Gold Coast’s renewed push for European beach club makeover

The possibility of European-style beach clubs on the Gold Coast has been given the thumbs up by David Crisafulli - on one condition. TAKE OUR POLL

Mediterranean-style beach clubs could become permanent summer fixtures on Queensland’s famous beaches. Picture: Adam Head

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European-style beach clubs could spring up on the Gold Coast after Premier David Crisafulli threw his weight behind the controversial concept.

Speaking at a Future Gold Coast lunch on Friday, Mr Crisafulli backed Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate’s push for clubs to be allowed on the Glitter Strip’s famous golden sands.

The concept would allow for sections of public beaches to be lined with deck chairs and umbrellas and serviced by staff serving food and beverages – including alcohol.

It follows the Gold Coast City Council’s contentious trial of a beach bar club at Kurrawa, with opponents voicing fears about the privatisation of public beaches, pollution and anti-social behaviour.

But Mr Crisafulli, who was interviewed on stage at the Future Gold Coast lunch by The Courier-Mail editor Chris Jones, said he was in favour of beach clubs, which are also being championed by tourism and hospitality leaders.

“Looking at the offerings we have, I think we’re poorer as a city for not having them,” the premier told guests at the Sea World Resort lunch.

“I think it’s a great way of commercially activating a space and it can be done environmentally sustainably and it can be done with a small footprint because you’re not putting permanent structures in the ground.

“I just see them as a genuinely great step forward.”

However Mr Crisafulli said it was critical such projects did not render the Gold Coast beach as the domain of the rich and famous alone.

“I only have two conditions for it – one is that the nearby residents do get treated with respect and that involves making sure that their amenity is protected, because that’s fair and reasonable,” he said.

“The second is they can’t be enclaves for the rich and the famous, they can’t be something that you have to be at a hotel to get to because they’re public beaches and they belong in public hands.

“That means that it should be as accessible to somebody who’s paying a few grand a night for a swish hotel as it is someone who’s walking along the beach and wants to pay 20 bucks for an overpriced Corona. It doesn’t matter.”

Courier Mail editor Chris Jones interviewing Premier David Crisafulli for Future Gold Coast. Picture Glenn Hampson

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said it was “great” to hear Mr Crisafulli’s support for a concept Mr Tate has long endorsed.

“His two conditions were that there be no impact on local amenity and that everyone is welcome, so I support both those aims,” he said.

“Ideally it would run from October to March and would provide a boost to our tourism offerings.”

Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Craig Davidson said the introduction of beach clubs would give a new dimension to tourism experiences for visitors.

“From a tourism perspective, we know that the opportunity to enjoy food and beverages with an ocean view is an attractive proposition for international visitors and locals alike, and that beach clubs with open access have proven to be very popular in destinations around the world,” he said.

“New and unique product, particularly showcasing our fantastic nature assets, can only be of benefit to Queensland.”

Empty beach chairs at sunset.

Gold Coast entertainment and hospitality identity Billy Cross welcomed Mr Crisafulli’s support for the concept, saying: “We’ve got to stop talking about it and action it.”

Mr Cross, who with wife Jackie operates Glitter Strip rooftop venue Nineteen at The Star as well as bars for major music festivals and events, said the Coast had been crying out for European-style beach clubs and restaurants for years.

“I’m in Europe at the moment and these sorts of facilities are everywhere,” he said.

“If we want to see the Gold Coast continue to move forward at a rapid pace and prosper, we need to make sure our entertainment and hospitality offerings are world-class.”

Critics of beach clubs and bars have raised fears about beach privatisation but Mr Cross said they would be confined to only a small number in “certain areas” and would be largely positioned on the foreshore, not on the sand.

“We’ve seen the successful activation of beaches for events including the Fisher concert at Coolangatta last year and the Pacific Airshow at Surfers Paradise, as well as other festivals,” he said.

“The next step would be for beach bars and restaurants like they have in Europe so visitors and locals can have the best possible Gold Coast experience.”

Queensland Hotels Association CEO Bernie Hogan said the Sunshine State had the perfect platform for beach bars to be as successful as in other parts of the globe.

“Queensland has great natural assets, whether that is the beaches or the rainforests, and regulations haven’t moved with the times,” he said.

“We support the concept as long as they are done fairly and responsibly.”

Mr Hogan said the absence of beach bars in Queensland locales blessed with stunning coastline was giving destinations elsewhere a competitive advantage.“We are losing the international battle for tourists who can experience this sort of thing elsewhere,” he said.

Originally published as Gold Coast’s renewed push for European beach club makeover