Future Gold Coast: Live rolling coverage from the luncheon with Premier David Crisafulli

The ‘Glitter Strip’ moniker is a part of the Gold Coast’s heritage - but is it hindering or helping our city grow into the future? READ WHAT WAS SAID

Future Gold Coast at Sea World Convention centre. Courier Mail editor Chris Jones in conversation with Premier David Crisafulli . Picture Glenn Hampson

With the Gold Coast population set to reach one million in the next two decades, the city stands at a crossroads of growth and infrastructure demands.

On Friday, the Gold Coast Bulletin is presenting the Future Gold Coast 2025 luncheon, featuring key speaker Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.

We’ll explore the city’s evolving identity, the ‘Glitter Strip’ debate, and whether the light rail extension to the airport is key to a connected, sustainable future.

Other speakers will include: Demographics Group director Simon Kuestenmacher, Mayor Tom Tate, Brand Gold Coast CEO Todd Babiak, Invest Gold Coast chairman Will Hodgman, Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn, Village Roadshow CEO Clark Kirby and more.

Future Gold Coast 2025 will kick off at 12pm and we will have all the live rolling updates here:

PANEL: SHOULD WE DITCH THE PHRASE ‘GLITTER STRIP’?

The ‘Glitter Strip’ moniker is a part of the Gold Coast’s heritage – but makes up only a fraction of the city’s identity, according to The Demographics Group director Simon Kuestenmacher.

So should the Gold Coast ditch the ‘Glitter Strip’ and is it hindering or helping our city grow into the future?

The Future Gold Coast keynote speaker said the phrase was a part of the Gold Coast’s attractiveness but the city was also so much more.

“You don’t want to have to completely reinvent yourself and throw the baby out with the bathwater,” he told the Future Gold Coast event on Friday.

“Part of the attraction of the Gold Coast will be the Glitter Strip but it’s only a small part.”

Panelists left to right: Brand Gold Coast CEO Todd Babiak, A.B. Paterson College principal Joanne Sheehy, Invest Gold Coast chairman Will Hodgman and The Demographics Group director Simon Kuestenmacher. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Invest Gold Coast chairman Will Hodgman said he had hardly heard the term before he arrived in the city last year from Tasmania.

“I fear that maybe the city is spending too much time agonising over that when there is such a bigger and better story to tell and I think that is where we need to focus our energy,” he said.

A.B. Paterson College principal Joanne Sheehy agreed there was so much more to the city.

Brand Gold Coast chief executive Todd Babiak said the Glitter Strip was a part of the city’s heritage but, again, the city also offers so much more.

“I’ve interviewed 200 people (from the Gold Coast about their perspective on the city) and only one person brought it up unprompted,” he said.

“When he said it, I asked him ‘what do you mean by that’ and he said ‘I’m not sure’.

“I think the story we’re hearing from Gold Coasters is infinitely more powerful (than the Glitter Strip).”

CAROLYN EVANS: VICE-CHANCELLOR SLAMS MOVE TO INCREASE FOREIGN STUDENT VISA FEES BY $2K

Griffith University vice-chancellor Prof Carolyn Evans has slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s move to increase foreign student visa fees.

The federal government announced the policy, which would see visa fees increase by 25 per cent to $2000, prior to the May election.

The move was introduced to free up housing.

But Prof Evans, speaking at the Future Gold Coast lunch, blasted it.

“I think it is one of the most egregious examples of economic, social, education and soft diplomacy policy suicide I can imagine,” she said.

SIMON KUESTENMACHER: THE CITY NEEDS TO ACT NOW AND BUILD CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Future Gold Coast keynote speaker Simon Kuestenmacher has warned the city faces “catastrophe” if it does not get on top of its infrastructure.

The Demographics Group boss said the Gold Coast had to use the opportunity of the 2032 Olympics to get the critical infrastructure such as the extension of the light rail built or face decades of ruing lost opportunities.

“You’ll make it harder for everyone if you screw this up because you have the opportunity to just build what you need and, with infrastructure, the old truism is still correct, if you build it and they will come,” he said.

Future Gold Coast at Sea World Conference Centre. Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The problem is, of course, that we don’t have enough money or (the number of) workers at this stage, to build everything that we need and on top of this, there is, of course, plenty of opportunities to block developments left, right and centre.

“If I was the anti-tram lobby or whatever, I just need to stop any kind of development for another three years, and I’m safe because where would money come from then – (they) just need to play time, play the procrastination game.

“The premier (David Crisafulli) is absolutely correct, that people feel left behind and that you don’t want to alienate part of your base that makes perfect sense.

“But at some point, you need to just bulldoze over it, you need to figure out what is in the best interest of the city, not just now, but also 50 years into the future.

“Otherwise you pay the price.”

Mr Kuestenmacher said the decision by Melbourne politicians in decades past to build level crossings over its train network rather than bridges for budgetary reasons was a mistake the Gold Coast could not afford to repeat.

