Gold Coast, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland
, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane
. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous non-capital city in Australia. The Gold Coast also holds the title of the largest cross-state population of any metro area in Australia, due to its close proximity to Tweed Heads in NSW. The total metro area of the region is over 600,000 people, many of whom cross the border daily. In addition, the urban area of the Gold Coast has almost joined with the urban areas of Logan and Brisbane, some 50km north.
Gold Coast is known as a major tourist destination
with its sunny subtropical climate, surfing
beaches, canal
and waterway systems, its high-rise dominated skyline, nightlife
, and rainforest
hinterland. Gold Coast will host the 2018
Commonwealth Games
.
Lieutenant James Cook became the first European to note the region when he sailed along the coast on 16 May 1770 in the HM Bark Endeavour
.
Captain Matthew Flinders
, an explorer charting the continent north from the colony of New South Wales
, sailed past in 1802. Escaped convicts from the Moreton Bay
penal settlement hid in the region. The region remained largely uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley
landed at Mermaid Beach
, which was named after his boat, a cutter named Mermaid.
The hinterland's red cedar
supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century. The western suburb of Nerang
was surveyed and established as a base for the industry. Later in 1875, Southport
was surveyed and established and quickly grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for the upper class Brisbane
residents.
In 1925, tourism to the area grew rapidly when Jim Cavill
established the Surfers Paradise Hotel, which transformed to Hard rock cafe and Paradise Towers a resort apartment complex. The population grew steadily to support the tourism industry and by the 1940s, real estate speculators and journalists were referring to the area as the "Gold Coast." The true origin of the name is still debatable. The name was officially applied to the area in 1958, when the local government area covering Southport
and Coolangatta
was renamed "Gold Coast", although the urban area and the local government area have never had the same boundaries.
During the 1970s, real-estate developers gained a dominant role in local politics, and high-rises began to dominate the area now known as Surfers Paradise and later in 1981 the airport was established.
In 2007, Gold Coast overtook the population of Newcastle, New South Wales
to become the sixth largest city in Australia and the largest non-capital city.
Gold Coast City is situated in the southeast corner of Queensland
, to the south of Brisbane
, the state capital. It is separated from Logan City
, a suburban area of Brisbane by the Albert River. There the Gold Coast City stretches from Beenleigh
and Russell Island to the border with New South Wales
approximately 56 km (34.8 mi) south, and extends west to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range
in World Heritage
listed Lamington National Park
.
The southernmost town of Gold Coast City is Coolangatta
which includes Point Danger and its lighthouse
. Coolangatta is a twin city with Tweed Heads located directly across the border. At 28.1667°S 153.55°E, this is the most easterly point on the Queensland mainland (Point Lookout on the offshore island of North Stradbroke
is slightly further east).
From Coolangatta, approximately forty kilometres of holiday resorts and surfing beaches stretch north to the suburb of Main Beach, and then further on Stradbroke Island. The suburbs of Southport
and Surfers Paradise
form Gold Coast's commercial centre.
The major river in the area is the Nerang River
. Much of the land between the coastal strip and the hinterland was once wetlands drained by this river, but the swamps have been converted into man-made waterways (over 260 km, or over 9 times that of Venice
, Italy) and artificial islands covered in upmarket homes. The heavily developed coastal strip sits on a narrow barrier sandbar between these waterways and the sea.
To the west, the city is bordered by a part of the Great Dividing Range
commonly referred to as the Gold Coast hinterland
. A 206 km² (80 miles²) section of the mountain range is protected by Lamington National Park
and has been listed as a World Heritage area in recognition of its "outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species." The area is popular among bushwalkers and day-trippers.
(Köppen climate classification
Cfa).
s.
Waterfront canal living is a feature of the Gold Coast, and most canal frontage homes have pontoons. The Gold Coast Seaway
, between The Spit
and South Stradbroke Island
, allows vessels direct access to the Pacific Ocean from The Broadwater
and many of the city's canal estates. Breakwaters on either side of the Seaway prevent longshore drift
and the bar from silting up. A sand pumping operation on the Spit pipes sand under the Seaway to continue this natural process.
Residential canals were first built on the Gold Coast in 1950s and construction continues. Most canals are extensions to the Nerang River, but there are more to the south along Tallebudgera Creek
and Currumbin Creek
and to the north along the Gold Coast Broadwater
, South Stradbroke Island
, Coomera River
and southern Moreton Bay.
Early canals included Florida Gardens, Isle of Capri which were under construction at the time of the 1954 flood. Recently constructed canals include Harbour Quays and Riverlinks completed in 2007. There is over 890 km of constructed residential waterfront land within the city that is home to over 80,000 residents.
, The Spit
, Main Beach
, Surfers Paradise
, Broadbeach
, Mermaid Beach, Nobby Beach, Miami, Burleigh Beach, Burleigh Heads
, Tallebudgera Beach, Palm Beach, Currumbin Beach, Tugun, Bilinga
, Kirra
, Coolangatta
, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks
and Froggies Beach.
Duranbah Beach is one of the world's best known surfing
beaches and is often thought of as being part of Gold Coast City, but is actually just across the New South Wales
state border in Tweed Shire. The official name for the beach is Flagstaff Beach. Duranbah is a small town located about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southwest of the beach, but the name Duranbah Beach has become its accepted (if not official) identity.
There are also beaches along many of the Gold Coast's 860 km (534.4 mi) of navigable tidal waterways. Popular inland beaches include Southport
, Budds Beach, Marine Stadium, Currumbin Alley
, Tallebudgera Estuary, Jacobs Well, Jabiru Island, Paradise Point, Harley Park Labrador, Santa Barbara, Boykambil and Evandale Lake.
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries carries out the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) to protect swimmers from shark
s. Sharks are caught by using nets and baited drumlines off the major swimming beaches. Even with the SCP, sharks do range within sight of the patrolled beaches
. Lifeguard
s will clear swimmers from the water if it is considered that there is a safety risk.
Gold Coast beaches have experienced periods of severe beach erosion
. In 1967, a series of 11 cyclones removed most of the sand from Gold Coast beaches. The Government of Queensland
engaged engineers from Delft University in the Netherlands
to advise what to do about the beach erosion. The Delft Report was published in 1971 and outlined a series of works for Gold Coast Beaches including Gold Coast Seaway
, works at Narrowneck
that resulted in the Northern Gold Coast Beach Protection Strategy and works at the Tweed River
that became the Tweed River
Entrance Sand Bypassing Project.
By 2005 most of the recommendations of the 1971 Delft Report had been implemented. Gold Coast City commenced implementation of the Palm Beach
, Protection Strategy but ran into considerable opposition from the community participating in a NO REEF protest campaign. The Gold Coast City Council then committed to completing a review of beach management practices to update the Delft Report. The Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan
will be delivered by organisations including the EPA
, Gold Coast City and the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management
.
Gold Coast City is also investing into the quality and capacity of the Gold Coast Oceanway
that provides sustainable transport
along Gold Coast beaches.
The city is governed at the local level by the Gold Coast City, the second largest local government in the country. Its origins lie in two local governments established at the 10 June 1949 elections: Town of the South Coast, which merged the Town of Coolangatta, Town of Southport and part of the Shire of Nerang; and the Shire of Albert
, which took in a large surrounding region. On 23 October 1959, South Coast was renamed Gold Coast and on 16 May 1959 it was proclaimed as a City.
The modern Gold Coast City was created in 1995 when the existing City and the Shire of Albert merged. The council has 14 councillors, each representing a division of the City. Former Olympian Ron Clarke
was elected Mayor of the Gold Coast
in 2004. Former mayors include Gary Baildon, Lex Bell, Ray Stevens, Ern Harley and Sir Bruce Small
, who was responsible for the development of many of the canal estates that are now home to thousands of Gold Coast residents.
The Gold Coast area is represented at the state level by ten members in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
. The seats they hold are: Albert
, Broadwater
, Burleigh
, Coomera
, Currumbin
, Gaven
, Mudgeeraba
, Robina
, Southport
and Surfers Paradise
.
Federally, the Gold Coast area is represented by three members in the House of Representatives
, whose seats are Fadden
(northern), Moncrieff
(central) and McPherson
(southern). Some western areas are part of the Forde
, which is centred in the Scenic Rim Region. Historically, Gold Coast has been very safe for the conservative parties—only the areas around Labrador and Coolangatta lean Labor, and the three Gold Coast federal divisions have returned only Liberal Party
representatives since 1986.
Southport Courthouse
is the city's major courthouse and has jurisdiction to hear petty criminal offences and civil matters up to A$250,000. Indictable offences, criminal sentencing and civil matters above A$250,000 are heard in the higher Supreme Court of Queensland
which is located in Brisbane. There are subsidiary Magistrates Courts, also located at the northern and southern suburbs of Beenleigh
and Coolangatta
.
In the past the economy was driven by the population derived industries of construction, tourism and retail. Some diversification has taken place, with the city now having an industrial base formed of marine, education, information communication and technology, food, tourism, creative, environment and sports industries. These nine industries have been identified as the key industries by the Gold Coast City Council to deliver the city’s economic prosperity. Gold Coast City’s unemployment rate (5.6 per cent) is below the national level (5.9 per cent).
Around 10 million tourists visit the Gold Coast area every year: of 849,114 international visitors, 3,468,000 domestic overnight visitors and 5,366,000 daytrip visitors. Tourism is the region’s biggest industry, directly contributing more than $4.4 billion into the city economy every year and directly accounting for one in four jobs in the city
There are approximately 65,000 bed spaces, 60 kilometres of beach, 600 kilometres of canal, 100,000 hectares of nature reserve, 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses and 6 major theme parks in the city.
Gold Coast Airport provides connection across Australia with airlines including Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. International services from Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia also land at Gold Coast Airport with airlines including Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Pacific Blue and Airasia X.
Brisbane Airport is less than one hour from the centre of Gold Coast, and direct trains operate.
films and House of Wax
(2005). Many Bollywood
films also use GC as a filming location, such as Singh Is King.
Warner Roadshow Studios are adjacent to the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park at Oxenford
. The Studios consists of eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, wardrobe, construction workshops, water tanks and commissary.
