TheGold Coast, also known by its initials,GC, is a coastal city and region in the state ofQueensland, Australia,[3] located approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of thestate capital,Brisbane. It is Queensland'ssecond-largest city after Brisbane, as well as Australia'ssixth-largest city and the most populous non-capital city.[4] The city'scentral business district is located roughly in the centre of the Gold Coast in the suburb ofSouthport.[5] The urban area of the Gold Coast is concentrated along the coast, sprawling almost 60 kilometres, joining up with the Greater Brisbane metropolitan region to the north and to the state border withNew South Wales to the south.[6] Nicknames of the city include the ‘Glitter Strip’ and the ‘Goldy’. Thedemonym of a Gold Coast resident is Gold Coaster.
The area that became the Gold Coast was originally inhabited by the indigenousYugambeh people. The city grew from a collection of small townships, the earliest beingNerang in 1865. From the 1920s onwards, tourism led to significant economic growth in the region, and by 1959 the Gold Coast was declared a city, with itsfirst high-rise being built in 1960. The Gold Coast boomed from the 1980s onwards withskyscraper construction. This era was defined by the city's ‘white-shoe brigade’ developers,neon lights, andorganised crime, particularly theyakuza and theRussian mafia.[7] The late 20th century saw the city's tourism diversify with theme park openings, and in the early 21st century became an international destination for film production.
The Gold Coast has a diverse economy with strengths in health, tourism, arts and culture, and construction, with a GDP ofAU$49.3 billion as of 2024.[8] The city ranks highly as one of the country's cultural and creative hotspots,[9] alongsidecontent creators,[10] a growingvideo games industry,[11] and leads Australia instartups per capita.[12]The Gold Coast is central to the nation's entertainment industry with amajor film and television production industry, leading to the city's metonym ofGoldywood.[13][14] The Gold Coast is also host of theAACTA Awards and theGold Coast Film Festival.
The Gold Coast is the ancestral home of a number of Indigenous clans of the Yugambeh people,[15] including theKombumerri,[16]Mununjali,[17] and Wangerriburra clans. Europeans arrived in 1823 when explorerJohn Oxley explored the Tweed River.[18] The hinterland's timber supply attracted people to the area in the mid-19th century.[19]
Map of the Gold Coast, 1887
A number of small townships developed along the coast and in the hinterland. The western suburb ofNerang was surveyed and established as a base for the industry and by 1870 a town reserve had been set aside.[20] By 1873, the town reserve ofBurleigh Heads had also been surveyed and successful land sales had taken place.[21] In 1875, the small settlement opposite the boat passage at the head of theNerang River, known as Nerang Heads or Nerang Creek Heads, was surveyed and renamedSouthport, with the first land sales scheduled to take place in Beenleigh.[22]Southport quickly grew a reputation as a secluded holiday destination for wealthyBrisbane residents.[23]
Southport Esplanade in 1928
Post-World War One Era saw the rise of the "seaside shack". The seaside shack provided the opportunity for the coastal "getaway" with modest investment. From 1914 to 1946, they popped up all along the South Coast. Seaside shacks were exceedingly cheap and were an early use of the concept of recycling. Many were built of disused or second grade timber, all kinds of materials were used for the holiday seaside shack – including fibro cement, metal containers, and left-over farm sheds; even disused trams were sold off as seaside shacks.[24]
Surfers Paradise, 1951
