City of Gold Coast

Last updated

City of Gold Coast
Queensland
GoldCoastCity-QldLGA.svg
Location within South East Queensland
Gold Coast City Council crest.png
City of Gold Coast Coat of Arms
City of Gold Coast
Population606,774 (2018) [1]  (2nd)
 • Density454.85/km2 (1,178.1/sq mi)
Established1948
Area1,334 km2 (515.1 sq mi) [1]
Mayor Tom Tate
Council seat Surfers Paradise
Region South East Queensland
State electorate(s) Bonney, Broadwater, Burleigh, Coomera, Currumbin, Gaven, Mermaid Beach, Mudgeeraba, Southport, Surfers Paradise, Theodore
Federal division(s) Fadden, Forde, McPherson, Moncrieff, Wright
Coucillor-crest-logo.png
Website City of Gold Coast
LGAs around City of Gold Coast:
Logan Redland Redland
Scenic Rim City of Gold Coast Coral Sea (Pacific Ocean)
Tweed (NSW) Tweed (NSW) Coral Sea (Pacific Ocean)

The City of Gold Coast is the local government area spanning the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and surrounding areas. With a population of 606,774, [1] it is the second most populous local government area in the State of Queensland (City of Brisbane being the largest). [1] Its council maintains a staff of over 2,500. It was established in 1948, but has existed in its present form since 2008. It is on the border with New South Wales with the Tweed Shire to the south in New South Wales. [2]

Contents

History

Early history

Southport Pier, 1910 Southport Pier 1910 Photographer unknown.jpg
Southport Pier, 1910

By the late 1870s, the Government of Queensland had become preoccupied with the idea of getting local residents to pay through rates for local services, which had become a massive cost to the colony and were undermaintained in many areas. The McIlwraith government initiated the Divisional Boards Act 1879 which created a system of elected divisional boards covering most of Queensland. It was assented by the Governor on 2 October 1879, and on 11 November 1879, the Governor gazetted a list of 74 divisions which would come into existence. Four of these — Nerang, Coomera, Beenleigh and Waterford — were in the Gold Coast region. Southport was developed as both an administrative centre as well as a holiday destination with hotels and guesthouses to cater for visitors. Town dwellers had different needs to the rural landholders so Southport ratepayers lobbied the colonial government to create a separate Divisional Board so that rates monies raised by Southport landholders could be spent on town improvements. This resulted in the establishment of the Southport Division on 14 July 1883 by an amalgamation of part of Nerang Division and part of Coomera Division.

Beach foreshore at Burleigh Heads, 1932 StateLibQld 2 65979 Esplanade at Burleigh, Queensland, Christmas 1932.jpg
Beach foreshore at Burleigh Heads, 1932

On 31 March 1903, following the enactment of the Local Authorities Act 1902, the divisions became shires. On 12 June 1914, the Town of Coolangatta was created from part of the Shire of Nerang, and on 12 April 1918, Southport became a town. [3]

Development and growth

Aerial view looking towards Coolangatta, c. 1952 StateLibQld 1 253530 Aerial view looking towards Point Danger, Coolangatta, ca. 1952.jpg
Aerial view looking towards Coolangatta, c. 1952

On 9 December 1948, as part of a major reorganisation of local government in South East Queensland, an Order in Council created the Town of South Coast by amalgamating Town of Southport, Town of Coolangatta and coastal sections (around Burleigh Heads) of the Shire of Nerang, creating a narrow coastal strip. The same Order abolished all of the earlier Shires and amalgamated most of their area into the new Shire of Albert, with the rest becoming part of the Shire of Beaudesert. The Order came into effect on 10 June 1949, when the first elections were held for the new councils.

On 23 October 1958, the Town of the South Coast adopted the name of Town of Gold Coast, and on 16 May 1959, the Town was proclaimed as the City of Gold Coast by the Governor of Queensland, having met the requirements for city status. Most of what is now regarded as the Gold Coast urban area was at that time located within the Shire of Albert, which had its administrative offices in Nerang-Southport Road, Nerang.