These sounds stages vary in size and have an overall floor area of 10,844 sq metres, making Warner Roadshow Studio one of the largest studio lots in the Southern Hemisphere. Recently shot there is the latest film in the award-winning Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
, the largest production ever to be made on the Gold Coast.
The Queensland Government actively supports the film and television production industry in Queensland and provides both non-financial and financial assistance through the Pacific Film and Television Commission.
Gold Coast is also the filming site for the TV series, H2O: Just Add Water
. Australia crime series The Strip is set on the Gold Coast. Big Brother Australia was filmed at the Dreamworld
studios.
In January 2002, the third season of The Mole
was filmed and based mostly on the Gold Coast. Venues and destinations used included the Gold Coast shopping malls, Burleigh Heads, the Hinze Dam
, Pacific Fair Shopping Mall, Warner Bros. Movie World
and Binna Burra
.
and Operator Please
. Musicians Casey Barnes
and Cody Simpson
are from Gold Coast. Music events include Big Day Out
, Good Vibrations Festival
and V Festival
(2007–2009).
Recreational activities on the Gold Coast include surfing, fishing, boating and golf. The Gold Coast area has numerous golf links, including Hope Island
, Sanctuary Cove and The Glades
.
Sporting facilities include the Carrara Stadium
, Carrara Indoor Sport Centre, Nerang Velodrome and the Sports Super Centre. Some of these facilities are being superseded by newer and larger capacity facilities. Two examples of these are the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
to play host to a Gold Coast Basketball team and Skilled Park to host NRL
games.
Former World Wrestling Entertainment performer Nathan Jones
comes from Gold Coast, as do Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Grant Hackett
, 2011 US Open
tennis champion Samantha Stosur
and Sally Pearson (who recently received the keys to the city).
The Gold Coast 600 (formerly known as Lexmark Indy 300) is a car racing event held annually, usually in October. The course runs through the streets of Surfers Paradise
and Main Beach
. The GC 600 comprises many other events such as the Indy Undie Ball and the Miss Indy Competition. Formerly an Indy car event, V8 Supercars are now the headline attraction, using the same track route.
The Magic Millions
carnival is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Gerry Harvey
(of Harvey Normans) and John Singleton
. There are plans to relocate and build a state of the art new racetrack at Palm Meadows which will incorporate the Magic Million sale with facilities for up to 4000 horses.
Each June, Coolangatta hosts the Wintersun Festival renamed as Cooly Rocks On for 2011, a two-week 1950s and 1960s nostalgia festival with free entertainment and attractions, including hot rod
s, restored cars and revival bands playing music of the era.
Every July, more than 24,000 congregate on the Gold Coast from around the world to participate in the Gold Coast Marathon
. It is also the largest annual community sporting event held on the Gold Coast. In 2011, it will be held on the first weekend in July (2 – 3 July) and the 33rd Gold Coast Airport Marathon is set to motivate and challenge more than 24,000 people of all ages and abilities. The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will feature an event for all ages and abilities, including the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10 km Run, Gold Coast Bulletin 5 km Challenge, and Queensland Health Junior Dash over 4 km and the 2 km.
Late November to early December sees thousands of school leavers across the country descend on the Gold Coast for Schoolies, a two week period of celebration and parties throughout Surfers Paradise, hosted by the Gold Coast City . The event is often criticised nationally and locally for its portrayal of drinking and acts of violence, however every effort by the Queensland Police
and State Government to ensure all school leavers have a good time are put into place, including locals volunteering by walking the streets and keeping an eye out for those in need of assistance.
Early each year the Gold Coast hosts one leg of the ASP World Tour of surfing, where some of the worlds best surfers compete in the Quiksilver Pro at Coolangatta.
The Arts Centre Gold Coast located in Evandale, features a fine art gallery featuring local and international works from painting to sculpture and new media. In addition, there is a theatre for live productions including musicals as well two arts cinemas showing foreign and independent films from Australia and abroad.
which is published by News Corporation
. The Gold Coast Sun and Gold Coast Mail
are other local newspapers. Newspapers from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Northern NSW towns such as Tweed Heads and Lismore are also available.
The Gold Coast is in the television broadcast licence areas of both Brisbane (metro) and Northern New South Wales (regional). The Brisbane primary channels are Seven
, Nine
and Ten
. The regional affiliates are another version of Channel Seven
(formerally Prime Television), NBN Television
and Southern Cross Ten
. Both sets of commercial stations are available throughout the Gold Coast, as well as the ABC
(ABC1) and SBS
(SBS ONE) television services.
Digital-only channels available in addition to the ones listed above include One HD, Eleven
, ABC2
, ABC3
, ABC News 24
, SBS Two, 7Two
, 7mate
, GEM
and GO!
. SBS ONE simulcasts its programming in high definition
on SBS HD.
Subscription television services Foxtel
(via cable) and Austar
(via satellite) are also available.
Major FM
radio stations include 92.5 Gold FM (part of the Macquarie Regional RadioWorks
network – a mix of 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and current hits), 90.9 SEA FM (callsign 4SEA – Top 40, pop), FM 102.9 Hot Tomato
(a mix of 80s 90s and Top 40), 99.4 Rebel FM (Rock), 100.6 Breeze FM
(Classic Hits/Easy), 89.3 4CRB-FM (Christian), 91.7 ABC Coast FM
(contemporary, ABC
local news and information), 93.5 SBS (Brisbane), 94.1 Jazz Radio (jazz
, blues
and swing
music), 97.7 JJJ Triple J
(alternative and chart music), 104 4MBS Classic, 105.7 Radio Metro (dance, pop, R&B, and left field), 106 ABC Classic FM, and 107.3 Juice (Christian). Several Brisbane AM and FM radio stations can also be received.
National surfing magazine Australia's Surfing Life
is published in the Gold Coast suburb of Burleigh Heads, by Morrison Media.
Tourism is Gold Coast City's main industry, generating total revenue of $2.5 billion per annum. Gold Coast is the most popular Queensland tourism location. It is Australia's 5th most visited destination in Australia by international tourists. It has over 13,000 available guest rooms contributing over $335 million to the local economy each year. Accommodation options available range from backpacker
hostels to five star resorts and hotels. The most common style of accommodation is three and four star self-contained apartments.
Tourist attractions include surf beaches, and theme parks including, Dreamworld
, Sea World
, Wet'n'Wild Water World
, Warner Bros. Movie World
, WhiteWater World
, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
, David Fleay Wildlife Park
, Australian Outback Spectacular and Paradise Country.
has been a destination for tourists and locals alike. It is the second highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere
after the Eureka Tower
in Melbourne. The observation deck at level 77 is the highest of its kind in Queensland
and offers views in all directions, from Brisbane
to Byron Bay. It towers over the Surfers Paradise skyline, with the observation deck 230 metres (755 feet) high, and the spire extending nearly another hundred metres up. In total, the Q1 is 322.5 metres (1058 feet) high.
were introduced in Surfers Paradise in 1965 in an attempt to put a positive spin on new parking regulations. To avoid tickets being issued for expired parking, the Meter Maids dispense coins into the meter and leave a calling card under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle. The Maids are still a part of the Surfers Paradise culture but the scheme is now run by private enterprise.
The Gold Coast's education infrastructure includes:
at Southport
is the city’s major teaching and referral hospital and the third largest in Queensland, attending to over 58,000 cases a year, and overseeing other services of the Gold Coast Health Service District as its head office. There is a second public hospital situated in Robina currently undergoing expansion to become a 364 bed hospital. Its current services include rehabilitation, psychiatric and palliative wards and Emergency and Intensive Care Departments.
Private hospitals in the city include Allamanda Private Hospital located at Southport
, Pindara Hospital at Benowa
and John Flynn Gold Coast Private Hospital at Tugun
in the city's south.
Griffith University Gold Coast hospital Dental Project
Late 2008, Griffith University Gold Coast hospital project has been begun, opening in 2012. It is located in Southport Hospital.
Transport modes in the Gold Coast include cars, taxis, buses, ferries, rail and monorail, for commuting to work, visiting attractions, and travelling to other destinations, both domestically and internationally.
The car is the dominant mode of transport in the Gold Coast, with over 70% of people using the car as their sole mode of travelling to work. A number of major roads connect the Gold Coast with Brisbane, New South Wales, and the surrounding areas. The Pacific Motorway
(M1) is the main motorway in the area. Beginning at the Logan Motorway
(M6) in Brisbane, it travels through the inland Gold Coast region and links with the Pacific Highway
at the New South Wales/Queensland border near Tweed Heads
.
Before the Tugun Bypass
was completed in 2008, the motorway ended at Tugun. The Gold Coast Highway
services the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast, including Surfers Paradise, Southport, and Burleigh Heads. Starting at the Pacific Motorway at Tweed Heads, it runs parallel to the coast until it reaches Labrador, where it turns inland to meet the Pacific Motorway again at Helensvale. Other arterial roads include the Smith St Motorway, Reedy Creek Road, Nerang-Broadbeach Road and Bermuda St.
The Gold Coast's main provider of public bus services is Surfside Buslines. It is a part of the TransLink initiative by the Queensland Government, designed to coordinate the public transport providers in Brisbane and the surrounding areas. The majority of the bus routes that Surfside operates run along the Gold Coast Highway. Services are frequent during the day, with intervals being as little as 5 minutes between Southport and Burleigh Heads.
Queensland Rail
operates rail services from Brisbane to the Gold Coast along the Gold Coast railway line. The line follows the same route as the Beenleigh railway line, continuing on after reaching Beenleigh. It then follows a route similar to that of the Pacific Motorway, passing stations at Coomera, Helensvale, Nerang and Robina before terminating at Varsity Lakes. An extension to Coolangatta and the Gold Coast Airport is proposed.
Gold Coast Airport
is located at Coolangatta, approximately 22 kilometres (13.7 mi) south of Surfers Paradise. Services are provided to interstate capitals and major cities as well as to major New Zealand cities, Kuala Lumpur International Airport
, Malaysia and Japan.
