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Wayne Purcell for Better Planning Gold Coast

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Wayne Purcell for Better Planning Gold Coast

This page is dedicated to raising and discussing planning and other issues of relevance to the GC I have been a Gold Coaster since 2005.
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I have worked in environmental management and tourism. My work has ensured infrastructure and development projects take into consideration local environmental and social issues. Recently, I have been looking after my two young children while completing my Masters in Development Practice. I enjoy the outdoor lifestyle of the Gold Coast; cycling with the kids, kayaking our waterways and hiking our N

ational Parks. I believe government exists to serve and provide for its residents. People should be able to live, work and play locally for a great lifestyle. My aim is for page visitors to engage with the issues and, in doing so, potentially bring about some positive change to the Gold Coast. I look forward to hearing from you.

28/11/2024

This photo of Southbank from 1991 was recently shared to the Old Brisbane Album group. What struck me was its similarities to Carey Park and the debate around the proposed indoor arena.

There's been a number of arguments put forward on why an indoor arena at Carey Park is a bad idea. One of them is the loss of car parking.

Carey Park has about 400 paid car parking spaces. They were added to Carey Park about 15 years ago.

A news article from 2008 indicates it was originally going to be a temporary car park while the one at Broadwater Parklands was upgraded. But, another article from 2010 suggests they became permanent as compensation for the loss on on-street parking associated with light rail construction.

While there are some people on the Old Brisbane Album post lamenting how Southbank and the car park has changed, I think the majority view would be that Southbank today is a fantastic part of Brisbane.

Many people travel to Southbank by public and active transport. Since this photo was taken, Southbank has had the busway and CityCat service added to the public transport options to go with the train.

And herein lies the lesson in my opinion. We need more transport options for people to travel into Southport, the Broadwater Parklands and, potentially, an indoor arena.

Just like heavy rail for Southbank, light rail is not nearly enough for Southport. We really could do with high-frequency, high-quality bus services coming in from places like Labrador & Paradise Point, Ashmore & Nerang, Bundall and Robina.

Only when people have genuine alternatives to driving can we lessen our car dependency. Only then may people not lament the potential loss of some car parking spaces.

(Thanks to John Hurley for the share of a Brisbane City Council held image on Old Brisbane Album)

20/11/2024

It's sounds pretty important, even if it has been hammed up a bit! (the GC is not even in the Top 10 of Australia's fastest growing cities*). It will be presented to Councillors on Thursday.

According to the summary, Council have a list of "8 top advocacy priorities for 2025, to be the focus of targeted advocacy campaigns" with State and Federal governments.

Unfortunately, that's all residents are allowed to know. It's being discussed in a closed session, apparently because it involves the budget.

I understand some matters can be commercially sensitive. But, I don't get it in this instance, at least having all of it redacted.

Why can't people know what projects Council will be lobbying State and Federal governments for?

What's it matter if people know how much they might cost?

By way of comparison, Council has a Local Government Infrastructure Plan It lists things it plans to do for the next 20 years. The timing and indicative cost is provided. It's a public document #.

Meanwhile, Council in its Annual Plan^, provides forward estimates on financial matters. Over the next 6 years, Council plans to borrow $1 billion while also drawing down their cash reserves by $700k.

What is it Council has planned that involves spending an extra $1.7 billion?

Wouldn't we all love to know!

* https://population.gov.au/data-and-forecasts/dashboards/fastest-growing-local-government-areas

# see Schedule of Works excel spreadsheet here - https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Planning-building/Planning-our-city/Infrastructure-planning

^ p30&31 - https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Council/Future-plans-budget/Annual-Plan

17/11/2024

Putting aside the location for a moment, I thought it might be useful to discuss the need for an indoor arena.

To start, I'm not saying we should have an indoor arena or that the return on investment is there. I just think there should be some clarity around what sort of events and touring acts an indoor arena for around 12,000 people would cater to.

Off the bat, it's not going to be about Coldplay, Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam etc. They play in huge outdoor arenas. As people have pointed out, we have Robina and Carrara stadiums for that.

I also suspect it probably won't affect to much degree music festivals held in places like Doug Jennings Park at the Spit, Queen Elizabeth Park in Coolangatta, Pratten Park in Broadbeach and the Broadwater Parklands in Southport. Most of those are all-day affairs.

To get a good idea on what sort of events and acts would likely use the proposed arena, we probably should look at other similar venues such as the Brisbane Entertainment Centre (capacity 13,500) and Adelaide Entertainment Centre (11,300).

