Gold Coast development: Suburb by suburb guide to city’s population growth

Two of the Gold Coast’s best-known suburbs will be home to 150,000 people within a handful of years as new data reveals how every suburb’s population will grow. SUBURB BY SUBURB GUIDE

SURFERS Paradise and Southport will be the epicentres of the Gold Coast’s population growth, with new data revealing both suburbs will ultimately be home to almost 150,000 people each.

New council population data obtained by the Bulletin shows the populations of both suburbs, along with Coomera, will spike within 20 years, with Surfers Paradise alone set to become home to one quarter of the Gold Coast’s current population.

By 2041 it is expected that:

* Surfers Paradise’s population will have nearly doubled, with 85,857 people living amid the high-rise towers, with the suburb tipped to have an ultimate population of 146,000 people.

* Southport’s population will more than double within 20 years, with more than 80,000 to call the city’s official CBD home by 2041. Its ultimate population will top 155,000.

* The rapidly growing Coomera area is set to see its population triple, jumping from 20,799 last year to 75,714 in 2041. It will eventually be home to more than 95,000 people.

City leaders warn that these suburbs, along with Coomera will bear the weight of the population increase unless the State Government ticks off long-stalled updates to the City Plan, which will allow development and the population to be spread more evenly.

City planning boss Cr Cameron Caldwell said council’s proposed amendments to the City Plan were an attempt to “future proof” housing supply and affordability for decades to come.

Councillor Cameron Caldwell. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The city has seen extraordinary growth in recent years and it is important to plan for future growth and delivery of infrastructure,” he said.

“As the city’ reaches its natural development boundaries, we need to consolidate within the existing urbanised areas.

“Stage 3 of the light rail provides other opportunities for density, living close to the beach, public transport and employment areas and we have commenced neighbourhood planning projects around four of the stations to get community input on this.

The Department of State Development on Sunday confirmed its assessment of the City Plan amendments “is in the final stages”.

The amendments would allow for great development density to be concentrated around the light rail corridors while establishing limits on other areas to protect their character.

Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) Gold Coast chairman Andrew Henderson said many older suburbs had the potential for greater “in-fill” development to help the city cope with its rapidly growing population.

Andrew Henderson. Picture: Jerad Williams

“With the growth, we need more diversity and more in-fill of the existing suburbs where you have housing on larger blocks to accommodate duplexes and triplexes,” he said.

“That will provide benefits because existing suburbs are close to public transport, infrastructure and shops which will assist them in being desirable from day one.

“Mermaid Waters, Carrara and Ashmore are these kinds of locations where presently there are houses on large single blocks which could hose multiple dwellings, which is a way of spreading the population around the city.”

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Originally published as Gold Coast development: Suburb by suburb guide to city’s population growth