The increasing population has resulted in an increase in traffic congestion. This has led to the Queensland State Government and Gold Coast City placing more effort into investing into sustainable transport
. Examples include public transport including a new ferry service, community bike hire and rapid transit system and infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists such as the Gold Coast Oceanway
.
Electricity for the Gold Coast is sourced from Powerlink Queensland at bulk supply substations which is provided via the National Electricity Market
from an interconnected multi-State power system. The Government-owned electricity corporation Energex
distributes and retails electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and value-added products and services to residential, industrial and commercial customers in South-East Queensland.
Water supply
The Hinze Dam
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Nerang is the population's main water supply. The Little Nerang Dam
which feeds into Hinze Dam can supplement part of the city area's water needs, and both are managed by the city council directorate Gold Coast Water
. Reforms of the way in which the water industry is structured have been announced by the State Government, with transfer of ownership and management of water services from local government to the state occurring in 2008–09. Gold Coast City also sources water from Wivenhoe Dam
, west of Brisbane for northern suburbs when the Hinze Dam, at one-tenth of Wivenhoe's capacity, becomes low.
Water shortage and water restrictions have been current local issues, and a few new Gold Coast residential areas have recently included dual reticulation in their planning and development to supply water from a new water recycling plant being built concurrently. This will make available highly treated recycled water for use around the home in addition to potable water. The Gold Coast has received world recognition for this scheme in its Pimpama-Coomera suburbs.
Gold Coast Water has also been recognised for its world leading HACCP water quality management system by the World Health Organisation which published Gold Coast Water's system as a good model for managing water quality and safety from catchment to tap. The Gold Coast desalination plant
, which opened in February 2009, has the capacity to supply up to 133 megalitres of desalinated water per day.
Water
Public transport
Beihai
, Guangxi
, Republic of China
Corfu
, Greece
Medellín
, Antioquia, Colombia
Dubai
, United Arab Emirates
Ft. Lauderdale
, Florida
, United States
Horowhenua
, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand
Kanagawa
, Japan
Netanya
, Israel
Nouméa
, New Caledonia
France
Tainan
, Republic of China
Taipei
, Republic of China
Takasu
, Hokkaido
, Japan
Ulaanbaatar
, Mongolia
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous non-capital city in Australia. The Gold Coast also holds the title of the largest cross-state population of any metro area in Australia, due to its close proximity to Tweed Heads in NSW. The total metro area of the region is over 600,000 people, many of whom cross the border daily. In addition, the urban area of the Gold Coast has almost joined with the urban areas of Logan and Brisbane, some 50km north.
Gold Coast is known as a major tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
with its sunny subtropical climate, surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
beaches, canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
and waterway systems, its high-rise dominated skyline, nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
, and rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
hinterland. Gold Coast will host the 2018
2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games is an international multi-sport event that will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia between 4 to 15 April 2018...
Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
.
History
HM Bark Endeavour
HMS Endeavour, also known as HM Bark Endeavour, was a British Royal Navy research vessel commanded by Lieutenant James Cook on his first voyage of discovery, to Australia and New Zealand from 1769 to 1771....
.
Captain Matthew Flinders
Matthew Flinders
Captain Matthew Flinders RN was one of the most successful navigators and cartographers of his age. In a career that spanned just over twenty years, he sailed with Captain William Bligh, circumnavigated Australia and encouraged the use of that name for the continent, which had previously been...
, an explorer charting the continent north from the colony of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, sailed past in 1802. Escaped convicts from the Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
penal settlement hid in the region. The region remained largely uninhabited by Europeans until 1823 when explorer John Oxley
John Oxley
John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...
landed at Mermaid Beach
Mermaid Beach, Queensland
Mermaid Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Mermaid Beach had a population of 5,751.The suburb is bounded to the west by the artificial canals of adjacent Mermaid Waters and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. To the north is the suburb of Broadbeach, to...
, which was named after his boat, a cutter named Mermaid.
The hinterland's red cedar
Toona ciliata
Australian Red Cedar , Toona ciliata is a forest tree in the family Meliaceae which grows throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia. In Australia its natural habitat is now extensively cleared subtropical rainforests of New South Wales and Queensland...
supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century. The western suburb of Nerang
Nerang, Queensland
Nerang is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, that lies upon the Nerang River. At the 2006 Census, Nerang had a population of 16,066....
was surveyed and established as a base for the industry. Later in 1875, Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
was surveyed and established and quickly grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for the upper class Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
residents.
In 1925, tourism to the area grew rapidly when Jim Cavill
James Cavill
James Freeman 'Jim' Cavill, a Brisbane hotelier, was one of the pioneers of the Gold Coast, Australia. His parents were Frederick Cavill , a champion swimmer, and Maria Rhodes a cousin of Cecil Rhodes....
established the Surfers Paradise Hotel, which transformed to Hard rock cafe and Paradise Towers a resort apartment complex. The population grew steadily to support the tourism industry and by the 1940s, real estate speculators and journalists were referring to the area as the "Gold Coast." The true origin of the name is still debatable. The name was officially applied to the area in 1958, when the local government area covering Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
and Coolangatta
Coolangatta, Queensland
Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has a population of 4,869 and is named after the schooner Coolangatta which was wrecked there in 1846....
was renamed "Gold Coast", although the urban area and the local government area have never had the same boundaries.
During the 1970s, real-estate developers gained a dominant role in local politics, and high-rises began to dominate the area now known as Surfers Paradise and later in 1981 the airport was established.
In 2007, Gold Coast overtook the population of Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
to become the sixth largest city in Australia and the largest non-capital city.
Geography
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, to the south of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, the state capital. It is separated from Logan City
Logan City, Queensland
Logan City is a Local Government Area in South East Queensland, Australia. The city is situated between the City of Brisbane to the north and Gold Coast to the south. The city also borders the Scenic Rim, the City of Ipswich and Redland City....
, a suburban area of Brisbane by the Albert River. There the Gold Coast City stretches from Beenleigh
Beenleigh, Queensland
Beenleigh is a suburb in the Logan City area of Queensland, Australia. Beenleigh and adjoining suburbs are located near the confluence of the Logan and Albert rivers...
and Russell Island to the border with New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
approximately 56 km (34.8 mi) south, and extends west to the foothills of the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
in World Heritage
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
listed Lamington National Park
Lamington National Park
Lamington is a national park in Queensland, Australia, lying on the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland/New South Wales border...
.
Coolangatta, Queensland
Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has a population of 4,869 and is named after the schooner Coolangatta which was wrecked there in 1846....
which includes Point Danger and its lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
. Coolangatta is a twin city with Tweed Heads located directly across the border. At 28.1667°S 153.55°E, this is the most easterly point on the Queensland mainland (Point Lookout on the offshore island of North Stradbroke
North Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, 30 km southeast of the capital Brisbane. Before 1896 the island was part of the Stradbroke Island. In that year a storm separated it from South Stradbroke Island, forming the Jumpinpin Channel. It is known...
is slightly further east).
From Coolangatta, approximately forty kilometres of holiday resorts and surfing beaches stretch north to the suburb of Main Beach, and then further on Stradbroke Island. The suburbs of Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
and Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Surfers Paradise is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Surfers Paradise had a population of 18,501....
form Gold Coast's commercial centre.
The major river in the area is the Nerang River
Nerang River
The Nerang River is a river that begins in the McPherson Range in the Gold Coast hinterland and runs through Gold Coast City in South East Queensland, Australia...
. Much of the land between the coastal strip and the hinterland was once wetlands drained by this river, but the swamps have been converted into man-made waterways (over 260 km, or over 9 times that of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy) and artificial islands covered in upmarket homes. The heavily developed coastal strip sits on a narrow barrier sandbar between these waterways and the sea.
To the west, the city is bordered by a part of the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
commonly referred to as the Gold Coast hinterland
Gold Coast hinterland
The Gold Coast hinterland is an area of South East Queensland, Australia that comprises the Tweed Range, Nimmel Range, Tamborine Mountain, Numinbah Valley, eastern parts of the McPherson Range and western parts of suburban Gold Coast.-History:...
. A 206 km² (80 miles²) section of the mountain range is protected by Lamington National Park
Lamington National Park
Lamington is a national park in Queensland, Australia, lying on the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland/New South Wales border...
and has been listed as a World Heritage area in recognition of its "outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species." The area is popular among bushwalkers and day-trippers.
Climate
Gold Coast experiences a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Cfa).
Urban structure
Gold Coast includes suburbs, localities, towns and rural districtRural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
s.
Waterways
Gold Coast Seaway
The Gold Coast Seaway or Southport Seaway is the main navigation entrance from the Pacific Ocean into the Gold Coast Broadwater and southern Moreton Bay and is one of Australia’s most significant coastal engineering projects...
, between The Spit
Southport Spit, Queensland
The Southport Spit lies opposite Southport to the north of Main Beach, Gold Coast. It is a permanent sand spit that separates the Southport Broadwater from the Pacific Ocean....
and South Stradbroke Island
South Stradbroke Island
South Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 21 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland. The island has hundreds of wild...
, allows vessels direct access to the Pacific Ocean from The Broadwater
Gold Coast Broadwater
The Gold Coast Broadwater, also known as Southport Broadwater and Gold Coast Harbour, is a large shallow estuary of water reaching from the locality of Southport to the southern section of the World Heritage Listed Moreton Bay along the eastern coast of Australia...
and many of the city's canal estates. Breakwaters on either side of the Seaway prevent longshore drift
Longshore drift
Longshore drift consists of the transportation of sediments along a coast at an angle to the shoreline, which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash. This process occurs in the littoral zone, and in or within close proximity to the surf zone...
and the bar from silting up. A sand pumping operation on the Spit pipes sand under the Seaway to continue this natural process.