These are some of the touring acts that are playing these venues in the next 12mths -

- Katy Perry
- Bryan Adams
- Kylie Minogue
- Trevor Noah
- Billie Eilish
- James Blunt
- Korn
- Cyndi Lauper

None of them are playing at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre. Presumably, the capacity (6,000) is not big enough. And, they are not playing in stadiums.

An indoor arena may also be used for sports such as basketball, tennis, ice hockey, netball, UFC etc. Is an anchor tenant (ie NBL team) needed for the project to stack up financially?

The number crunching will be a matter for the financiers. Unfortunately, it's unclear at this stage who that is; Council, the State Government or a private consortium.

Another factor will be the realisation of Brisbane Arena / Brisbane Live (expected capacity 15-20,000). While plans for this are seemingly stuck at concept drawings and finding a suitable location (likely near Brisbane CBD), some form of it will be built for the Olympics.

Would touring acts play in both? How much of an attraction would staying on the GC for touring acts be if we had the right sized venue for them?

14/11/2024

A short history of Carey Park and its heritage significance

With much talk about Carey Park potentially being the site of a new indoor arena, I thought some people might be interested in the history of the site.

𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬

Carey Park was originally part of the Broadwater. Construction of a sea wall commenced in the 1890s.

In the late 1960s, as part of construction of what's commonly known as the Sundale Bridge (which was replacing the Jubilee Bridge), land reclamation works were included to create a new GC Hwy route to the east. This is the current day alignment.

The land that had been created between Marine Pde and the new Gold Coast Hwy became Carey Park.

As for the sea wall, some of it was destroyed with much of the rest buried. Few parts remain visible, the most prominent being just to the east of the Sundale Bridge. I can't see any sea wall in Carey Park.

During the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s, Carey Park was mostly just grass. It was used for a time as football fields.

About 15 years ago, the majority of the park was converted into a surface level car park of around 400 spaces. A road to access Australia Fair from the GC Hwy through the northern end of the park was also done in the 90s, as was an extension of Ada Bell Way cutting through the parkland between the tennis courts and croquet fields.

I have created a very short video (10s) showing how the area was back in 1956 compared to today. Because of Facebook limitations, historical and current day photos I wanted to also share will be in the comments.

𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗘-𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚

Carey Park itself is not heritage-listed. However, the sea wall is listed on Council's Local Heritage Register. Fig trees and paperbarks planted near Marine Pde and the sea wall have also been listed on the local heritage register. The trees are likely between 60 and 100 years old.

Not many remain from that period, though. Most, if not all, appear to be located outside the likely footprint of the indoor arena at the southern end of Carey Park

A place being heritage-listed, however, does not prevent development occurring. This was most recently shown with the development approved for the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade. Despite the shape of the building and its back facade being specifically mentioned in its listing, Council, and then the P&E Court, approved its destruction. Only the front facade was kept.

I suspect that, should Council proceed with the proposed arena, the trees and sea wall line will be incorporated into the design as a nod to the history of the area and providing what is referred to as "interpretive elements".

Council also has the option to remove a place from its local heritage register under s119(2) of the Qld Heritage Act if they are satisfied the place is no longer a place of cultural heritage significance for its area.

I will have some further posts soon on other aspects of the current debate on Carey Park and the proposed indoor arena.

12/11/2024

According to an article in today's Bulletin*, the Mayor has ruled out building “sacrificial” sections of the Oceanway while he’s in power, declaring them to be a waste of time and money.

He's been quoted as saying -

- the State Government wouldn't fund a sacrificial Oceanway,
- no “sacrificial” sections would be built while he was in the city’s top job, and
- as an engineer, he would be negligent to vote yes to build it

Has the Mayor forgotten or was he not paying attention when the newest section of the Oceanway between Surfers and Broadbeach was built?

Because part of that ARE SACRIFICIAL and the State Government helped pay for it!

Council even went to Court to defend their decision. They won^!

The idea was it would cost 5x more to build it to withstand a big erosion event. Thus, it's more economical for it to be sacrificial and hope a big storm doesn't come along any time soon.

It's a gamble. But, it's a gamble governments make all the time when deciding whether to approve developments or build infrastructure and what sort of design criteria should be applied.

For example -

- Should we bury powerlines to reduce the potential for blackouts from storms and cyclones?
- How often are people willing to accept their house being flooded?
- Should bridges be rebuilt higher to offer greater flood immunity?