A regional authority

On 19 March 1992, the Electoral and Administrative Review Commission, created two years earlier, produced its report External Boundaries of Local Authorities, and recommended a number of changes to local government boundaries and the amalgamation of some local governments. [4] Although their recommendations only included boundary adjustments between the Gold Coast City and Albert Shire, the outcome following much public debate was a decision by the Queensland Government to absorb Albert Shire into Gold Coast City. The Local Government (Albert, Beaudesert and Gold Coast) Regulation 1994 was gazetted on 16 December 1994, resulting in the amalgamation of the Shire of Albert into Gold Coast City at the 1995 local government elections.

In 2007, as part of a report recommending massive amalgamation of local government in Queensland, the Local Government Reform Commission recommended that the Beenleigh-Eagleby region on the Gold Coast's northern border be transferred to Logan City, on the basis that a common community of interest existed and that planning of the South East Queensland urban footprint would be made more efficient by the change. The area to be excised was estimated by the Commission to have an area of 49 km2 (18.9 sq mi) and a population of 40,148. The change took effect at the local government elections on 15 March 2008.

Heritage listings

The Gold Coast has many heritage-listed sites, including those at:

Suburbs and localities

Council

Gold Coast City Council
Leadership
Donna Gates, Independent
Structure
Seats15 elected representatives, including a mayor and 14 councillors
GCCC2024.png
Political groups
  •   Independent LNP (8)
  •   Independent (7)
Elections
Last election
 16 March 2024

Gold Coast City Council is divided into 14 wards (known as divisions), each electing one councillor at elections held every four years. The present mayor is Tom Tate who was first elected on 28 April 2012 and re-elected in 2016, 2020 and 2024. [5] [6] [7]

Current composition

The current council, elected in 2024, is:

WardCouncillorParty
Mayor   Tom Tate Independent LNP
Division 1 Mark Hammel Independent
Division 2 Naomi Fowler Independent LNP
Division 3 Donna Gates Independent
Division 4 Shelley Curtis Independent LNP
Division 5 Peter Young Independent
Division 6 Brooke Patterson Independent LNP
Division 7 Joe Wilkinson Independent LNP
Division 8  Bob La Castra Independent LNP
Division 9 Glenn Tozer Independent
Division 10 Darren Taylor Independent LNP
Division 11  Dan Doran Independent LNP
Division 12 Nick Marshall Independent
Division 13 Josh Martin Independent
Division 14 Gail O’Neill Independent

Past councillors

2016−present

YearDiv 1Div 2Div 3Div 4Div 5Div 6Div 7Div 8Div 9Div 10Div 11Div 12Div 13Div 14
CouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillorCouncillor
2016  Donna Gates (Ind.) William Owen Jones (Ind. LNP)  Cameron Caldwell (Ind. LNP) Kristyn Boulton (Ind.) Peter Young (Ind.) Dawn Crichlow (Ind.)  Gary Baildon (Ind.)  Bob La Castra (Ind. LNP) Glenn Tozer (Ind. LNP/Ind.) Paul Taylor (Ind. LNP) Hermann Vorster (Ind. LNP) Pauline Young (Ind.) Daphne McDonald (Ind.) Gail O'Neill (Ind.)
2020  Mark Hammel (Ind.) Donna Gates (Ind.)  Cameron Caldwell (Ind. LNP) Brooke Patterson (Ind. LNP)  Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden (Ind. LNP) Darren Taylor (Ind. LNP)
2020 
2024  Naomi Fowler (Ind. LNP) Shelley Curtis (Ind. LNP) Joe Wilkinson (Ind. LNP)  Dan Doran (Ind. LNP) Nick Marshall (Ind.) Josh Martin (Ind.)

Election results

2024

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2024 Queensland local elections § Gold Coast.[ edit ]
2024 Queensland local elections: Gold Coast
PartyVotes %SwingSeatsChange
  Independent LNP
  Independent
  Independent UAP 0Steady2.svg
  Animal Justice 0Steady2.svg

2020

Population

Beach foreshore at Steiglitz, 2014 Cabbage Tree Point foreshore.jpg
Beach foreshore at Steiglitz, 2014
Highrises at Broadbeach, 2008 Gold Coast (6616534707).jpg
Highrises at Broadbeach, 2008

Populations are provided below for the Gold Coast (Southport/Coolangatta, South Coast, Gold Coast) and Albert entities. As Albert included the entire Logan City area prior to 1978, figures are only provided from the 1976 census.