“That kind of stuff is unacceptable because then 50 or 60 years later, you spend billions to correct those relatively simple, things that can (be done if one is)

“This is a young town that right now needs to be gutsy because I can guarantee that there is more growth coming in.”

PREMIER DAVID CRISAFULLI: ADDRESSING LIGHT RAIL STAGE 4 QUESTIONS

Premier David Crisafulli says the future of the Gold Coast light rail will be known within “weeks”.

Speaking at Friday’s Future Gold Coast the Premier said he expected the independent review of Stage 4, which would run from Burleigh Heads to the border, to be returned to the government soon.

He said whatever solution, including route and mode of transport, would need to be in place before the 2032 Olympic Games.

“I imagine it is weeks rather than months,” he said.

Future Gold Coast at Sea World Conference Centre. Courier Mail editor Chris Jones in conversation with Premier David Crisafulli. Picture Glenn Hampson

“The review’s been underway for a couple of months and it is independent of the government, which is what it should be.

“We’ll make an informed assessment, we’ll be upfront with people, we’ll take people on a journey and to do anything else would be a breach of trust and, to do anything else, would show that I’m not somebody whose word counts for something.

“You are going to have a solution in place once the review is out and, when the review is out, we will be upfront with people, and say, ‘here it is, is what it looks like’, and then we get on and do what that is.

“There’s a number of different things that are being looked at and that’s the way it should be. That’s route alignment, modes, delivery methodology, all those things, and when I get the review, you’ll get the review and we’ll go on their journey with the residents who are there and the broader residents of the Coast.”

His comments came shortly after Mayor Tom Tate described the tram as the “elephant in the room” and pushed for the premier to get on board.

MAYOR TOM TATE: BUSES WON’T DO IT

Mayor Tom Tate has called on Premier David Crisafulli to back light rail to the border, ruling out buses as an option to solve the Gold Coast’s transport woes.

Mr Tate used his speech, which opened the Future Gold Coast event at Sea World, to make the case for the state to confirm support for the 13km extension of the trams from Burleigh Heads to the border via the airport.

Future Gold Coast at Sea World Conference Centre. Picture Glenn Hampson

He described the project, which has been on hold while under review since the LNP came to power in October, as “the elephant in the room”.

“Premier, when I arrived here this morning, I saw an elephant standing over in the carpark,” he told the audience, which includes business, political and industry leaders.

“I went up to the elephant and said: You can’t come in here. We don’t want any elephants in this room.

“So Premier, I’ve done you a favour as I know for many people here today, they see that elephant as Stage 4 of light rail.

Artist impression of light rail stage 4 showing the bridges at Currumbin Creek and Tallebudgera Creek

“Without the elephant in the room, we can freely hear from you on this critical piece of transport infrastructure – not just for the southern section of the Gold Coast – but for the entire city.

“Our entire public transport connectivity hangs off light rail, including east-west rapid transport modes, the airport connection and seamless access into Coolangatta.”

State Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg said on Friday the government’s review was “in the technical analysis phase since the closing of the public consultation” and would not release the results until this was completed.

Gold Coast light rail Stage 4: Warning there is a ‘slim window’ to get trams built by 2032 Olympic Games

Mr Tate warned there was “zero confidence” in investment in the city without an answer on the project.

“I know that over the past 13 years, every public/private or media survey on light rail has endorsed its completion all the way to the airport and Coolangatta. Every survey,” he said.

“I appreciate the state has pushed the pause button on Stage 4, conducting its own community survey. That survey closed on May 6 … yet the results are still not known.

“This kills confidence and I ask you to make it a priority for the state’s second largest city that we get some clear direction sooner rather than later.

“From a commercial standpoint, light rail is paying for itself through value uplift on land values, record patronage and complete urban renewal of the city’s coastal footprint.

“Buses won’t do that.

“I’m confident the state will make the right decision for the long-term future of the city and I look forward to continuing to work with you to deliver the right solution for a city rapidly approaching one million people.”

Budget documents released in June revealed trams are more popular than ever.

Department of Transport and Main Roads figures reveal nearly 14 million people rode the tram between Helensvale and Broadbeach during the 2024-25 financial year, up 21 per cent on the previous 12 months.

Mr Crisafulli used his speech to talk up his government’s achievements on the Coast since coming to office.

“This is the start of a decade of delivery or a lifetime of lost opportunity for the Gold Coast,” he said.

Artist impression of Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 between Tugun and Coolangatta, including Gold Coast Airport and the NSW border. Picture: Department of Transport and Main Roads.

“The Gold Coast has grown from the Glitter Strip to a place that more Queenslanders want to call home.

“Our blueprint is about delivering jobs, supercharging tourism, and ensuring there’s world-class healthcare and generational infrastructure.

“This is about protecting what makes the Gold Coast special, but also setting it up for the future.

“We only have one opportunity to get this right and that window is now.”

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Originally published as Future Gold Coast: Live rolling coverage from the luncheon with Premier David Crisafulli