Residential canals were first built on the Gold Coast in 1950s and construction continues. Most canals are extensions to the Nerang River, but there are more to the south along Tallebudgera Creek
Tallebudgera Creek
Tallebudgera Creek is a large creek on the Gold Coast which runs from the Springbrook Plateau in the west through Tallebudgera Valley to the southern slopes of Burleigh Mountain at Burleigh Heads and the Pacific Ocean in the east...
and Currumbin Creek
Currumbin Creek
Currumbin Creek is a large creek on the Gold Coast of Queensland, running from Mount Cougal in the west to its mouth at Currumbin Alley in the east. It is apporoximately in length. It provides a popular and tranquil setting for many rowing clubs, kayakers, jet skiers, boat-goers and fishermen.The...
and to the north along the Gold Coast Broadwater
Gold Coast Broadwater
The Gold Coast Broadwater, also known as Southport Broadwater and Gold Coast Harbour, is a large shallow estuary of water reaching from the locality of Southport to the southern section of the World Heritage Listed Moreton Bay along the eastern coast of Australia...
, South Stradbroke Island
South Stradbroke Island
South Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 21 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland. The island has hundreds of wild...
, Coomera River
Coomera River
The Coomera River is a river situated in South East Queensland. The upper reaches of the river flow from the Lamington plateau and the Lamington National Park. Here are the spectacular Coomera Falls in the Coomera Gorge...
and southern Moreton Bay.
Early canals included Florida Gardens, Isle of Capri which were under construction at the time of the 1954 flood. Recently constructed canals include Harbour Quays and Riverlinks completed in 2007. There is over 890 km of constructed residential waterfront land within the city that is home to over 80,000 residents.
Beaches
The city consists of 57 kilometres (35.4 mi) of coastline with some of the most popular surf breaks in Australia and the world including, South Stradbroke IslandSouth Stradbroke Island
South Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 21 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland. The island has hundreds of wild...
, The Spit
Southport Spit, Queensland
The Southport Spit lies opposite Southport to the north of Main Beach, Gold Coast. It is a permanent sand spit that separates the Southport Broadwater from the Pacific Ocean....
, Main Beach
Main Beach, Queensland
Main Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Main Beach had a population of 3,324....
, Surfers Paradise
Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Surfers Paradise is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Surfers Paradise had a population of 18,501....
, Broadbeach
Broadbeach, Queensland
Broadbeach is a suburb on the Gold Coast, in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Broadbeach had a population of 3,791.Development in the area today mostly incorporates low rise structures, consisting of single bedroom houses and apartment blocks...
, Mermaid Beach, Nobby Beach, Miami, Burleigh Beach, Burleigh Heads
Burleigh Heads, Queensland
Burleigh Heads is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Burleigh Heads had a population of 7,606.Burleigh Heads is renowned for its surf break, and is an alternative to the more tourist ridden towns of the Gold Coast...
, Tallebudgera Beach, Palm Beach, Currumbin Beach, Tugun, Bilinga
Bilinga
Bilinga is a small village in the Republic of the Congo.- Transport :It is served by a station on the Congo-Ocean Railway near the place where a new railway route deviated from the original route.- External links :*...
, Kirra
Kirra, Queensland
Kirra is a beachside suburb of the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. The small rocky headland Kirra Point separates Kirra beach to the north and Coolangatta beach to the south, and is noted as one of the world's premier surf breaks....
, Coolangatta
Coolangatta, Queensland
Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has a population of 4,869 and is named after the schooner Coolangatta which was wrecked there in 1846....
, Greenmount, Rainbow Bay, Snapper Rocks
Snapper Rocks
Snapper Rocks is a small rocky outcrop on the northern side of Point Danger at the southern end of Queensland's Gold Coast. It is a famous surf break and today the start of the large sand bank known to surfers as the Superbank.- Surfing :...
and Froggies Beach.
Duranbah Beach is one of the world's best known surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
beaches and is often thought of as being part of Gold Coast City, but is actually just across the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
state border in Tweed Shire. The official name for the beach is Flagstaff Beach. Duranbah is a small town located about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) southwest of the beach, but the name Duranbah Beach has become its accepted (if not official) identity.
There are also beaches along many of the Gold Coast's 860 km (534.4 mi) of navigable tidal waterways. Popular inland beaches include Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
, Budds Beach, Marine Stadium, Currumbin Alley
Currumbin Alley
Currumbin Alley is a surf break at Currumbin on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. There is almost always a crowd here, even when everywhere else on the Gold Coast is crowded. On days when the surf everywhere else is flat or very small, The Alley is often a crowded longboard wave...
, Tallebudgera Estuary, Jacobs Well, Jabiru Island, Paradise Point, Harley Park Labrador, Santa Barbara, Boykambil and Evandale Lake.
Beach safety and management
Gold Coast has Australia’s largest professional surf lifesaving service to protect people on the beaches and to promote surf safety throughout the community.The Queensland Department of Primary Industries carries out the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) to protect swimmers from shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s. Sharks are caught by using nets and baited drumlines off the major swimming beaches. Even with the SCP, sharks do range within sight of the patrolled beaches
Beach Patrol
Beach Patrol is a half-hour television series airing on Tru TV. The show features lifeguards and police working together to apprehend criminals and save lives....
. Lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...
s will clear swimmers from the water if it is considered that there is a safety risk.
Gold Coast beaches have experienced periods of severe beach erosion
Coastal erosion
Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land and the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage...
. In 1967, a series of 11 cyclones removed most of the sand from Gold Coast beaches. The Government of Queensland
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
engaged engineers from Delft University in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
to advise what to do about the beach erosion. The Delft Report was published in 1971 and outlined a series of works for Gold Coast Beaches including Gold Coast Seaway
Gold Coast Seaway
The Gold Coast Seaway or Southport Seaway is the main navigation entrance from the Pacific Ocean into the Gold Coast Broadwater and southern Moreton Bay and is one of Australia’s most significant coastal engineering projects...
, works at Narrowneck
Narrowneck, Queensland
Narrowneck is the name of a narrow bit of coastline that separates the anabranch of the Nerang River from the southern end of Main Beach and the northern end of Surfers Paradise beach.-Seawalls:...
that resulted in the Northern Gold Coast Beach Protection Strategy and works at the Tweed River
Tweed River (New South Wales)
The Tweed River is a short river in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Its drainage basin consists mostly of the erosion caldera of the Tweed Volcano, a huge extinct volcano of which Mount Warning is the volcanic plug...
that became the Tweed River
Tweed River (New South Wales)
The Tweed River is a short river in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. Its drainage basin consists mostly of the erosion caldera of the Tweed Volcano, a huge extinct volcano of which Mount Warning is the volcanic plug...
Entrance Sand Bypassing Project.
By 2005 most of the recommendations of the 1971 Delft Report had been implemented. Gold Coast City commenced implementation of the Palm Beach
Palm Beach, Queensland
Palm Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, between Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek. At the 2006 Census, Palm Beach had a population of 13,494....
, Protection Strategy but ran into considerable opposition from the community participating in a NO REEF protest campaign. The Gold Coast City Council then committed to completing a review of beach management practices to update the Delft Report. The Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan
Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan
The Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan is an ICZM plan to manage the coastal resources of Gold Coast City. The EPA encourages the City Council's to produce shoreline management plans for coastlines and tidal waterways within the local authority area....
will be delivered by organisations including the EPA
Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland)
Queensland's Environmental Protection Agency was for some time a separate department of the Queensland Government, and, following 2009 State elections, became a part of the Government's larger Department of Environment and Resource Management.This part of the Department of Environment and...
, Gold Coast City and the Griffith Centre for Coastal Management
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
.
Gold Coast City is also investing into the quality and capacity of the Gold Coast Oceanway
Gold Coast Oceanway
The Gold Coast Oceanway is a foreshoreway along beaches in Gold Coast, Queensland. The Gold Coast Oceanway is a shared use pedestrian and cyclist pathway on the Gold Coast, connecting the Point Danger lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to the Gold Coast Seaway...
that provides sustainable transport
Sustainable transport
Sustainable transport refers to any means of transport with low impact on the environment, and includes walking and cycling, transit oriented development, green vehicles, CarSharing, and building or protecting urban transport systems that are fuel-efficient, space-saving and promote healthy...
along Gold Coast beaches.
Governance
Shire of Albert
The Shire of Albert was a Local Government Area in Queensland, located south of the capital, Brisbane, and taking in areas to the north and west of the Gold Coast. It was named after the Prince Consort of the United Kingdom, and husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert...
, which took in a large surrounding region. On 23 October 1959, South Coast was renamed Gold Coast and on 16 May 1959 it was proclaimed as a City.
The modern Gold Coast City was created in 1995 when the existing City and the Shire of Albert merged. The council has 14 councillors, each representing a division of the City. Former Olympian Ron Clarke
Ron Clarke
Ronald William "Ron" Clarke, MBE is a former Australian athlete, writer, and current Mayor of the Gold Coast. He is one of the best known middle and long distance runners in the 1960s, notable for setting seventeen world records.- Early life and family :He attended Melbourne High School...
was elected Mayor of the Gold Coast
Mayor of the Gold Coast
The Mayor of the City of the Gold Coast is presiding officer and public face of the Gold Coast City Council, the local government body of the Gold Coast, Queensland. The mayor is charged with representing the city council and is popularly elected by residents of the Gold Coast City local government...
in 2004. Former mayors include Gary Baildon, Lex Bell, Ray Stevens, Ern Harley and Sir Bruce Small
Bruce Small
Sir Andrew Bruce Small was an Australian businessman and politician. In Melbourne, he developed Malvern Star bicycles into a household name in Australia, then retired to the Gold Coast, Queensland, where he developed property, and as Mayor of the Gold Coast, promoted the area to Australia and the...
, who was responsible for the development of many of the canal estates that are now home to thousands of Gold Coast residents.
The Gold Coast area is represented at the state level by ten members in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
. The seats they hold are: Albert
Electoral district of Albert
The electoral district of Albert is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Queensland. Albert is named for the Albert River, which runs through the electorate and separates Logan City from Gold Coast City...
, Broadwater
Electoral district of Broadwater
The district of Broadwater is an electoral division in the state of Queensland, Australia. It was created at the 1991 redistribution.The electorate is based on the northern end of the Gold Coast...
, Burleigh
Electoral district of Burleigh
The division of Burleigh is an electoral division in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, Queensland, Australia.The division of Burleigh is located on the southern Gold Coast, centred on Burleigh Heads. It also includes parts of the Gold Coast suburbs of Miami, Mermaid Beach, Varsity Lakes and Palm...