YearPopulation
(Gold Coast)		Annual
growth (%)		Population
(Albert)		Annual
growth (%)
19336,046N/A
194713,8886.12
195419,8075.20
196133,7167.90
196649,4817.976,437N/A
197166,6976.1510,1659.57
197687,5105.5824,26819.01
1981117,8246.1354,87017.72
1986130,3042.0392,76611.07
1991157,8573.91143,6979.15
YearPopulationAnnual
growth (%)
1991301,5546.21
1996375,1754.47
2001441,7363.32
2006507,8762.83
2011494,501Beenleigh left in deamalgamation
2016551,7212.49

Demographics

Selected historical census data for City of Gold Coast local government area
Census year2001 [8] 2006 [9] 2011 [10] 2016 [11]
PopulationEstimated residents on census night 426,661472,279494,501555,721
LGA rank in terms of size within Queensland2ndSteady2.svg 2ndSteady2.svg 2nd
% of Queensland population11.9%Increase2.svg 12.1%Decrease2.svg 11.41%Increase2.svg 11.82%
% of Australian population2.27%Increase2.svg 2.38%Decrease2.svg 2.3%Increase2.svg 2.38%
Dwelling structure
Dwelling type Separate house 58.5%Increase2.svg 58.9%Increase2.svg 60.4%Decrease2.svg 58.3%
Semi-detached, terrace or townhouse 16.0%Increase2.svg 16.6%Increase2.svg 18.8%Increase2.svg 20.6%
Flat or apartment 22.1%Increase2.svg 22.6%Decrease2.svg 19.6%Increase2.svg 19.9%

Libraries

Palm Beach Community Lounge Palm Beach Community Lounge.jpeg
Palm Beach Community Lounge

The first municipal library on the Gold Coast opened in the Southport Town Hall on 30 April 1958. Prior to this, a series of School of arts and private circulating libraries had supported the communities' and visitors' recreational and educational reading needs. [12]

The City of Gold Coast has 12 libraries at Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Coolangatta, Elanora, Helensvale, Mermaid Waters, Nerang, Palm Beach, Robina, Runaway Bay, Southport and Upper Coomera. [13] There is a special needs library within Nerang Library [14] and a Local Studies Library (on the first floor of Southport Library). [15] The council also operate a mobile library service. [13]

In 2018, the mobile library provides a fortnight service to Alberton, Ashmore, Benowa, Bonogin, Cedar Creek, Coomera, Currumbin Valley, Gilston, Jacobs Well, Mudgeeraba, Ormeau (4 visits), Paradise Point, Pimpama (3 visits), Tugun, Steiglitz, Tallebudgera Valley, and Woongoolba. [16] The Gold Coast City Library is a member of the Queensland Public Libraries Association. [17]


Key projects

Hinze Dam was upgraded in 2011 Hinze Dam - Gold Coast.JPG
Hinze Dam was upgraded in 2011

Notable personnel

Notable people who work for or who have worked for the City of Gold Coast include:

International relations

The City of Gold Coast has relationships with the following cities: [22]

Sister City Agreements

Other Partnerships

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Coast, Queensland</span> Australian coastal city

The Gold Coast, often referred to by its initials G.C., is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is Australia’s sixth-largest city, the most populous non-capital city, and the state's second-largest city after Brisbane, with a population over 600,000. The Gold Coast is a coastal city and region located approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of the state capital, Brisbane. The city's central business district is located roughly in the centre of the Gold Coast in the suburb of Southport. 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 with New South Wales to the south. Nicknames of the city include the ‘Glitter Strip’ and the ‘Goldy’. The demonym of a Gold Coast resident is Gold Coaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nerang, Queensland</span> Suburb of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Nerang is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Nerang had a population of 16,864 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral district of Albert</span> Electoral district of Queensland, Australia

Albert was a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Queensland which existed from 1887 to 1949 and 1959 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast railway line, Queensland</span> Former railway line in Queensland, Australia

The South Coast railway line was a railway from Brisbane, the capital city of Queensland, Australia. The route via the South Coast to Tweed Heads on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. The line operated from 1889 to 1964. The Gold Coast railway line re-opened in 1996 along a modified alignment in the north and a new route south but does not extend as far south yet as the South Coast line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beaudesert Shire</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Beaudesert was a local government area located in South East Queensland, Australia, stretching from the New South Wales border, along the Gold Coast hinterland to the urban fringes of the cities of Brisbane and Ipswich. The Shire covered an area of 2,854.3 square kilometres (1,102.1 sq mi), and existed from 1879 until its abolition on 15 March 2008, following which it was split between Logan City and the new Scenic Rim Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scenic Rim Region</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Scenic Rim Region is a local government area in West Moreton region of South East Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by several previous local government areas with histories extending back to the early 1900s and beyond. The main town of the region is Beaudesert.