After the establishment of theSurfers Paradise Hotel in the late 1920s, the Gold Coast region grew significantly.[25][26] The Gold Coast was originally known as the South Coast (because it was south of Brisbane). However, over-inflated prices for real estate and other goods and services led to the nickname of "Gold Coast" from 1950.[27][28][29][30][31] South Coast locals initially considered the name "Gold Coast" derogatory.[32][33] However, soon the "Gold Coast" simply became a convenient way to refer to the holiday strip from Southport toCoolangatta.[34][35][36][37][38] The Town of South Coast was formed through the amalgamation ofTown of Coolangatta andTown of Southport along with the coastal areas (such as Burleigh Heads) from theShire of Nerang on 17 June 1949,[39] with the effect of having the present-day Gold Coast coastal strip as a single local government area. As the tourism industry grew into the 1950s, local businesses began to adopt the termGold Coast in their names, and on 23 October 1958 theTown of South Coast was renamedTown of Gold Coast.[40] The area was proclaimed a city, less than one year later on 16 May 1959.[41]
In 2007, the Gold Coast overtook the population ofNewcastle, New South Wales, to become the sixth largest city in Australia and the largest non-capital city.[43]
In the2016 census, the urban area of the Gold Coast had a population of 540,559 people.[45] According to the2016 census, the population of the Gold Coast including rural areas was 569,997. The median age was 39 years old, 1 year older than the nationwide median. The male-to-female ratio was 48.6-to-51.4.[46] The most commonly nominated ancestries were English (29.3%), Australian (22.5%), Irish (8.2%), Scottish (7.5%), and German (3.6%). 64% of people were born in Australia, while the other most common countries of birth were New Zealand (7.9%), England (5.2%), China and South Africa (1.2% each), and Japan (0.7%). Indigenous Australians accounted for 1.7% of the population.[46] The most commonly spoken languages other than English were Mandarin (1.6%), Japanese (1.0%), Korean and Spanish (0.6% each), and Cantonese (0.5%).[citation needed]
According to the Australian Official Census in 2021, the most common religious affiliations in Gold Coast reported were none (43.4%), Catholic (18.2%), Anglican (11.9%), Uniting Church (2.9%), Non-denominational Christian (3.1%), Presbyterian and Reformed (1.9%), Buddhism (1.4%), Pentecostal (1.3%), Baptist (1.1%), Hinduism (1.1%) and Islam (1.0%).[47]
The Gold Coast is approximately half covered by forests of various types. This includes small patches of near-pristine ancient rainforest, mangrove-covered islands, and patches of coastal heathlands and farmland with areas of uncleared eucalyptus forest. Of the plantation pine forests that were planted in the 1950s and 1960s, when commercial forest planting for tax minimisation was encouraged by the Commonwealth government, tiny remnants remain.[48] Most of the Gold Coast area was covered by forest prior to European human settlement and extensive land clearing in the 19th century.[citation needed]
The southernmost town of Gold Coast City,Coolangatta, includesPoint Danger and itslighthouse. Coolangatta is a twin city withTweed Heads located directly across the NSW border. At28°10′00″S153°33′00″E / 28.1667°S 153.55°E /-28.1667; 153.55, this is the most easterly point on the Queensland mainland (Point Lookout on the offshore island ofNorth 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 ofSouthport andSurfers Paradise form the Gold Coast's commercial centre. The major river in the area is theNerang River. Much of the land between the coastal strip and the hinterland were oncewetlands drained by this river, but the swamps have been converted into man-made waterways (over 260 kilometres (160 mi) in length[49] or over 9 times the length of the canals ofVenice, Italy) and artificial islands covered in upmarket homes. The heavily developed coastal strip sits on a narrow barriersandbar between these waterways and the sea.[citation needed]
To the west, the city borders a part of theGreat Dividing Range commonly referred to as theGold Coast hinterland. A 206 km2 (80 sq mi) section of the mountain range is protected byLamington National Park and has been listed as aWorld Heritage area in recognition of its "outstanding geological features displayed around shield volcanic craters and the high number of rare and threatened rainforest species".[50] The area attractsbushwalkers and day-trippers. Important rainforest pollinating and seed-dispersing Black flying foxes (Pteropus alecto) are found in the area and may be heard foraging at night.[51]
The City of Gold Coast includes suburbs, localities, towns andrural districts.