Maybe the Mayor's had a change of heart on risk management. I don't know but, if it is, it's a recent one. Council only last year approved the Parkwood Surf Park to proceed despite knowing the car park is predicted to flood, on average, every 2yrs and the wave pool every 10yrs.

24/10/2024

I have an idea!

𝗖𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔

The Mayor wants a cableway. Where exactly to, we're not sure. Both 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗸 and 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 have been mentioned. The LNP also have indicated their interest.

Either way, both would be 𝟵-𝟭𝟬𝗸𝗺 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴, making it the 2nd longest cableway in the world". Both would involve a 𝟯𝟬𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 from the coast, then a transfer onto the cableway for another journey of around 𝟯𝟬𝗺𝗶𝗻. Most of it would be over eucalypt forest, not rainforest.

A return trip from Surfers would likely 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝟰 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 $𝟯𝟱𝟬*.

What people will do up at Springbrook or Tamborine is potentially limited due to the spread out nature of things there. The Mayor has suggested the possibility of an 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 up the top.

The cost to build the cableway is likely to be at least $𝟯𝟱𝟬𝗠^.

𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗥𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗟 𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦

The LNP and local residents don't want the former Arundel Hills Country Club turned into housing. The 𝟲𝟳𝗵𝗮 site is home to 𝗸𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘀, kangaroos and lots of other wildlife. These animals are struggling as their 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 to make room for the 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿.

Arundel Hills forms part of an 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗼𝗿 between the internationally-recognised Coombabah Wetlands, Arundel Springs, Nerang National Park and hinterland. Other than a few hides for birdwatching and interpretive signs in Coombabah, there isn't much.

There is substantial existing infrastructure at Arundel Hills such as the former clubhouse, maintenance sheds etc. They are, however, becoming more dilapidated by the day.

𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦???

The LNP is keen on expanding ecotourism opportunities. They have promised $𝟭𝟬𝗠 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 to build a marine wildlife hospital and also $𝟰𝗠 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 for a research and training precinct. The local LNP member is on the record as wanting a science centre in the area.

Both the State Government and other SEQ Councils operate environmental education centres'. Gold Coast City Council doesn't have any.

Wildlife rescuers currently have only two options on where to deliver sick and injured animals - up at Wacol or down in Currumbin. There's nowhere else in between.

So, could Arundel Hills become a 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗬, 𝗥𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 & 𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗘?

Council and the LNP could, if they form government, save a lot of money, local wildlife, address local resident concerns and deliver a more viable world-class ecotourism and educational facility closer to where tourists stay at Arundel Hills Country Club.

Does 2 + 2 = 4 in this instance? Am I missing something?

*A return Kuranda Skyrail trip (7.5km long) + bus transfer into Cairns (15min) drive is $320

^ The 2.6km proposed Mt Wellington cableway was priced at $54M in 2019. Construction costs have gone up around 50% since then

" The longest is Norsjo Aerial Tramway in Sweden at 13.2km

' Logan has Cedar Grove, Moreton has Kumbartcho, Osprey House and CREEC, Brisbane has Boondall Wetlands, Downfall Creek and Karawatha Forest

22/10/2024

Who cares about the planning and development of the GC?

It's time to put your hand up and get involved!

Council is starting the process for a new planning scheme. This comes around only every 10yrs. This is the document that will shape how the GC is to grow into the future -

- Where the houses and apartments can be built
- How big, wide and tall they can be
- Where the shops, jobs, commercial and industrial activities can take place
- How many car spaces there needs to be
- How it should look

Given the fast pace of growth we've had and likely will have, this is a pretty big deal.

If commentary on social media is anything to go by, it's something many residents have an opinion on.

So, now's the time to have your say.

There's an "Urban Change Survey" currently open. It closes tomorrow (Wed). My apologies for not letting people know sooner.

There's also a number of "Vision for Change" Workshops starting next week.

I encourage everyone with the time, interest and passion to check it out and get involved. Links are in the comments.

16/10/2024

How good is the Gold Coast economy going? What does it even mean?

Outside all the election shenanigans, we had news drop this week of how great the local economy has been going.

The headlines were -

𝟭𝟳.𝟰% growth between 2021-2023 and an overall economy now valued at $𝟰𝟱 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻.

It sounds pretty impressive, particularly when you present it as such. And, yes, if you compare it to other parts of Australia, the GC has fared well.

But, if you take into consideration 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝟭𝟱.𝟴%) and 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 (𝟮.𝟲%) over the same period, the economic needle hasn't moved.