, Coomera
Electoral district of Coomera
The district of Coomera is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. Based at the northern end of the Gold Coast, the district is a marginal one.-Geography:...
, Currumbin
Electoral district of Currumbin
The district of Currumbin is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The district lies in the south-east corner of the state, along the New South Wales border. The district takes in southern parts of the Gold Coast and much of its hinterland...
, Gaven
Electoral district of Gaven
The district of Gaven is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. It was created out of the former district of Nerang and the southern segment of Albert in the 2001 redistribution, and is based around the northern growth corridor of the Gold Coast...
, Mudgeeraba
Electoral district of Mudgeeraba
The district of Mudgeeraba is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. Based on the Gold Coast, the district has been held by both sides of politics over the course of its short history....
, Robina
Electoral district of Robina
Robina was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland from 2001 to 2009.The district was located in the southern part of the Gold Coast, and named for the suburb of Robina...
, Southport
Electoral district of Southport
The district of Southport is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The district is based in the northern part of the Gold Coast. It is named for the suburb of Southport, and also includes the suburbs of Arundel, Ernest, Labrador, Molendinar and...
and Surfers Paradise
Electoral district of Surfers Paradise
The district of Surfers Paradise is an electoral district of the State of Queensland in Australia.-Members for Surfers Paradise:-Election results:-External links:*...
.
Federally, the Gold Coast area is represented by three members in the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
, whose seats are Fadden
Division of Fadden
The Division of Fadden is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland.The division was created in 1977 and is named for Sir Arthur Fadden, Prime Minister of Australia in 1941. When it was created it included a large area south of Brisbane, but today it is located in the northern Gold Coast area,...
(northern), Moncrieff
Division of Moncrieff
The Division of Moncrieff is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Gladys Moncrieff, an Australian singer who resided in the area....
(central) and McPherson
Division of McPherson
The Division of McPherson is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1948 and is named for the McPherson Range, which forms one of the divisional boundaries...
(southern). Some western areas are part of the Forde
Division of Forde
The Division of Forde is anAustralian Electoral Division in Queensland.The division was created in 1984 and is named for Frank Forde, who was briefly Prime Minister of Australia in 1945...
, which is centred in the Scenic Rim Region. Historically, Gold Coast has been very safe for the conservative parties—only the areas around Labrador and Coolangatta lean Labor, and the three Gold Coast federal divisions have returned only Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
representatives since 1986.
Southport Courthouse
Southport Courthouse
213px|right|Southport Courthouse main signSouthport Courthouse is the Gold Coast's major courthouse. It houses courtrooms and chambers for part of the District Court of Queensland, which has jurisdiction to hear petty crimes and civil matters up to A$750,000....
is the city's major courthouse and has jurisdiction to hear petty criminal offences and civil matters up to A$250,000. Indictable offences, criminal sentencing and civil matters above A$250,000 are heard in the higher Supreme Court of Queensland
Supreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
which is located in Brisbane. There are subsidiary Magistrates Courts, also located at the northern and southern suburbs of Beenleigh
Beenleigh, Queensland
Beenleigh is a suburb in the Logan City area of Queensland, Australia. Beenleigh and adjoining suburbs are located near the confluence of the Logan and Albert rivers...
and Coolangatta
Coolangatta, Queensland
Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has a population of 4,869 and is named after the schooner Coolangatta which was wrecked there in 1846....
.
Economy
In fifty years, Gold Coast City has grown from a small beachside holiday destination to Australia's sixth largest city. Situated within South East Queensland’s growth corridor, the city is now considered Australia’s fastest growing large city, with a 5 year annual average population growth rate of 3.4%, compared to 1.2% for Australia. Gross Regional Product has risen from A$9.7 billion in 2001, to A$15.6 billion in 2008, a rise of 61 percent. Tourism remains fundamental to Gold Coast City’s economy, with almost 10 million visitors a year to the area.In the past the economy was driven by the population derived industries of construction, tourism and retail. Some diversification has taken place, with the city now having an industrial base formed of marine, education, information communication and technology, food, tourism, creative, environment and sports industries. These nine industries have been identified as the key industries by the Gold Coast City Council to deliver the city’s economic prosperity. Gold Coast City’s unemployment rate (5.6 per cent) is below the national level (5.9 per cent).
Tourism
There are approximately 65,000 bed spaces, 60 kilometres of beach, 600 kilometres of canal, 100,000 hectares of nature reserve, 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses and 6 major theme parks in the city.
Gold Coast Airport provides connection across Australia with airlines including Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. International services from Japan, New Zealand and Malaysia also land at Gold Coast Airport with airlines including Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Pacific Blue and Airasia X.
Brisbane Airport is less than one hour from the centre of Gold Coast, and direct trains operate.
Film production
Gold Coast City is the major film production centre in Queensland and has accounted for 75% of all film production in Queensland since the 1990s, with an expenditure of around $150 million per year. Gold Coast is the third largest film production centre in Australia behind Sydney and Melbourne. Warner Brothers have studios located just outside of the city, at Oxenford which have been the filming locations for films such as the Scooby DooScooby-Doo (film)
Scooby-Doo is a 2002 American comedy film based on the Hanna-Barbera television cartoon series Scooby-Doo about a group of young detectives and their talking dog. It is the first installment in the Scooby-Doo live action film series...
films and House of Wax
House of Wax (2005 film)
House of Wax is a 2005 horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. It shares the name of a 1953 horror film, which was a remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum. It was released in theaters on May 6, 2005 to negative reviews, but a financial success...
(2005). Many Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
films also use GC as a filming location, such as Singh Is King.
Warner Roadshow Studios are adjacent to the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park at Oxenford
Oxenford, Queensland
Oxenford is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Oxenford had a population of 9,007.The suburb is bordered to the north by the Coomera River; the Pacific Motorway forms the eastern boundary. The western edge of the suburb is also bordered by the Coomera River,...
. The Studios consists of eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, wardrobe, construction workshops, water tanks and commissary.
These sounds stages vary in size and have an overall floor area of 10,844 sq metres, making Warner Roadshow Studio one of the largest studio lots in the Southern Hemisphere. Recently shot there is the latest film in the award-winning Narnia series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a 2010 3D fantasy-adventure film based on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third novel in C. S. Lewis's epic fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia . It is the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia film series from Walden Media...
, the largest production ever to be made on the Gold Coast.
The Queensland Government actively supports the film and television production industry in Queensland and provides both non-financial and financial assistance through the Pacific Film and Television Commission.
Gold Coast is also the filming site for the TV series, H2O: Just Add Water
H2O: Just Add Water
H2O: Just Add Water, also known as H2O, is an Australian television programme for children, pre-teens and teenagers, that is filmed on location at Sea World and other locations on the Gold Coast...
. Australia crime series The Strip is set on the Gold Coast. Big Brother Australia was filmed at the Dreamworld
Dreamworld
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently Australia's largest theme park with over 27 rides including 4 roller coasters. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kid's World, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger...
studios.
In January 2002, the third season of The Mole
The Mole (Australia season 3)
The third season of the Australian version of The Mole took place mostly in Gold Coast, Queensland and was hosted by Grant Bowler.-Show Details:...
was filmed and based mostly on the Gold Coast. Venues and destinations used included the Gold Coast shopping malls, Burleigh Heads, the Hinze Dam
Hinze Dam
The Hinze Dam, also known as Advancetown Lake, supplies most of the water provided to Gold Coast City in Queensland, Australia. Some water is drawn from Little Nerang Dam and until recently northern suburbs received water from Wivenhoe Dam. It was completed in 1976 and expanded in 1989. Advancetown...
, Pacific Fair Shopping Mall, Warner Bros. Movie World
Warner Bros. Movie World
Warner Bros. Movie World is a popular movie related theme park on the Gold Coast in Australia. It is owned and operated by Village Roadshow since the take over from Time Warner and is the only movie related park in Australia...
and Binna Burra
Binna Burra
Binna Burra is a parcel of private land surrounded by Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia. The settlement lies in the north-eastern corner of the Lamington Plateau, 75 km south of Brisbane. It is a part of the World Heritage site, Gondwana Rainforests of Australia...
.
Music
Music groups in this region include the Northern Rivers Symphony OrchestraNorthern Rivers Symphony Orchestra
The Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra is an Australian orchestra based in Murwillumbah, New South Wales. The NRSO is the premier orchestra for the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers region. The orchestra was created in 1991 by Barry Singh...
and Operator Please
Operator Please
Operator Please are an Australian pop band, originating on the Gold Coast of Queensland, in 2005. Their current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Amandah Wilkinson, drummer Tim Commandeur, keyboardist Chris Holland, Ashley McConnell on bass guitar, and violinist Taylor Henderson.The...
. Musicians Casey Barnes
Casey Barnes
Casey Barnes is an Australian singer-songwriter from Gold Coast, Queensland who rose to fame as a contestant on the 2009 season of Australian Idol.- Biography :...
and Cody Simpson
Cody Simpson
Cody Robert Simpson is an Australian pop singer from Gold Coast, Queensland, who is currently signed to US record label Atlantic Records.-Early life:...
are from Gold Coast. Music events include Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
, Good Vibrations Festival
Good Vibrations Festival
Good Vibrations Festival commenced in 2004 and is an annual Australian music festival held in Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast and Perth. The festival takes place during February.-2011:-2010:-2009:Master of Ceremonies – Supernatural-2008:-2007:...
and V Festival
V Festival (Australia)
The Australian V Festival was an Australian music festival, and a spin-off of the British V Festival. Like all V Festivals, the event was primarily sponsored by Virgin Mobile. In Australia the event was also sponsored by airline Virgin Blue. The V Festival was televised exclusively in Australia by...
(2007–2009).
