.

SOSA was punchy in its argument. This is about “the sale of alcohol for profit”

“We are not opposed to developments or new projects – however, we will only support proposals that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable. This latest proposal from (Mayor) Tate is a dismal failure on all three counts,” SOSA wrote.

Gold Coast beach bar debate - from the Save Our Spit Facebook page, showing private enterprise on the beach at Brazil.

They also complained about the lack of consultation not only of the community but councillors. This means the whole tendering process will be under the spotlight.

Mr Hicks offers a solution – to stage at least three town hall meetings in each of the city’s 14 council divisions each year.

“Local councillors can invite anyone on the Coast to come to a well-run meeting. This could have all been discussed in an appropriate way in the lead-up to this,” he says.

Residents afterwards could have a tea and coffee, or go the bar. Downstairs to the bar, and not on beach. We can all drink to that.

‘We don’t want something tacky on the beaches’

October 15, 2021

BROADBEACH’S hospitality king – initially keen to be a main contender to operate the city’s new pop-up beach bar – says he’s not interested in taking part in the council’s two-month trial.

Patrick Gennari, whose stable includes Koi and Loose Moose, said he would not tender to the council to run the temporary club at Kurrawa, as it is not a “realistic” project.

A club – featuring a licensed bar, kitchen, sun lounges, day beds and cabanas – is envisaged to launch in six weeks’ time and operate from December 1 to January 31 next year at the Kurrawa Terrace in Broadbeach – next door to Kurrawa Surf Club.

Mr Gennari said while the location was a great choice, the short turnaround until its launch date presented challenges: “I spoke to someone in council and they want me to tender but I happily declined saying it’s not going to work,” he explained.

“It can’t be built in six weeks and only run for two months. It’s just not enough time to show the government what we could actually achieve.”

He suggested the operation run for at least two to three years otherwise risk tarnishing similar projects in the future.

“For someone to spend the money for a two-month trial it would have to be someone like the casino.

“We don’t want something tacky on the beaches which is what we’re worried about. We don’t want to be involved in something half done and I don’t want to tarnish my reputation either.”

Hospitality boss Scott Imlach is undecided on whether to tender as it is a “huge investment” with little gain for a small company.

“To be honest, as a temporary (bar) we probably can’t set up as quickly as we’d like,” he said. “Two months is hard especially for the layout of furniture, mobile bars and kitchen.”

Festivals supremo and 19 at the Star partner Billy Cross plans to lodge an application but conceded it would be a one-sided investment as the chances of profiting were slim.

“It’s exciting, we’ve been talking about this for a few years now and it’s great to see the mayor and the council doing this trial,” Mr Cross said.

“We’re not going to be doing it to make money, we’ll probably lose money, but the trial is to show it’ll work.”

Broadbeach busy during the end of year holidays. Pic: Mike Batterham.

Kurrawa Surf Club manager Geoff Goussaint-Hayes said the club would submit a tender and support the initiative if it’s “done right”.

He suspects a big player such as Star Entertainment Group, who runs Star casino, would be successful. “We’re all for it, we support it, but we want it done right,” he said.

A council spokesman said: “Addressing safety concerns will form a key component of the application process for the proposed Broadbeach beach bar trial.

“Applicants will be required to submit an event application which details hours of operation, risk and safety management, waste management, detailed site plan and engagement with key stakeholders including government agencies.”