And, if you want to compare to the growth in 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹'𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 during that period (𝟮𝟴%), the growth of the economy more generally doesn't look that great at all.

Thus, there were probably quite a few with raised eyebrows over the headlines they saw this week. Things aren't that rosy.

Of course, I should also make mention that economic data is just that. It's data that highlights how much spending has been taking place. Some people will say it's an indicator of wellbeing, quality of life, that sort of thing.

But, think about what you enjoy doing, why you live on the GC

Going to the beach, the playground with your kids, a bike ride, a hike up at Springbrook etc, they cost nothing (except for any transport costs). Those things aren't captured in the economic data

18/09/2024

Why doesn't the GC have many international routes to / from its airport?

We regularly hear about what the GC needs to do to attract international tourists. It's a big focus of Council and their new $75M subsidiary, Experience Gold Coast.

There's also been a drop in the number of international passengers to / from the GC Airport even though they've recently opened a $260M international terminal

The thing is, though, it's Australians, not overseas tourists, that -

a) Travel much more to the Gold Coast; and
b) Use our international airports

Here's the data -

- Only 38% of international passenger movements into / out of Australia are overseas visitors
- Overseas tourists (those travelling for a holiday) are even less (15.3%)
- Pre-COVID, international passengers only made up 15% of passenger movements into / out of GC Airport

If we want to see more international routes servicing the Gold Coast, then it will come from demand from within, not from overseas.

GC Airport needs a bigger local catchment. It's in competition with Brisbane Airport for SEQ residents.

Once routes are up and going, we might see it flow through to more international visitors taking advantage of them.

But, international holiday makers are the "cherry on top" when it comes to GC tourism. It's not the "bread and butter"

16/09/2024

What does our energy future look like and what does it mean for the Gold Coast?

I don't think I am alone in saying conversations on renewable energy, nuclear reactors, the electricity grid, feed-in tariffs, batteries, electric vehicles etc can be a little overwhelming.

Then there's also things like energy resilience (ie how the grid copes with disruptions like the Christmas Day storm)

We're in the midst of a huge change to how things are powered

If, like me, you are interested in knowing where everything is headed, what opportunities and challenges lay ahead, you're in luck!

Tomorrow (Tuesday) night at Broadbeach Cultural Centre, Dr Saul Griffith from Rewiring Australia, will be presenting his vision around what electrification means for jobs, investment and the environment. As an engineer, inventor, found and chief scientist at Otherlab, Saul helps government agencies and companies understand energy infrastructure

With my GC glasses on, I'm keen to know more about -

1. How people living in apartments can participate in energy production and storage (currently you need a roof to have solar)

2. Localised battery storage of renewable energy and whether it reduces the propensity for large-scale blackouts when fallen trees cut major powerlines?

3. Whether it makes more sense to have solar farms out west, away from the coast, away from where it's cloudy more often and where it's sunnier in late afternoon, when energy use increases

4. How the energy grid will operate with the uptake of electric vehicles

Link to tickets is in the comments

03/09/2024

What is the biggest issue on the GC as raised by local residents?

You may have seen Voices of Moncrieff have been asking locals these and other questions lately.

After hearing from more than 400 residents, VoM are about to let everyone know what they heard.

For those interested, come along tomorrow night (Wednesday) to Six Tricks Distilling Co in Mermaid Beach (not far from Pac Fair) from 6:30pm!

I had the privilege of analysing the responses on behalf of VoM (there were some colourful ones!)

As a result, I'll also be presenting the findings tomorrow night. I'm not sure if public speaking is my thing so please go easy on me if you do make it tomorrow night 😀

27/08/2024

Why doesn't Council charge higher rates for vacant land?

Following on from my previous post* about the view tax, we've seen well-known developer Soheil Abedian come out and say Council needs to do more to stop land-banking occurring. It's great to see Mr Abedian bring this up

Mr Abedian thinks reducing the ability to get DA approval and the ability to pass on those development rights to a buyer of the land is the way to go.

But, while I think having DAs get extension after extension isn't great, I'm not sure it's going to prevent land-banking. There's plenty of land parcels that have been sitting vacant for years without DA approval.

You may recall a post from a few months ago in which I highlighted how cheap it is to hold onto land while watching the value of it go up and up^.

Addressing this, in my opinion, is what's needed.

With this in mind, I wonder 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀?

Currently, vacant land is charged the same as an owner-occupier (ie the lowest possible). From a service cost point of view, I can see why that might be the case.