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. When created in 1948, it was primarily a rural area, but its growth started in earnest in the late 1960s with the development of Logan on Brisbane's southern frontier. After the separate creation of Logan as a shire in 1978, Albert lost most of its population and became more centred upon the Gold Coast, which experienced a massive period of growth from then until the Shire's amalgamation with the City of Gold Coast in 1995.

The Shire of Tingalpa was a local government area in the south-eastern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from Mount Cotton, covered an area of 120 square miles (311 km2), and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1949.

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 current Mayor is Tom Tate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilston, Queensland</span> Suburb of City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Gilston is a rural residential locality in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Gilston had a population of 2,459 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Beenleigh</span> Former local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Beenleigh is a former local government area in the south-east of Queensland, Australia, centred on the town of Beenleigh. It existed from 1879 to 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Cleveland</span>

The Shire of Cleveland is a former local government area in the south-east of Queensland, Australia, centred on the town of Cleveland beside Moreton Bay.

The Shire of Waterford is a former local government area in the south-east of Queensland, Australia, centred on the town of Waterford. It existed between 1879 and 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Coomera</span> Local government area in South East Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Coomera was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from Coomera, existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Nerang</span>

The Shire of Nerang was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia. The shire existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 1949.

The Shire of Tamborine was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia, centred on the village of Tamborine. It existed from 1890 to 1949.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Town of Southport</span>

The Town of Southport was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Town of Coolangatta</span>

The Town of Coolangatta was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia, centred on Coolangatta. It existed from 1914 to 1949.

The Town of South Coast was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia.

The following is a timeline of history of the city of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017–18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
  2. ↑ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "SOUTHPORT A TOWN". Daily Standard (Brisbane, Qld. : 1912 – 1936). 13 April 1918. p. 7. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "External Boundaries of Local Authorities" (PDF). Electoral and Administrative Review Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  5. ↑ "2020 Gold Coast City Council - Mayoral Election". July 2019. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "2012 Gold Coast City – Mayoral Election – Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 1 April 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "2016 Gold Coast City Council – Mayoral Election – Election Summary". results.ecq.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 21 March 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  8. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (9 March 2006). "Gold Coast (C)". 2001 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 December 2019. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  9. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Gold Coast (C)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  10. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Gold Coast(C)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 December 2019. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  11. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Gold Coast(C)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 December 2019. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  12. ↑ "Public Libraries on the Gold Coast". Gold Coast Stories. 28 May 2018. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Libraries". City of Gold Coast. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "Libraries". Special Needs Library. City of Gold Coast. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  15. ↑ "Libraries". Local Studies Library. City of Gold Coast. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  16. ↑ "Mobile Library 2018 timetable" (PDF). Gold Coast City Council . Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  17. ↑ Queensland Public Libraries Association: Membership Archived 14 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "The evolution of the Gold Coast's bold new Home Of The Arts cultural precinct". NewsLeads. 28 May 2021. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "Australia Day 2013 Honours List". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 January 2013. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  20. ↑ "Filipino awarded with Australian public service medal". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  21. ↑ "Australia Day 2013 Honour List, p.396" (PDF). Governor-General of Australia website. 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  22. ↑ "Sister cities and international partnerships". City of Gold Coast. Archived from the original on 13 February 2015.
  23. ↑ "Alliance Cities | City of Tainan, Taiwan". www.tainan.gov.tw. 9 May 2011.
  24. ↑ "International Sister Cities | City of Taipei, Taiwan". www.tcc.gov.
  25. ↑ "Sister Cities | City of Fort Lauderdale, FL". www.fortlauderdale.gov. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  26. ↑ "Les villes jumelles". Ville de Nouméa (in French). Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  27. ↑ "ערים תאומות". netanya.muni.il (in Hebrew). Netanya. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2020.

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