The declaration of Southport as a Priority Development Area (PDA) and new investment into the CBD is driving transformative change and creating new business and investment opportunities.[citation needed]
Waterfront canal living is a feature of the Gold Coast. Most canal frontage homes have pontoons. TheGold Coast Seaway, betweenThe Spit andSouth Stradbroke Island, allows vessels direct access to the Pacific Ocean fromThe Broadwater and many of the city's canal estates. Breakwaters on either side of the Seaway preventlongshore drift and the bar from silting up. A sand pumping operation on the Spit pipes sand under the Seaway to continue this natural process.[citation needed]
Residential canals were first built in the Gold Coast in the 1950s and construction continues. Most canals are extensions to the Nerang River, but there are more to the south alongTallebudgera Creek andCurrumbin Creek and to the north along theGold Coast Broadwater,South Stradbroke Island,Coomera River and southern Moreton Bay. Early canals included Florida Gardens andIsle of Capri which were under construction at the time of a 1954 flood.[52] Recently constructed canals include Harbour Quays and Riverlinks completed in 2007. There are over 890 kilometres (550 mi) of constructed residential waterfront land within the city that is home to over 80,000 residents.[citation needed]
There are also beaches along many of the Gold Coast's 860 km (530 mi) of navigable tidal waterways. Popular inland beaches includeSouthport, Budds Beach, Marine Stadium,Currumbin Alley, Tallebudgera Estuary, Jacobs Well, Jabiru Island, Paradise Point, Harley Park Labrador, Santa Barbara, Boykambil and Evandale Lake.[53]
Burleigh Heads beach with Surfers Paradise skyline visible on the horizon
Beach safety and management
The Gold Coast has Australia's largest[54] professionalsurf lifesaving service to protect people on the beaches and to promote surf safety throughout the community. TheQueensland Department of Primary Industries carries out the Queensland Shark Control Program (SCP) to protect swimmers from sharks.[55] Sharks are caught by using nets and baited drumlines off the major swimming beaches. Even with the SCP, sharks do range within sight of thepatrolled beaches.Lifeguards will clear swimmers from the water if it is considered that there is a safety risk.[citation needed]
Gold Coast beaches have experienced periods of severebeach erosion. In 1967, a series of 11 cyclones removed most of the sand from Gold Coast beaches. TheGovernment of Queensland engaged engineers fromDelft University in the Netherlands to advise what to do about the beach erosion. The Delft Report[56] was published in 1971 and outlined a series of works for Gold Coast Beaches includingGold Coast Seaway,[57] works atNarrow Neck that resulted in the Northern Gold Coast Beach Protection Strategy[58] and works at theTweed River that became theTweed River Entrance Sand Bypassing Project.[59]
The Gold Coast experiences ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classificationCfa/Cwa), with mild to warm winters and hot, humid summers. The city experiences substantial summer precipitation mostly concentrated in thunderstorms and heavy showers with rain events occasionally lasting up to a few weeks at a time,[64] while winter is pleasantly mild to warm with little rain. In fact, it is for this pleasant winter weather that both the city and theSunshine Coast—the coastal region north of Brisbane—are internationally renowned.[citation needed] Extreme temperatures recorded atGold Coast Seaway have ranged from 2.5 °C (36 °F) on 19 July 2007 to 40.5 °C (105 °F) on 22 February 2005, although the city rarely experiences temperatures above 35 °C (95 °F) in summer or below 5 °C (41 °F) in winter.[65] The average temperature of the sea atSurfers Paradise ranges from 21.5 °C (70.7 °F) in July and August to 27.1 °C (80.8 °F) in February.[66]
Administratively, the Gold Coast is a local government area called theCity of Gold Coast. The City of Gold Coast Council has 14 elected councillors, each representing a division of the city. Businessman Tom Tate is the currentMayor of the Gold Coast, first elected in 2012. Former mayors includeRon Clake, Gary Baildon,Lex Bell,Ray Stevens, Ern Harley andSir Bruce Small, who was responsible for the development of many of the canal estates that are now home to thousands of Gold Coast residents.[citation needed]
Politically, the Gold Coast has often tilted conservative.[70] It was aCountry Party bastion for most of the first three decades after World War II, but increasing urbanisation has made it aLiberal stronghold.Labor has historically only done well around Labrador and Coolangatta. Only one Labor MP has ever represented a significant portion of the Gold Coast at the federal level since 1949; the three Gold Coast divisions have only returned Liberals since 1984. At the state level, Labor was fairly competitive in the Gold Coast for most of the early part of the 21st century. However, as part of its massive landslide in the2012 state election, theLiberal National Party won every seat there. The LNP repeated its sweep of the Gold Coast seats at the2015 election, and retained all but one Gold Coast seat at the2017 state election.[citation needed]
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 higherSupreme Court of Queensland which is located in Brisbane. There is also a subsidiary Magistrates Court, located at the southern suburb ofCoolangatta.[citation needed]
In fifty years, Gold Coast City has grown from a small beachside holiday destination to Australia's sixth largest city (and the country's most populous non-capital city). Situated within South East Queensland's growth corridor, the Gold Coast is one of Australia's fastest growing large cities, with a 5-year annual average population growth rate to 2015 of 1.8%, compared to 1.5% nationally.[72] Gross Regional Product has risen from A$9.7 billion in 2001, to A$15.6 billion in 2008, a rise of 61 percent.[73] Tourism remains fundamental to Gold Coast City's economy, with almost 10 million visitors a year to the area.[74] 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 theCity of Gold Coast 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).[75] The declaration of Southport as theGold Coast central business district (CBD) and a Priority Development Area (PDA), as well as new investment into the CBD, is driving transformative change and creating new business and investment opportunities.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast Economic Development Strategy 2013–2023[76] outlines the framework for the city's long-term growth and prosperity. The strategy outlines actions in the following areas, Innovation, Culture, Infrastructure, Competitive business, Workforce, International.