Sport and recreation
Gold Coast is represented in five national competitions by the following teams:| Team name | Competition | Sport | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast Blaze Gold Coast Blaze The Gold Coast Blaze is an Australian professional basketball team which competes in the National Basketball League . The Blaze competed in their inaugural season in 2007/08. The club is based on the Gold Coast and joins two other NBL clubs competing from Queensland... |
National Basketball League National Basketball League (Australasia) The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia.... |
Basketball | 2007 – present |
| Gold Coast Blue Tongues | Australian Ice Hockey League Australian Ice Hockey League The Australian Ice Hockey League is Australia's top-level ice hockey league. It is sanctioned by Ice Hockey Australia and is run by its own Board of Directors.... |
Ice hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
2007 – present |
| Gold Coast Titans Gold Coast Titans Gold Coast Titans are an Australian professional rugby league football club, based in the Gold Coast, Queensland. The club competes in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership. It is the newest of the sixteen clubs in the league, having commenced its... |
National Rugby League National Rugby League The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand... |
Rugby league Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
2007 – present |
| Gold Coast United FC | A-League A-League The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company... |
Association football | 2009 – present |
| Gold Coast Suns Gold Coast Suns The Gold Coast Suns were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The club split their home games between Miami and Pompano Beach, FL and hired future Hall of Famer Earl Weaver as manager. In the league's inaugural season, the... |
Australian Football League Australian Football League The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football... |
Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
2011 – present |
Recreational activities on the Gold Coast include surfing, fishing, boating and golf. The Gold Coast area has numerous golf links, including Hope Island
Hope Island, Queensland
Hope Island is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Hope Island had a population of 5,396. Hope Island is popular due to its close proximity to both the Gold Coast beaches and Brisbane city....
, Sanctuary Cove and The Glades
The Glades
The Glades or The glades may refer to:* The Glades , a shopping centre in London, United Kingdom* The Glades , a nickname given to areas in western Palm Beach County, Florida...
.
Sporting facilities include the Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium
Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara....
, Carrara Indoor Sport Centre, Nerang Velodrome and the Sports Super Centre. Some of these facilities are being superseded by newer and larger capacity facilities. Two examples of these are the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre located on the Gold Coast Highway in Broadbeach, Gold Coast was opened on 29 June 2004 at a cost of $167 million and is linked by a covered walkway to Conrad Jupiters...
to play host to a Gold Coast Basketball team and Skilled Park to host NRL
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
games.
Former World Wrestling Entertainment performer Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones (wrestler)
Nathan Boyce Jones is an Australian actor, powerlifting champion, strongman, and retired professional wrestler...
comes from Gold Coast, as do Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett
Grant Hackett OAM is an Australian former swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This achievement has led him to be regarded as one of the greatest distance swimmers in history...
, 2011 US Open
2011 US Open (tennis)
The 2011 US Open was a tennis tournament played on the outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park, of Queens, New York City, United States...
tennis champion Samantha Stosur
Samantha Stosur
Samantha "Sam" Jane Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player. She won the 2011 US Open singles title and was a finalist at the 2010 French Open. Stosur is ranked World No. 6 and her career high in singles is World No. 4, achieved on 21 February 2011. She is a former world No...
and Sally Pearson (who recently received the keys to the city).
Former teams in national competitions
| Team name | Competition | Sport | Homeground | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast-Tweed Giants | New South Wales Rugby League New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided... |
Rugby league Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
Seagulls Stadium Seagulls Stadium Seagulls Stadium was a rugby league stadium located on Gollan Drive in West Tweed Heads, New South Wales, a suburb of the Gold Coast.Originally known as Chris Cunningham Field, it was the home ground of the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants rugby league franchise, who entered the New South Wales Rugby League... |
1988–1990 |
| Brisbane Bears Brisbane Bears The Brisbane Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Bears was an Australian rules football club and the first Queensland-based club in the Victorian Football League . The club played its first match in 1987, but struggled on and off the field until it made the finals for the first time in 1995... |
Australian Football League Australian Football League The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football... |
Australian rules football Australian rules football Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either... |
Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.... |
1987–1992 |
| Gold Coast Seagulls | NSWRL New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and is a member of the Australian Rugby League. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was known as the New South Wales Rugby Football League until 1984 when forward thinking marketing managers decided... /ARL Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League... |
Rugby league Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
Seagulls Stadium Seagulls Stadium Seagulls Stadium was a rugby league stadium located on Gollan Drive in West Tweed Heads, New South Wales, a suburb of the Gold Coast.Originally known as Chris Cunningham Field, it was the home ground of the Gold Coast-Tweed Giants rugby league franchise, who entered the New South Wales Rugby League... |
1991–1995 |
| Gold Coast Rollers Gold Coast Rollers The Gold Coast Rollers were an Australian basketball team, that played in Gold Coast, Queensland, in the National Basketball League. The team was originally named the Gold Coast Cougars before being renamed the Rollers in 1992. The team was one of only two teams from the state of Queensland when it... |
National Basketball League National Basketball League (Australasia) The National Basketball League, also known as the iiNet NBL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia.... |
Basketball | Carrara Indoor Stadium Carrara Indoor Stadium Carrara Indoor Stadium is a multi-purpose arena located at Carrara on Queenslands Gold Coast and can accommodate 1,600 fans, with additional seating provided if required which can push total capacity for events such as basketball up to 2,962. The stadium stands next door to the 25,000 seat... |
1990–1996 |
| Gold Coast Chargers Gold Coast Chargers Gold Coast were a professional Rugby league football club which played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership from 1988 to 1994, the Australian Rugby League premiership from 1995 to 1997, and the National Rugby League premiership in 1998... |
ARL Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league in Australia. It is made up of state bodies, including the New South Wales Rugby League and the Queensland Rugby League... /NRL |
Rugby league Rugby league Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players... |
Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.... |
1996–1998 |
| East Coast Aces East Coast Aces The East Coast Aces were an Australian rugby union football club that played in the now defunct Australian Rugby Championship. The Aces were formed as one of two Queensland based clubs that participated in the inaugural season of the championship, which started in August 2007 The East Coast Aces... |
Australian Rugby Championship Australian Rugby Championship The Australian Rugby Championship, often abbreviated to the ARC , was a domestic Rugby union football club competition in Australia which ran for only one season in August–October 2007... |
Rugby union Rugby union Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand... |
Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium Carrara Stadium is a sporting venue on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, located in the suburb of Carrara.... |
2007 |
Events
Surfers Paradise, Queensland
Surfers Paradise is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Surfers Paradise had a population of 18,501....
and Main Beach
Main Beach, Queensland
Main Beach is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Main Beach had a population of 3,324....
. The GC 600 comprises many other events such as the Indy Undie Ball and the Miss Indy Competition. Formerly an Indy car event, V8 Supercars are now the headline attraction, using the same track route.
The Magic Millions
Magic Millions
Magic Millions Sales Pty Ltd is an Australian Thoroughbred racehorse auction house which holds a sale each January at Surfers Paradise in Queensland. Eight days of auctions are joined by a major Thoroughbred horse race meeting where all ten races are only open to horses who were bought at auctions...
carnival is the brainchild of entrepreneurs Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
(of Harvey Normans) and John Singleton
John Singleton (Australian entrepreneur)
John Desmond Singleton AM is an Australian entrepreneur. He built his success and wealth in the advertising business in Australia in the 1970s and 1980s...
. There are plans to relocate and build a state of the art new racetrack at Palm Meadows which will incorporate the Magic Million sale with facilities for up to 4000 horses.
Each June, Coolangatta hosts the Wintersun Festival renamed as Cooly Rocks On for 2011, a two-week 1950s and 1960s nostalgia festival with free entertainment and attractions, including hot rod
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
s, restored cars and revival bands playing music of the era.
Every July, more than 24,000 congregate on the Gold Coast from around the world to participate in the Gold Coast Marathon
Gold Coast Marathon
The Gold Coast Marathon is an annual marathon race in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, which was first run in 1979....
. It is also the largest annual community sporting event held on the Gold Coast. In 2011, it will be held on the first weekend in July (2 – 3 July) and the 33rd Gold Coast Airport Marathon is set to motivate and challenge more than 24,000 people of all ages and abilities. The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will feature an event for all ages and abilities, including the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10 km Run, Gold Coast Bulletin 5 km Challenge, and Queensland Health Junior Dash over 4 km and the 2 km.
Late November to early December sees thousands of school leavers across the country descend on the Gold Coast for Schoolies, a two week period of celebration and parties throughout Surfers Paradise, hosted by the Gold Coast City . The event is often criticised nationally and locally for its portrayal of drinking and acts of violence, however every effort by the Queensland Police
Queensland Police
The Queensland Police Service is the law enforcement agency responsible for policing the Australian state of Queensland. In 1990, the Queensland Police Force was officially renamed the Queensland Police Service and the old motto of "Firmness with Courtesy" was changed to "With Honour We Serve"...
and State Government to ensure all school leavers have a good time are put into place, including locals volunteering by walking the streets and keeping an eye out for those in need of assistance.
Early each year the Gold Coast hosts one leg of the ASP World Tour of surfing, where some of the worlds best surfers compete in the Quiksilver Pro at Coolangatta.
The Arts Centre Gold Coast located in Evandale, features a fine art gallery featuring local and international works from painting to sculpture and new media. In addition, there is a theatre for live productions including musicals as well two arts cinemas showing foreign and independent films from Australia and abroad.
Media
The daily, local newspaper is The Gold Coast BulletinThe Gold Coast Bulletin
The Gold Coast Bulletin is a daily newspaper serving Australia's Gold Coast region.It is published as The Gold Coast Bulletin on weekdays and the Weekend Bulletin at weekends....
which is published by News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
. The Gold Coast Sun and Gold Coast Mail
Gold Coast Mail
The Gold Coast Mail is a weekly newspaper serving Australia's Gold Coast region, owned by APN News & Media.The paper dates back to the Gold Coast Hinterlander, first printed in 1977, which was merged with The Tweed Leader in 1988, to become the Gold Coast Mail, which was first published on 10...
are other local newspapers. Newspapers from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Northern NSW towns such as Tweed Heads and Lismore are also available.
