Gold Coast to expand high-rise development despite transport changes
Gold Coast leaders have vowed to forge ahead with high-density development despite light rail cancellation, as the city races to house a population heading towards one million.
The Gold Coast’s development boom will ramp up, rather than wind back, making the delivery of a “multimodal” public transport system to the border essential, city leaders say.
Mayor Tom Tate and Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel say the need for housing across the city to cope with a population heading towards one million people by 2041 means there will be no move to roll back development, despite the shelving of light rail stage four.
Mr Tate said the increasing number of development applications for unit complexes being lodged for sites in the south showed the strength of the market and the need for more housing.
“Our planning for population growth, as designated by the government that we’ll have a million-strong population by 2041, is still on track because they haven’t said no to it,” he said.
“In doing that, our mantra has always been building up instead of building out and building up where people want to live.
“It’s clear people want to live all the way down from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta, so the plan will not alter as far as the town planning is concerned because more people will come and that’s why we’ve got to get our multimodal transport system in play as early as possible.
“You can’t ignore the growth, it’s happening and that’s why we need to build up.
“We just don’t want people to build for the high end of town, we want to build for all Australians and the younger generation.”
The state government announced on September 1 that light rail stage four to the border would be dumped and instead replaced with buses, which will be in place before the 2032 Olympic Games.
The government is also looking at east-west bus connections, linking the light and heavy rails.
The city’s population is growing at a rate of around 15,000 people annually, far faster than unit projects are being completed, leaving the city’s housing market under pressure.
More than 6000 dwellings need to be built every year to meet state population targets.
Mr Hammel, who is also the council’s planning committee chairman, said the cancellation of stage four of the light rail had “not slowed the number of people moving to the southern Gold Coast, and it hasn’t reduced the strong demand for new housing”.
“The reality is development applications on the southern Gold Coast have not slowed down and the current City Plan still allows for sites to be redeveloped to deliver much-needed homes, and that will continue,” he said.
“The only difference is that, from Burleigh to Coolangatta, growth will unfortunately no longer be supported by light rail.
“For decades, the City’s transport planning has recognised that most Gold Coasters want to live and spend their time on the coastal strip and enjoy a lifestyle that is the envy of the world. It’s also where most of our visitors stay, where we do much of our business, and where we host our major events.
“That’s why a dedicated public transport corridor spine for light rail from the north to the airport – and ultimately Coolangatta – has always been part of the plan.”
The Deputy Mayor said public transport was “not a trick or a Trojan horse for development”.
“I appreciate the Gold Coast is grappling with some of these new ideas for the first time, but other more mature cities have been doing this for decades,” he said.
“We need to start heading in the same proven direction – otherwise the alternative is uncontrolled sprawl, worsening congestion, and skyrocketing infrastructure costs and let’s be honest: no one comes to live on, or visit, the Gold Coast for any of that.”
Mr Hammel said the need for public transport links, both in the city’s south and between its east and west, were critical to supporting the housing market.
“I want to put real emphasis on this point: as part of the Local Growth Management Strategy work we have been doing, the community has been clearly telling us what they want, and I believe in listening to every Gold Coaster,” he said.
“From Helensvale to Coolangatta, from the hinterland to the northern growth corridor, people are saying the same thing – we need to build more housing on a proper Gold Coast-wide public transport network, not plan in isolation or by suburb.
“The message has been consistent: give us dedicated, high-quality, high-frequency public transport corridors, and growth and housing can follow in a way that is sustainable.
“In my opinion, too much of this debate has focused solely on the coastal corridor and light rail, when the same principle applies across the city.”
Originally published as Gold Coast to expand high-rise development despite transport changes
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