Gold Coast Broadwater

Gold Coast Broadwater
Gold Coast Broadwater
Southport Broadwater, ; Gold Coast Harbour, and The Broadwater
	View from a helicopter over Southport across the Broadwater to Main Beach and the Pacific Ocean beyond, 2006
	Gold Coast Broadwater Location of the Broadwater in Queensland
Location	Gold Coast, South East Queensland
Coordinates	27°57′57″S153°25′16″E / 27.96583°S 153.42111°E
Part of	Moreton Bay Marine Park
River sources	Coomera, Nerang, and Pimpama Rivers; Loders, Biggera, Behm, and Wasp Creeks
Primary outflows	Jumpinpin Bar (north); Gold Coast Seaway (south);
Ocean/sea sources	South Pacific Ocean ; Coral Sea ;
Basin countries	Australia
Average depth	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Max. depth	9 m (30 ft)
Salinity	33 ppt
Surface elevation	2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Frozen	never
Islands	Crab, Ephraim, Wave Break
Settlements	Gold Coast
References

Last updated September 22, 2023

The Gold Coast Broadwater, also known as Southport Broadwater, Gold Coast Harbour and The Broadwater, is a large shallow estuary of water located in the Gold Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The estuary reaches from the locality of Southport in the south, to the southern section of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Moreton Bay in the north. Separated via the Seaway from the Coral Sea by a thin strip of land called Stradbroke Island, the original body of water was a lagoon created from water deposited from the Nerang River. Part of the Broadwater is contained within the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

Location and features

Looking north over the Broadwater GoldCoastDawn.jpg — Looking north over the Broadwater

The entrance of the Nerang River was at Main Beach in the late 19th century but by the 1980s had moved about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) northwards. The Seaway was completed in 1986 to stabilise the location of the Nerang River Entrance. Its construction has allowed greater tidal flows. This has created a larger tidal range within the Broadwater with lower low tides.^[2] Towards the northern end of the broadwater the Pimpama River enters. The broadwater is very large and contains lots of species of marine life.^{[ citation needed ]} Gold Coast Ferries operates a number of services across the waterway. Curlew Island, a popular habitat for bird species including the Far Eastern curlew, emerged from the Broadwater over the last four decades.^[3]

The Broadwater has undergone dramatic changes since the 1970s including the construction of an extensive number and network of artificial waterways that account for up to 90% of Australia's canal estates. Positioned in one of the fastest growing regions in the developed world, urbanisation surrounding the Broadwater is expected to continue. The region has important biodiversity values that have led to areas of the Broadwater listed as an international Ramsar site and inclusion to international migratory bird arrangements. The Broadwater provides a vital function in the provision of feeding, spawning and nursery sites for recreationally and commercially important finfish species.^[1]

The Broadwater catchment includes a number of watercourses including the Logan/Albert, Coomera, Pimpama and Nerang Rivers. Creeks such as the Loders, Biggera and Behm and Wasp also flow into the estuary.^[4]

The most common seagrass species in the body of water is Zostera muelleri which grows in the shallower parts.^[5] Halophila ovalis and Halophila spinulosa are also found in the deeper waters of the Broadwater.

History

Captain Patrick Logan was the first European to discover this southern entrance to Moreton Bay.^[6] In the early 1880s the first Southport Pier was opened to the public. On 26 November 1925, the Jubilee Bridge opened to pedestrian and vehicular traffic,^[7] becoming the first bridge to be erected in the Broadwater area. The bridge provided direct access between Southport and Main Beach and offered an alternative to, and eventually replaced, the ferry services which had transported passengers from the jetty, in the vicinity of later day Barney Street, across the water at the point where the Nerang River meets the Broadwater.^[8]^[9]

In 1966-1967, the Jubilee Bridge was replaced by the Gold Coast Bridge, colloquially known as the Sundale Bridge due to its proximity to the Sundale Shopping Centre. The two bridges were on different alignments and, for a period of time, both were in place until the demolition of the earlier bridge commenced.^[10] The Jubilee Bridge was on an east-west alignment commencing at Queen Street, Southport before ending in the vicinity of the Southport Yacht Club at Main Beach on the southern bank of the Nerang River. The Gold Coast Bridge was on a north-south alignment following the path of the Gold Coast Highway. The Gold Coast Bridge has since been joined by a bridge for light rail on its western side and a pedestrian bridge on its eastern side.

Construction of the Gold Coast Seaway was undertaken between 1984 and 1986. Plans for a cruise ship terminal and resort on Wave Break Island were rejected by the Queensland Government in 2015.^[11]

On the 2 January 2023 a mid-air collision occurred between two helicopters undertaking tourist trips over the Broadwater.