The Gold Coast is in the television broadcast licence areas of both Brisbane (metro) and Northern New South Wales (regional). The Brisbane primary channels are Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, Nine
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
. The regional affiliates are another version of Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
(formerally Prime Television), NBN Television
NBN Television
NBN Television is a television station based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The station was inaugurated on 4 March 1962 as the first regional commercial television station in New South Wales, and has since expanded to 39 transmitters throughout the northern half of New South Wales and...
and Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
. Both sets of commercial stations are available throughout the Gold Coast, as well as the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC1) and SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
(SBS ONE) television services.
Digital-only channels available in addition to the ones listed above include One HD, Eleven
Eleven (TV channel)
Eleven is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel, which was launched by ElevenCo, on 11 January 2011.-Joint venture:...
, ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, ABC3
ABC3
-Future shows:Programming confirmed for future broadcast will include:* After School Care * Bindi's Boot Camp * Bushwacked! * Dance Academy * Dancing Down Under...
, ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...
, SBS Two, 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, 7mate
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily at a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new...
, GEM
GEM (Australian TV channel)
GEM is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 26 September 2010 at 6am...
and GO!
Go! (Australian TV channel)
GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
. SBS ONE simulcasts its programming in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
on SBS HD.
Subscription television services Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
(via cable) and Austar
Austar
Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
(via satellite) are also available.
Major FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio stations include 92.5 Gold FM (part of the Macquarie Regional RadioWorks
Macquarie Regional RadioWorks
Southern Cross Austereo is an Australian company formed in July 2011 by the merger of Southern Cross Media Group and Austereo Group.Southern Cross Media was previously known as Macquarie Regional RadioWorks, prior to the absorption of the remaining assets of Southern Cross Broadcasting that were...
network – a mix of 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and current hits), 90.9 SEA FM (callsign 4SEA – Top 40, pop), FM 102.9 Hot Tomato
Hot Tomato
Hot Tomato is a radio station in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.The current breakfast line-up consists of Paul Holmes ex Sydney and Melbourne radio legend, teamed with Sean Flanagan, comedic writer for TV and radio. Nova 106.9 announcer Emily-Jade O'Keefe was among the founding breakfast crew...
(a mix of 80s 90s and Top 40), 99.4 Rebel FM (Rock), 100.6 Breeze FM
Breeze FM
ZFKZ-FM is a radio station in the Cayman Islands in the British West Indies. The station is also commonly known by its former official branding as Radio Cayman 2. Breeze FM is owned by the Government of the Cayman Islands...
(Classic Hits/Easy), 89.3 4CRB-FM (Christian), 91.7 ABC Coast FM
91.7 ABC Coast FM
91.7 ABC Coast FM is an ABC Local Radio station. Based in the suburb of Mermaid Beach, the station broadcasts to the Gold Coast and surrounding hinterland in Queensland, covering as far south as Byron Bay in New South Wales....
(contemporary, ABC
ABC Local Radio
ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...
local news and information), 93.5 SBS (Brisbane), 94.1 Jazz Radio (jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and swing
Swing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
music), 97.7 JJJ Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
(alternative and chart music), 104 4MBS Classic, 105.7 Radio Metro (dance, pop, R&B, and left field), 106 ABC Classic FM, and 107.3 Juice (Christian). Several Brisbane AM and FM radio stations can also be received.
National surfing magazine Australia's Surfing Life
Australia's Surfing Life
Australia's Surfing Life is a monthly magazine about surfing published in Australia. It features articles about surf trips in Australia and overseas, surfing technique, board design and wetsuits....
is published in the Gold Coast suburb of Burleigh Heads, by Morrison Media.
Tourism and landmarks
Backpacking (travel)
Backpacking is a term that has historically been used to denote a form of low-cost, independent international travel. Terms such as independent travel and/or budget travel are often used...
hostels to five star resorts and hotels. The most common style of accommodation is three and four star self-contained apartments.
Tourist attractions include surf beaches, and theme parks including, Dreamworld
Dreamworld
Dreamworld is a large theme park situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is currently Australia's largest theme park with over 27 rides including 4 roller coasters. The park is made up of several themed lands: Ocean Parade, Kid's World, Wiggles World, Gold Rush Country, Rocky Hollow, Tiger...
, Sea World
Sea World
Sea World is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, and theme park located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It includes rides, animal exhibits and other attractions, and promotes conservation through education and through the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned wildlife. The...
, Wet'n'Wild Water World
Wet'n'Wild Water World
Wet'n'Wild Water World is a large water park situated in Oxenford, Gold Coast, owned by Warner Village Theme Parks. In 2009, the park received 1,095,000 visitors ranking it first in Australia and eighth in the world. Wet'n'Wild Water World is located adjacent to Warner Bros. Movie World, a...
, Warner Bros. Movie World
Warner Bros. Movie World
Warner Bros. Movie World is a popular movie related theme park on the Gold Coast in Australia. It is owned and operated by Village Roadshow since the take over from Time Warner and is the only movie related park in Australia...
, WhiteWater World
WhiteWater World
WhiteWater World is a water park situated in the suburb of Coomera, on the Gold Coast, Australia. It is owned and operated by Ardent Leisure....
, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary at Currumbin on the Gold Coast, Queensland in Australia, is world renowned for its feeding of huge flocks of free-flying wild Rainbow Lorikeets, which come to the Sanctuary to feast off the special mixture which the Lorikeets eat....
, David Fleay Wildlife Park
David Fleay Wildlife Park
The David Fleay Wildlife Park is located in Burleigh Heads, a suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Established by Australian naturalist David Fleay in 1952, the Park today is home to many native animals, which are displayed in surroundings similar to their natural habitats...
, Australian Outback Spectacular and Paradise Country.
Q1
Since the opening of the world's highest residential tower in 2005, the Q1 buildingQ1 (building)
Q1 is a supertall skyscraper located in Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast. It is the world's third tallest residential tower after the 348 metre building The Marina Torch in Dubai won formal recognition as the tallest residential building in the world on 29 April 2011 by the Emporis...
has been a destination for tourists and locals alike. It is the second highest public vantage point in the southern hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
after the Eureka Tower
Eureka Tower
Eureka Tower is a skyscraper located in the Southbank precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction began in August 2002 and the exterior completed on 1 June 2006. The plaza was finished in June 2006 and the building was officially opened on 11 October 2006...
in Melbourne. The observation deck at level 77 is the highest of its kind in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and offers views in all directions, from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
to Byron Bay. It towers over the Surfers Paradise skyline, with the observation deck 230 metres (755 feet) high, and the spire extending nearly another hundred metres up. In total, the Q1 is 322.5 metres (1058 feet) high.
Meter maids
Bikini-clad meter maidsParking attendant
A parking enforcement officer or parking attendant and sometimes parking inspector is a member of a traffic control department or agency who issues tickets for parking violations. Where parking meters are used, they may be known as a meter attendant or a traffic warden...
were introduced in Surfers Paradise in 1965 in an attempt to put a positive spin on new parking regulations. To avoid tickets being issued for expired parking, the Meter Maids dispense coins into the meter and leave a calling card under the windscreen wiper of the vehicle. The Maids are still a part of the Surfers Paradise culture but the scheme is now run by private enterprise.
Education
- Universities – Three major university campuses (The Southern Cross UniversitySouthern Cross UniversitySouthern Cross University is a university based on the North and Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is a regional University with more than 14,000 students. The University's primary campus is in Lismore, with other campuses located at Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads.The University is...
Beachside Campus, which offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in business, convention and event management, international tourism management and law and paralegal studies; Bond UniversityBond UniversityBond University is a private university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is also the first private university established in Australia...
at RobinaRobina, QueenslandRobina is a suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Robina had a population of 19,182.The Robina Town Centre shopping centre and Bond University are located in Robina.- History :...
and Griffith UniversityGriffith UniversityGriffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
, incorporating the Griffith Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and Oral Health at the Gold Coast HospitalGold Coast HospitalGold Coast Hospital, located on the Gold Coast, Queensland is a major teaching and referral hospital and the third largest in Queensland. The Gold Coast Hospital has one of the busiest emergency departments in the state...
and the main campus at SouthportSouthport, Queensland-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
) and the smaller campus of Central Queensland UniversityCentral Queensland UniversityCQUniversity is an Australian public university based in Queensland. Its main campus is in North Rockhampton Queensland. However, it also has campuses in Bundaberg, Emerald, Gladstone and Mackay, as well as operations throughout Asia-Pacific. For instance, Melior Business School is one of its...
at SouthportSouthport, Queensland-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for... - TAFETechnical and Further EducationIn Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
– four campusesGold Coast Institute of TAFEThe Gold Coast Institute of TAFE is a vocational college in the Gold Coast region of Queensland, Australia, with two campuses each in Southport and Coomera, and one each in Benowa and Coolangatta...
at Southport, Ridgeway (Ashmore), Benowa and Coolangatta - Schools – Over 100 primary and secondary schools, both public and private and of a variety of denominations, including the selective state high school Queensland Academy for Health SciencesQueensland Academy for Health SciencesThe Queensland Academy for Health Sciences is a State Government selective high school located in Queensland, Australia. QAHS offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program to students in years 11 and 12, and is also open to year 10 students, who study a shortened version of the IB Middle...
and single-sex private schools The Southport SchoolThe Southport SchoolThe Southport School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia....
and St Hilda's SchoolSt Hilda's SchoolSt Hilda's School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in Southport, a central suburb of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia....
.
Health
The Gold Coast HospitalGold Coast Hospital
Gold Coast Hospital, located on the Gold Coast, Queensland is a major teaching and referral hospital and the third largest in Queensland. The Gold Coast Hospital has one of the busiest emergency departments in the state...
at Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
is the city’s major teaching and referral hospital and the third largest in Queensland, attending to over 58,000 cases a year, and overseeing other services of the Gold Coast Health Service District as its head office. There is a second public hospital situated in Robina currently undergoing expansion to become a 364 bed hospital. Its current services include rehabilitation, psychiatric and palliative wards and Emergency and Intensive Care Departments.
Private hospitals in the city include Allamanda Private Hospital located at Southport
Southport, Queensland
-Sport:The Southport Sharks Australian rules football club has a presence in the area, including a club and function centre.-Transport:The Broadwaterway is a foreshoreway that encourages pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the Broadwater foreshores of Southport.A ferry terminal is planned for...