The Gold Coast is the most popular tourist destination in Queensland.[77] It is Australia's 5th most visited destination by international tourists.[78] Around 10 million tourists visit the Gold Coast area every year consisting of 849,114 international visitors, 3,468,000 domestic overnight visitors and 5,366,000 daytrip visitors. Tourism is the region's biggest industry,[79] directly contributing more than $4.4 billion into the city economy every year and directly accounting for one in four jobs in the city[80] There are approximately 65,000 beds, 60 kilometres (37 mi) of beach, 600 kilometres (370 mi) of canal, 100,000 hectares of nature reserve, 500 restaurants, 40 golf courses and five major theme parks in the city.[citation needed]
Since the opening of what was then the world's highest residential tower in 2005 (it is now the 17th highest), theQ1 building has been a destination for tourists and locals alike. It is the second highest public vantage point in theSouthern Hemisphere after theEureka Tower in Melbourne. The observation deck at level 77 is the highest of its kind inQueensland and offers views in all directions, fromBrisbane toByron Bay. It towers over theSurfers Paradise skyline, with the observation deck 230 metres (750 feet) high, and the spire extending nearly another hundred metres up. In total, the Q1 is 322.5 metres (1,058 feet) high, making it thetallest building in Australia. Another famous tourist attraction are theSurfers Paradise Meter Maids, instituted in 1965 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.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast is the major film production hub in Queensland and has accounted for 75%[82] of all film production in Queensland since the 1990s, with an expenditure of around $150 million per year. The Gold Coast is the third largest film production centre in Australia, behind Sydney and Melbourne.[citation needed]
Village Roadshow Studios are adjacent to the Warner Bros Movie World Theme Park atOxenford. The Studios consists of eight sound stages, production offices, editing rooms, wardrobe, construction workshops, water tanks and commissary. These sound 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. 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.[85]
The Gold Coast's culture has been affected by rapid development and traditional marketing programs orbiting around 'sun, sand, surf and sex.'[86]
Despite rapid socio-economic changes and a tourist-centred image, there is evidence of local resident-driven culture (such assurf gangs) in geographical pockets and a broader 'Gold Coaster' identity drawn fromglobalised resort and real estate marketing material.[87] The Gold Coast hosts cultural activities that attract tourists and residents alike.[citation needed]
The two most popular sports on the Gold Coast areAustralian rules football andrugby league,[89] of which the city is represented by professional teams in two most popular national competitions:
Recreational activities on the Gold Coast include surfing, fishing, cycling, boating and golf. The Gold Coast area has numerousgolf links, includingHope Island,Sanctuary Cove and The Glades.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast has garnered a reputation as a "sporting graveyard", as many of the professional clubs that have represented the Gold Coast in national leagues since the 1980s experience generally poor on-field performances, consistently struggle to support themselves financially, and have generally folded within a decade of being founded; as of 2019 no Gold Coast-based team has won a premiership in a national professional club competition.[90][91][92]
The Gold Coast hosted the2018 Commonwealth Games, an internationalmulti-sport event for members of theCommonwealth, held between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was the fifth time Australia had hosted theCommonwealth Games and the first time a major multi-sport event achievedgender equality by having an equal number of events for male and female athletes.[93] More than 4,400 athletes, including 300 para-athletes, from 71 Commonwealth Games Associations took part in the event.[94]
Gold Coast will be one of the three zones for the2032 Summer Olympics and2032 Summer Paralympics in Brisbane to use the venues as the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The Gold Coast Zone will have seven venues, and will host nine Olympic and six Paralympic sports. TheGold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre will be used for the preliminary Volleyball along with Powerlifting and Sitting Volleyball during the Paralympics.Broadbeach Park Stadium will host Beach Volleyball for Olympics as well in the Football 5-a-side in the Paralympics. TheGold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre will be used for Judo and Wrestling in the Olympics and Boccia in the Paralympics.Southport Broadwater Parklands to be used for Triathlon and Marathon Swimming in the Olympics and will be used for Paratriathlon in the Paralympics.Coomera Indoor Sports Centre will host the Volleyball for the Olympics and will be used for Wheelchair Rugby in the Paralympics. TheRobina Stadium will host the preliminary football matches. TheCarrara Stadium could potentially host the Cricket matches if the IOC approves cricket in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.[108]
