2032 Olympic Games review: Proposed Robina athletes village dumped in favour of Royal Pines

A site next to one of the Gold Coast’s biggest shopping centres has been abandoned as the location of a giant multi-tower mega development which would have been home to 2500 people.

Robina has been ruled out as an Olympic Games athletes’ village, in a stunning final twist in the race for venues for the 2032 event.

“We are just advised that Robina is now out as an athletes’ village. Royal Pines is the solution,” a council source said.

“It will now all be on the Royal Pines footprint. This will be another saving, obviously, for the Government.

“But it will set the housing crisis back a bit.”

The project has been abandoned in favour of Royal Pines

The village was earmarked for a site on Collyer Quays and Robina Town Centre Drive and was to feature numerous high-rise towers, plus a green bridge connecting with Cheltenham Drive across Mudgeeraba Creek.

If built the Robina athletes’ village would have had room for more than 2500 competitors and was previously tipped to become low-cost housing following the completion of the Paralympics.

City sources earlier this week suggested both Robina and the Royal Pines will be needed to house athletes and officials at two villages.

With hockey being played on the Gold Coast for the Olympics, at least 384 players and more than 150 officials and trainers will create a “very large cohort”.

A new view of what the Olympic Athletes Village would’ve at Robina.

Mayor Tom Tate late on Tuesday indicated he expected the two sites to be used for villages.

Robina-based councillor Dan Doran, on Tuesday, said the area was headed for a “golden age” no matter what the outcome.

Mr Doran said if the government opted for only an athletes village at Royal Pines, it would provide the City with time to further consider the future of the Robina precinct.

Councillor Daniel Doran as the new Gold Coast City Council is sworn in at Council Chambers in Bundall. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“The City is undertaking working on a new planning scheme and this includes a review of the future of Robina,” Mr Doran said.

“We can now undertake this work without the time pressures created by an Olympic commitment and ensure we get it right.”

Housing Minister Sam O’Connor said Robina “wasn’t appropriate” for the village.

“This is a far better site in the middle of the Coast and we’ve got a willing proponent who wants to work with us and who wants to make this a broader precinct,” he said.

Queensland Minister for Housing and Public Works Sam O'Connor Picture: Cameron Bates

“It’s a great spot for it and that’s why we went ahead with it.

“I’d have to look into the Robina site and see what the future could be there and the Gold Coast Council will be front and centre with our discussions there.

“We want to make sure that, unlike other projects we’ve seen in Robina, that the Gold Coast Council’s feedback is taken on board and listened to and that we are working with them to deliver what we can.”

Originally published as 2032 Olympic Games review: Proposed Robina athletes village dumped in favour of Royal Pines