But, when we have so much talk around the need to "build up not out", to have more dwellings built, to not have so many "bomb sites", it's not really in the City's interest to have these land parcels undeveloped.

Further, it's not a novel idea. 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 has a rating category for vacant land. For vacant land worth >$𝟭.𝟯𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 >𝟭,𝟱𝟬𝟬𝗺𝟮, it's charged 𝟮.𝟯-𝟯.𝟰𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 with a 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 $𝟵,𝟳𝟬𝟬.

Is charging more on the big, vacant land parcels in Southport, Surfers etc a better way to increase Council's revenue than charging more for owner-occupiers in apartments?

Do you think it might see some movement on these strategic land parcels?

21/08/2024

What's the deal with the "𝐕𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐓𝐚𝐱"?

I've had a bit of a look at this to try and better understand what's changed and what rate various people are getting charged.

I'll try and explain how I understand it and what I've found by looking into the numbers -

Council has broken apartments into various categories based on -

Occupancy type;
Floor level; and
Floor size

In previous years (eg 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯-𝟮𝟰), the breakdown using floor level and floor size only applied to investment properties. Owner-occupiers were all charged the same amount ($𝟭,𝟮𝟰𝟯) for those living on floors above Level 5 (those below Level 5 had a rate only $7 cheaper).

The 1st Table (provided within comments) outlines the rates payable for each of these categories in 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰-𝟮𝟱.

As you can see, there is a sliding scale being applied. Those in bigger and higher up apartments are being charged a lot more than they were, some up to $𝟲𝟱𝟬/𝘆𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. The 2nd table provides the difference.

I can understand how such a change hasn't gone down too well with those now required to pay a lot more than they did previously.

Should such a big change have occurred so quickly and without warning?

There are a few other things I'd like to highlight, though.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗕𝗡𝗕𝗦

The amount being charged by owner-occupiers is substantially less than for investment properties. Council charges a lot more if it is being used for short-term accommodation (𝟭.𝟴-𝟮.𝟱𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲).

The question I have is how many are being charged this rate. My understanding is Council are not proactive in identifying AirBnBs. How much revenue is being forgone and could proper application of this help reduce rate rises for owner-occupiers?

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗦

The highest rate as a result of the changes for an owner-occupier ($𝟭,𝟴𝟵𝟱) is the same amount as an owner-occupier of a house on land valued at $𝟳𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬. For reference, the 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 on the Gold Coast is currently $𝟲𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬.

Does it make sense to charge apartment dwellers a similar amount to those living in detached housing?

𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥?

The above information applies to those paying the "𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗺 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗲". Council also calculates rates based on a property's 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲.

Most apartment owners would be paying the Minimum General Rate because their portion of the land value is small. Depending on what floor they live on, their portion of the land would need to be 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 $𝟰𝟳𝟯,𝟬𝟬𝟬-$𝟳𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 before a calculation using the value of the land kicks in.

Where apartment owners pay based on land value is when it is a 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

This is where the changes potentially gets interesting because the rate payable on land value has 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 from last year, in some cases by 𝟮𝟴% (Table 3). Some of this reduction is counteracted by rising land values, though.

But, anyway, I had a quick look to try and see how things may have changed in this area. The example I have is 𝗦𝗲𝗮, a relatively new apartment building right on the beach in Main Beach. It has only 𝟳 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹-𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 $𝟭𝟱.𝟱𝗠. An apartment recently sold for $𝟴.𝟱𝗠.

By my calculations, an 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿-𝗼𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝟱, 𝟲 𝗼𝗿 𝟳will be paying around $𝟯,𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. This is, however, off a really high rate to begin with ($𝟭𝟰,𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯-𝟮𝟰).

A less extreme example is 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲, a few doors down. My calculations have an owner-occupier there saving almost $𝟮,𝟬𝟬𝟬 ($𝟲,𝟵𝟬𝟬 𝘃 $𝟴,𝟵𝟬𝟬).

Should they have been paying so much to begin with?

Regardless, it suggests there are some winners from the changes. Are the increases for owner-occupiers in Southport Central offsetting the reductions for owner-occupiers along Main Beach Pde?

I hope what I've provided has helped in some way to understanding the issue better.

I'll finish by just saying that taxes, fees and other government charges are a highly vexed issue. There are many arguments to make on who or who shouldn't be paying and how much, who should be the "winners" or "losers" out of any reforms. It's how the media frame every Federal budget. The potential backlash, however, is why reform is so often shelved.

Has Council got it right in this instance?

16/07/2024

Is the Mayor really being serious?