TheGold Coast 500 (formerly known as the Gold Coast 600 &Gold Coast Indy 300) is a car racing event held annually, usually in October. TheSurfers Paradise Street Circuit through the streets ofSurfers Paradise andMain Beach. The Gold Coast 500 typically is accompanied by a range of on and off track events such as the Indy Undie Ball, Miss Indy Competition and the King of Burleigh HillBilly cart Race which take place in the week prior to and/or during the race weekend. Formerly anIndyCar event,V8 Supercars are now the headline attraction, using a shorter track route, as the circuit was limited following the construction of theGold Coast Light Rail as the Light Rail line replaced the northbound traffic lanes on Surfers Paradise Boulevard which was previously used as the southern section of the street circuit.[citation needed]
Each June, Coolangatta hostsCooly Rocks On, a two-week 1950s and 1960s nostalgia festival with free entertainment and attractions, includinghot rods, restored cars and revival bands playing music of the era. Every July, more than 25,000 congregate on the Gold Coast from around the world to participate in theGold Coast Marathon. It is also the largest annual community sporting event held on the Gold Coast. In 2015, it will be held on 4–5 July and the 37th Gold Coast Airport Marathon is set to motivate and challenge more than 25,000 people of all ages and abilities. TheGold Coast Airport Marathon will feature an event for all ages and abilities, including the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon,Southern Cross University 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) Challenge, and Junior Dash over 4 and 2 kilometres (2.5 and 1.2 mi).[citation needed]
In AugustCurrumbin hosts the annual half distance Challenge Gold Coast triathlon, with the 1.9 km swim taking place in the Currumbin River, the 90 km bike going through the Currumbin andTallebudgera Valleys in the Hinterland, and the 21.1 km run going along the beach to Elephant Rock andTugun.[109]
Late November to early December sees thousands of school leavers across the country descend on the Gold Coast forSchoolies week, a two-week period of celebration and parties throughout Surfers Paradise, hosted by theCity of Gold Coast. The event is often criticised nationally and locally for its portrayal of drinking and acts of violence, however every effort by theQueensland Police Service 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.[citation needed]
Early each year the Gold Coast hosts one leg of theASP World Tour of surfing, where some of the world's best surfers compete in theQuiksilver Pro at Coolangatta.[citation needed]
Home of the Arts, 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.[citation needed]
Chinatown, Gold Coast, located in Southport, hosts the annual citywide Lunar New Year festival as well as regular monthly events.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast straddles the boundary between the television licence areas of both Brisbane (metropolitan) and Northern NSW (regional): the Brisbane primary channels areSeven'sBTQ,Nine'sQTQ and10'sTVQ, while the regional affiliates areSeven'sNEN,Nine'sNBN and10'sNRN.[citation needed]
Of the main metropolitan and regional commercial networks:
Nine News produces a half-hour local bulletin at 5:30pm on weeknights, broadcasting from studios inSurfers Paradise. The bulletin airs as an opt-out on the metropolitan station (QTQ9) ahead of the main 6 pm news from Brisbane.[citation needed]
Seven News produced a local half-hour bulletin at 5:30pm on weeknights from studios in Surfers Paradise until 21 November 2024. The network retains a newsroom to cover the Gold Coast for its state and national bulletins.[110]
NBN airsNBN News, an hour-long regional program combining regional, national and international news – including local opt-outs for the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers – every night at 6pm. It broadcasts from studios inNewcastle with reporters based in Lismore and Surfers Paradise.[citation needed]
Network 10 airs short local news updates for the Gold Coast/Lismore district throughout the day from theWIN Television studios in Wollongong.