, Pindara Hospital at Benowa
Benowa, Queensland
Benowa is an affluent Gold Coast suburb west of Surfers Paradise. At the 2006 Census, Benowa had a population of 7,269.The name was originally derived from the aboriginal "Boonow", meaning red bloodwood. This word was later corrupted by European settlers in search of sugar cane growing on the...
and John Flynn Gold Coast Private Hospital at Tugun
Tugun, Queensland
Tugun is a beachside suburb on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, Tugun had a population of 4,821.Its name is believed to have derived from an Indigenous word of unknown dialect meaning "breaking waves"....
in the city's south.
Griffith University Gold Coast hospital Dental Project
Late 2008, Griffith University Gold Coast hospital project has been begun, opening in 2012. It is located in Southport Hospital.
Transport
The car is the dominant mode of transport in the Gold Coast, with over 70% of people using the car as their sole mode of travelling to work. A number of major roads connect the Gold Coast with Brisbane, New South Wales, and the surrounding areas. The Pacific Motorway
Pacific Motorway
The Pacific Motorway is a 100 km long motorway in Australia between Brisbane, Queensland, and the New South Wales-Queensland border at Tweed Heads. The motorway starts at Coronation Drive at Milton in Brisbane, and from 2008 links the Tweed Heads bypass in New South Wales...
(M1) is the main motorway in the area. Beginning at the Logan Motorway
Logan Motorway
The M2/MR6 Logan Motorway offers motorists a quick link between Ipswich and the M1 or Pacific Motorway at Loganholme, and the Gateway Motorway, providing access to the Gold Coast on the eastern seaboard and to the rural areas of the Darling Downs to the west....
(M6) in Brisbane, it travels through the inland Gold Coast region and links with the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
at the New South Wales/Queensland border near Tweed Heads
Tweed Heads, New South Wales
Tweed Heads is a town located on the Tweed River in north-eastern New South Wales, Australia in Tweed Shire. Tweed Heads is located next to the border with Queensland, adjacent to the "Twin Town" of Coolangatta, a suburb of the Gold Coast...
.
Before the Tugun Bypass
Tugun Bypass
The Tugun Bypass is 7.5 km long, bypassing through the suburb of Tugun on the Gold Coast, Australia. The speed limit on the Tugun bypass is 100 km/h and provides a high-speed motorway link between the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales, separating interstate vehicles from local...
was completed in 2008, the motorway ended at Tugun. The Gold Coast Highway
Gold Coast Highway
The Gold Coast Highway in Queensland, Australia links the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast. 33 km in length, the highway passes through popular tourist resorts such as Southport, Surfers Paradise, Burleigh Heads and Currumbin...
services the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast, including Surfers Paradise, Southport, and Burleigh Heads. Starting at the Pacific Motorway at Tweed Heads, it runs parallel to the coast until it reaches Labrador, where it turns inland to meet the Pacific Motorway again at Helensvale. Other arterial roads include the Smith St Motorway, Reedy Creek Road, Nerang-Broadbeach Road and Bermuda St.
The Gold Coast's main provider of public bus services is Surfside Buslines. It is a part of the TransLink initiative by the Queensland Government, designed to coordinate the public transport providers in Brisbane and the surrounding areas. The majority of the bus routes that Surfside operates run along the Gold Coast Highway. Services are frequent during the day, with intervals being as little as 5 minutes between Southport and Burleigh Heads.
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
operates rail services from Brisbane to the Gold Coast along the Gold Coast railway line. The line follows the same route as the Beenleigh railway line, continuing on after reaching Beenleigh. It then follows a route similar to that of the Pacific Motorway, passing stations at Coomera, Helensvale, Nerang and Robina before terminating at Varsity Lakes. An extension to Coolangatta and the Gold Coast Airport is proposed.
Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport
Gold Coast Airport, or Coolangatta Airport, is an Australian domestic and international airport on the Gold Coast and is located some south of Brisbane and 25 km south of Surfers Paradise. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga on the Gold Coast...
is located at Coolangatta, approximately 22 kilometres (13.7 mi) south of Surfers Paradise. Services are provided to interstate capitals and major cities as well as to major New Zealand cities, Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Kuala Lumpur International Airport , or KLIA serves the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is one of Southeast Asia's largest airports. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about from Kuala Lumpur...
, Malaysia and Japan.
The increasing population has resulted in an increase in traffic congestion. This has led to the Queensland State Government and Gold Coast City placing more effort into investing into sustainable transport
Sustainable transport
Sustainable transport refers to any means of transport with low impact on the environment, and includes walking and cycling, transit oriented development, green vehicles, CarSharing, and building or protecting urban transport systems that are fuel-efficient, space-saving and promote healthy...
. Examples include public transport including a new ferry service, community bike hire and rapid transit system and infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists such as the Gold Coast Oceanway
Gold Coast Oceanway
The Gold Coast Oceanway is a foreshoreway along beaches in Gold Coast, Queensland. The Gold Coast Oceanway is a shared use pedestrian and cyclist pathway on the Gold Coast, connecting the Point Danger lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to the Gold Coast Seaway...
.
Utilities
ElectricityElectricity for the Gold Coast is sourced from Powerlink Queensland at bulk supply substations which is provided via the National Electricity Market
National Electricity Market
The National Electricity Market is the name of the Australian wholesale electricity market and the associated synchronous electricity transmission grid....
from an interconnected multi-State power system. The Government-owned electricity corporation Energex
Energex
Energex is an Australian energy company owned by the Queensland Government. It is based in Brisbane and was founded in 1922 as the City Electric Light Co....
distributes and retails electricity, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and value-added products and services to residential, industrial and commercial customers in South-East Queensland.
Water supply
The Hinze Dam
Hinze Dam
The Hinze Dam, also known as Advancetown Lake, supplies most of the water provided to Gold Coast City in Queensland, Australia. Some water is drawn from Little Nerang Dam and until recently northern suburbs received water from Wivenhoe Dam. It was completed in 1976 and expanded in 1989. Advancetown...
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Nerang is the population's main water supply. The Little Nerang Dam
Little Nerang Dam
The Little Nerang Dam is a secondary source of water supply to Gold Coast City in Queensland, Australia. It was completed in 1962 and is managed by Gold Coast Water. It is located on the Little Nerang Creek directly upstream from the Hinze Dam. Its catchment includes the Springbrook Plateau...
which feeds into Hinze Dam can supplement part of the city area's water needs, and both are managed by the city council directorate Gold Coast Water
Gold Coast Water
Allconnex Water is the water and wastewater business for the Gold Coast, Logan and Redland districts. It was established on 1 July 2010 under the Queensland State Government’s South East Queensland Water Reform...
. Reforms of the way in which the water industry is structured have been announced by the State Government, with transfer of ownership and management of water services from local government to the state occurring in 2008–09. Gold Coast City also sources water from Wivenhoe Dam
Wivenhoe Dam
Wivenhoe Dam is a dam across the Brisbane River a little way upstream from Locker Creek. The dam creates the artificial Lake Wivenhoe. The dam wall is located about by road from the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
, west of Brisbane for northern suburbs when the Hinze Dam, at one-tenth of Wivenhoe's capacity, becomes low.
Water shortage and water restrictions have been current local issues, and a few new Gold Coast residential areas have recently included dual reticulation in their planning and development to supply water from a new water recycling plant being built concurrently. This will make available highly treated recycled water for use around the home in addition to potable water. The Gold Coast has received world recognition for this scheme in its Pimpama-Coomera suburbs.
Gold Coast Water has also been recognised for its world leading HACCP water quality management system by the World Health Organisation which published Gold Coast Water's system as a good model for managing water quality and safety from catchment to tap. The Gold Coast desalination plant
Gold Coast desalination project
The Gold Coast desalination project is a reverse osmosis, water desalination plant that supplies water to the Gold Coast and South East Queensland via the South East Queensland Water Grid, located in Tugun....
, which opened in February 2009, has the capacity to supply up to 133 megalitres of desalinated water per day.
Projects
Gold Coast University Hospital- A $1.7 billion project to be completed 12/12/12
Water
- Raising Hinze DamHinze DamThe Hinze Dam, also known as Advancetown Lake, supplies most of the water provided to Gold Coast City in Queensland, Australia. Some water is drawn from Little Nerang Dam and until recently northern suburbs received water from Wivenhoe Dam. It was completed in 1976 and expanded in 1989. Advancetown...
- The Gold Coast has been also debating a controversial cruise ship terminal.
Public transport
- Gold Coast Rapid Transit System a light rail or bus rapid transport system running mainly along Smith Street and Gold Coast Highway from Southport down to Coolangatta.
- The existing heavy rail Gold Coast line will be extended to Coolangatta.
Sister cities
According to the BusinessGC Council Website, Gold Coast is twinned with:Beihai
Beihai
Beihai is a prefecture-level city of Guangxi, China. Beihai means "north of the sea" in Chinese, signifying its status as a seaport on the north shore of the Gulf of Tonkin. Between the years 2006 and 2020, Beihai is predicted to be the world's fastest growing city...
, Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
, Antioquia, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
Ft. Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Horowhenua
Horowhenua District
Horowhenua is a district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It forms part of the Manawatu-Wanganui Region.Located north of Wellington and Kapiti, the district stretches from slightly north of the town of Otaki in the south to just south of Himatangi in the north, and from the...
, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Netanya
Netanya
Netanya is a city in the Northern Centre District of Israel, and is the capital of the surrounding Sharon plain. It is located north of Tel Aviv, and south of Haifa between the 'Poleg' stream and Wingate Institute in the south and the 'Avichail' stream in the north.Its of beaches have made the...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Nouméa
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Tainan
Tainan
Tainan City is a city in southern Taiwan. It is the fifth largest after New Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei. It was formerly a provincial city, and in 2010, the provincial city merged with the adjacent Tainan County to form a single special municipality. Tainan faces the Taiwan Strait in...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
Takasu
Takasu, Hokkaido
is a town in Kamikawa District, Kamikawa in Hokkaidō, Japan. Translated into English, Takasu means 'hawk's nest'. The town has a population of 7,631 people.- Geography :...
, Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...