Broadwaterway

The Broadwaterway is a 19-kilometre (12 mi) foreshoreway along the foreshores of the Gold Coast Broadwater. The Broadwaterway includes:

The Spit arm
the Marine Stadium,
western Spit foreshores (including Sea World, Fishing fleet, Versace Hotel, Marina Mirage, Versace Hotel, Water Police, Sea Scouts and the Southport Yacht Club)
Pelican Beach at Main Beach
Southport Broadwater Parklands
Marine Parade and Harley Park Labrador
Broadwater Esplanades of Biggera Waters, Runaway Bay and Hollywell.
Paradise Point Broadwater Parklands

Fisherman's Wharf was located on the site of the present-day Versace Hotel. A popular and regionally iconic hospitality and entertainment complex (known to locals as Fishos), Fisherman's Wharf opened in 1983 before closing in 1998.^[12]

Related Research Articles

The Gold Coast is a coastal city and region in the state of Queensland, Australia, approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of the state capital Brisbane. With a population over 600,000, the Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, the nation's largest non-capital city, and Queensland's second-largest city after Brisbane. The city's central business district is located roughly in the centre of the Gold Coast in the suburb of Southport, with the suburb holding more corporate office space than anywhere else in the city. The urban area of the Gold Coast is concentrated along the coast sprawling almost 60 kilometers, joining up with the Greater Brisbane Metropolitan Area to the north and to the state border with New South Wales to the south.

The Nerang River is a perennial river in South East Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast local government area and covers an area of 490 square kilometres (190 sq mi). The river is approximately 62 kilometres (39 mi) in length.

Main Beach is a coastal town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the suburb of Main Beach had a population of 3,883 people.

Southport is a coastal town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It contains the Gold Coast central business district. In the 2021 census, Southport had a population of 36,786 people.

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. It is located at the northern end of the Southport Spit where the Nerang River enters the Pacific Ocean. The channel was constructed between 1984 and 1986, primarily to facilitate the safe passage of sea-faring vessels. The passage was previously known as the Southport Bar. The mouth of the Nerang River was once located further south in Broadbeach. The main driving force for this movement is the northward drift of sand along the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Gold Coast</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

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, it is the second most populous local government area in the State of Queensland. 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.

The Coomera River is a perennial river in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim Region local government areas and covers an area of 489 square kilometres (189 sq mi).

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.

The Loders Creek is a stream and tidal creek which flows through the suburbs of the Gold Coast of South East Queensland, Australia. The creek is 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) long, and forms part of The Broadwater estuary catchment area.

The Pimpama River is a perennial river in the South East region of Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast local government area and covers an area of 171 square kilometres (66 sq mi).

Southport Pier is a pier spanning the Gold Coast Broadwater in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast in South East Queensland, Australia. The current pier was constructed in 2009, replacing a previous structure demolished in 1969.

Jacobs Well is a coastal suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Jacobs Well had a population of 1,839 people.

Southern Moreton Bay Islands is an island group locality in the north-east of the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Southern Moreton Bay Islands had no people.

Southport Bathing Pavilion is a heritage-listed changing rooms at Marine Parade, Southport, Gold Coast City, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Hall & Phillips and built in 1934 by A. Ledbury. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 13 January 1995.

Humphreys Boat Shed was a heritage-listed workshop and slipway at Seaworld Drive, Main Beach, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 31 August 2001, but was removed in June 2015 having been destroyed. However the remnants of the boat shed and slipway are listed on the Gold Coast Local Heritage Register.

The Jubilee Bridge (1925–1966) was a bridge across the Nerang River in South East Queensland, Australia. The bridge connected the suburbs of Southport to Main Beach on the Gold Coast, providing the first road connection to Surfers Paradise. It facilitated the development of the Gold Coast beach suburbs and holiday resorts.

The Gold Coast central business district (CBD) is the planned main commercial centre of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The area encompasses an eastern portion of the Southport suburb. Its north–south axis runs from North Street in the north to Brighton Parade in the south. Its east–west axis runs from Broadwater in the east to the High Street in the west.

The Sundale Bridge is a bridge located in the Gold Coast region of South East, Queensland, Australia. Officially known as the Gold Coast Bridge, but locally referred to as the Sundale Bridge due to its proximity to the site of the former Sundale Shopping Centre, the bridge spans the Nerang River linking the suburbs of Southport and Main Beach. Opened initially in 1966, the bridge replaced the Jubilee Bridge, and comprises four separate decks and pier structures built at various stages and for a variety of purposes.