When it comes talking points on light rail and the Olympics, we've seen some doozies. But, the Mayor has seemingly outdone them all with this one combining the two -

IF WE DON'T GET LIGHT RAIL STAGE 4, THEN LEAVE THE GC OUT OF THE OLYMPICS!!

It's quite an incredible thought process. Given the Olympics will be the biggest thing ever to come to the GC, the old "cut your nose to spite your face" comes to mind.

There's a bit to unpack. To start, saying no to the Olympics is not his decision to make

But, more importantly, 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲!

To clarify a few things -

1. The vast majority of athletes, officials, media and visitors will arrive via Brisbane Airport, not Gold Coast Airport

2. Athletes, officials and media won't be travelling via public transport from the airport

3. Stage 4 of the light rail is nowhere near any currently proposed competition venues

4. Buses are routinely used as transport for events, including the Olympics

I am fully onboard with the need to deliver transport legacy outcomes from the Olympics. But, when the idea was being conceived, it was 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗹 between Brisbane, the Gold & Sunshine Coasts and Toowoomba that was the goal.

I am also onboard with the need for a cost-effective Games. So, when the Mayor puts forward potential cost-saving suggestions like using more existing venues down here, should he then, in the next breath, say "just build it" when current estimates have Light Rail Stage 4 potentially costing $7.6 billion (more than the initial proposed cost of the Olympics)?

The Mayor will be at the Paris Olympics soon talking to various stakeholders. Presumably, important discussions will be taking place. Let's hope they're taken seriously!

(there's a bit happening in the Olympic space so stay tuned for some other posts that take a closer look at some of this)

11/07/2024

Why don't we have better bus services on the Gold Coast?

There are multiple factors that are often raised on why people do, or do not, use public transport. I've mentioned a few over the years on here.

But, I wanted to highlight one of the simplest - 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬!

Better services (ie frequency, coverage) = Better patronage

We can't have better services without better funding. And, on this, we're being short-changed big time!

Take the following -

In 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗲, its Council 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝟮𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 for bus services. On the 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁, it's historically been 𝟬% (although Council has funded free seniors travel). Council last year put forward some funds to trial extra services on the northern Gold Coast*.

Why doesn't Council help fund bus services the way Brisbane City Council does?

It's not just Council holding back the funds, however

On a per person basis, the 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 provides 𝟰𝟮% 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 for bus services on the Gold Coast compared to Brisbane ($𝟭𝟱𝟲 𝘃 $𝟮𝟳𝟬/𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻)^.

If all things were equal, if the GC got the same funding from TMR on a per person basis, AND Gold Coast City Council provided additional funding like BCC does, we'd have $𝟮𝟰𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 for bus services each year, rather than just $𝟭𝟬4 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Imagine what sort of bus network we could have if funding was more than doubled!

10/07/2024

Are watercraft parking permits something we could have on the GC?

I was in Sydney over the school holidays. Visiting Watsons Bay, I noticed a neat row of dinghys and kayaks lined up. Closer inspection revealed the spots were numbered and the craft had registration stickers.

A check of Woollahra Municipal Council's website shows such permits cost $330/yr and there is a waiting list.

About four years ago, the "tinnies" of Labrador were removed from the foreshore. It created quite a stir. Despite their removal, watercraft remain stored in other locations along the Broadwater such as near Southport Yacht Club and in Paradise Point.

Is a formal permit system necessary? Do we want watercraft to be allowed to be parked along foreshore areas?

Currently, we can park our cars on public streets. In some areas, Council offer free residential parking permits. The Gold Coast Waterways Authority allows buoy moorings of boats in the Broadwater for < $200/yr. Bike parking facilities are also provided by Council in parks (although they're not very secure) while bike hire schemes and car share schemes occupy public spaces as well.

What do you think - Would it be an eyesore, safety concern? Or, would it provide a suitable means to allow people to access and enjoy our waterways?

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Better Planning for a Better Gold Coast

This page is dedicated to raising and discussing planning and other issues of relevance to the Gold Coast.

I have been a Gold Coaster since 2005. I have worked in environmental management and tourism. My work has ensured infrastructure and development projects take into consideration local environmental and social issues.

Recently, I have been looking after my two young children while completing my Masters in Development Practice. I enjoy the outdoor lifestyle of the Gold Coast; cycling with the kids, kayaking our waterways and hiking our National Parks.

I believe local governments exist to serve and provide for its residents. People should be able to live, work and play locally for a great lifestyle.