Electricity for the Gold Coast is sourced from Powerlink Queensland at bulk supply substations which is provided via theNational Electricity Market from an interconnected multi-State power system. The Government-owned electricity corporationEnergex 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.[citation needed]
TheHinze Dam 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Nerang is the population's main water supply. TheLittle Nerang Dam which feeds intoHinze Dam can supplement part of the city area's water needs, and both are managed by the city council directorateGold Coast Water. Reforms of the way in which thewater 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.City of Gold Coast also sources water fromWivenhoe Dam, west of Brisbane for northern suburbs when the Hinze Dam, at one-tenth of Wivenhoe's capacity, becomes low.[citation needed]
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.[112]
Gold Coast Water has the capacity to supply up to 133 megalitres of desalinated water per day.[113]
The car is the dominant mode of transport in the Gold Coast, with over 70% of people using it as their sole mode of travelling to work.[114] The Gold Coast has an extensive network of arterial roads that link coastal suburbs with inland suburbs. In recent years, local and state governments have invested money in transport infrastructure on the Gold Coast to combat the increasing congestion on many of the city's roads. The Gold Coast has an extensive public transport network that includes buses, heavy rail and light rail for commuting to work, visiting attractions, and travelling to other destinations.[citation needed]
A number of major roads connect the Gold Coast with Brisbane, New South Wales, and the surrounding areas. ThePacific Motorway (M1) is the main motorway in the area. Beginning at theLogan Motorway (M6) in Brisbane, it travels through the inland Gold Coast region and links with thePacific Highway at the New South Wales/Queensland border nearTweed Heads. The Pacific Motorway is part of theBrisbane toSydney corridor. Before theTugun Bypass was completed in 2008, the motorway ended atTugun. TheGold 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 atHelensvale. Other arterial roads include theSmith Street Motorway which connects Southport, Gold Coast's CBD with theM1 inParkwood. Other major roads include Reedy Creek Road,Nerang–Broadbeach Road,Robina Parkway andSouthport–Burleigh Road.[citation needed]
The Gold Coast's light rail service is calledG:link, a 20 km (12 mi) line betweenHelensvale andBroadbeach that also connects the key activity centres ofSouthport andSurfers Paradise. The G:link was opened in 2014 between Broadbeach and Southport, with an extension to Helensvale completed in 2017 in preparation for the2018 Commonwealth Games.[115]
Kinetic Gold Coast[117][118] operates all public passenger services in the city under contract byTranslink which coordinates the public transport network inSouth East Queensland. Services are frequent during the day, with intervals being as little as 5 minutes. Kinetic operates over a fleet of over 400 buses operating on over 70 lines covering the entire city.[citation needed]
The main International Airport,Gold Coast Airport is located in Coolangatta, approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi) south of Surfers Paradise. Services are provided to interstate capitals and major cities as well as to major New Zealand cities, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore.[citation needed] In 2019, it was thesixth busiest airport in Australia.[119]
The Gold Coast's real estate market is one of the most dynamic in Australia, characterised by a combination of coastal luxury properties, residential developments, and investment opportunities. According to data from SQM Research,[124] the region has experienced significant property value growth in recent years, with both the median house and unit prices showing strong upward trends. The market's appeal is driven by its lifestyle offerings, proximity to major cities like Brisbane, and ongoing infrastructure improvements.[citation needed]
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