The Chevron Island is an urban island that lies in the Nerang River and is a neighbourhood within the suburb of Surfers Paradise in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

References

1 2 3 4 5 Ryan, J. K.; Waltham, Nathan J.; Benfer, Nathan P.; King, Brian A.; Lemckert, Charles J.; Zigic, Sasha (2013). "Gold Coast Broadwater: Southern Moreton Bay, Southeast Queensland (Australia)". In Wolanski, Eric (ed.). Estuaries of Australia in 2050 and beyond. Dordrecht Springer. pp. 93–109. ISBN 978-94-007-7019-5.
↑ Gourlay, Michael R. (1996). "History of Coastal Engineering in Australia". In Kraus, Nicholas C. (ed.). History and Heritage of Coastal Engineering. ASCE Publications. p. 44. ISBN 0784474141 . Retrieved 2 October 2015.
↑ Young, Bern (17 September 2021). "Call for dog ban on Gold Coast island with critically endangered eastern curlews under threat". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
↑ "Broadwater Catchment". City of Gold Coast. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
↑ McPhee, D. (2015). "Marine environments of the Gold Coast: out with the old, in with the new". In Hundloe, Tor; McDougall, Bridgette; Page, Craig (eds.). The Gold Coast Transformed: From Wilderness to Urban Ecosystem. Csiro Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 978-1486303304. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
↑ Jensen, Jo; Barrett, Peta (1996). Patrick Logan. Moorooka, Brisbane: Future Horizon Publishing. p. 24. ISBN 0-9587622-7-9.
↑ "SOUTHPORT'S JUBILEE". Tweed Daily . Vol. XII, no. 274. New South Wales, Australia. 28 November 1925. p. 5. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2016– via National Library of Australia.
↑ "The Main Beach, Southport". Queensland Country Life . Vol. 6, no. 12. Queensland, Australia. 1 December 1905. p. 13. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2016– via National Library of Australia.
↑ Longhurst, Robert (1995). Gold Coast:Our heritage in focus. South Brisbane, Queensland: State Library of Queensland. p. 27. ISBN 0-7242-6563-5.
↑ "Aerial view of the Jubilee Bridge and the new Gold Coast Bridge crossing the Nerang River from Southport to Main Beach, Queensland, 1967". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
↑ Stevenson, Ashleigh (28 April 2015). "Gold Coast cruise terminal proponent ASF Consortium willing to negotiate Broadwater plans". ABC News . Australia. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
↑ "How we farewelled Fisherman's Wharf". Gold Coast Bulletin.

External links

Media related to The Broadwater, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

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[Wolanski-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Ryan, J. K.; Waltham, Nathan J.; Benfer, Nathan P.; King, Brian A.; Lemckert, Charles J.; Zigic, Sasha (2013). "Gold Coast Broadwater: Southern Moreton Bay, Southeast Queensland (Australia)". In Wolanski, Eric (ed.). Estuaries of Australia in 2050 and beyond. Dordrecht Springer. pp. 93–109. ISBN 978-94-007-7019-5.

[hcea-2] Gourlay, Michael R. (1996). "History of Coastal Engineering in Australia". In Kraus, Nicholas C. (ed.). History and Heritage of Coastal Engineering. ASCE Publications. p. 44. ISBN 0784474141 . Retrieved 2 October 2015.

[cfb-3] Young, Bern (17 September 2021). "Call for dog ban on Gold Coast island with critically endangered eastern curlews under threat". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 October 2021.

[broad-4] "Broadwater Catchment". City of Gold Coast. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.

[pftgc-5] McPhee, D. (2015). "Marine environments of the Gold Coast: out with the old, in with the new". In Hundloe, Tor; McDougall, Bridgette; Page, Craig (eds.). The Gold Coast Transformed: From Wilderness to Urban Ecosystem. Csiro Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 978-1486303304. Archived from the original on 23 December 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

[pl-6] Jensen, Jo; Barrett, Peta (1996). Patrick Logan. Moorooka, Brisbane: Future Horizon Publishing. p. 24. ISBN 0-9587622-7-9.

[7] "SOUTHPORT'S JUBILEE". Tweed Daily . Vol. XII, no. 274. New South Wales, Australia. 28 November 1925. p. 5. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2016– via National Library of Australia.

[8] "The Main Beach, Southport". Queensland Country Life . Vol. 6, no. 12. Queensland, Australia. 1 December 1905. p. 13. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2016– via National Library of Australia.

[gghf-9] Longhurst, Robert (1995). Gold Coast:Our heritage in focus. South Brisbane, Queensland: State Library of Queensland. p. 27. ISBN 0-7242-6563-5.

[10] "Aerial view of the Jubilee Bridge and the new Gold Coast Bridge crossing the Nerang River from Southport to Main Beach, Queensland, 1967". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.

[ggct-11] Stevenson, Ashleigh (28 April 2015). "Gold Coast cruise terminal proponent ASF Consortium willing to negotiate Broadwater plans". ABC News . Australia. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2015.

[12] "How we farewelled Fisherman's Wharf". Gold Coast Bulletin.

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