City of Gold Coast

City of Gold Coast Queensland
Map showing City of Gold Coast within South East Queensland
City of Gold Coast Coat of Arms
Population	555,608 (2015 Est.)[1]
• Density	409.1/km2 (1,060/sq mi)
Established	1948
Area	1,358 km2 (524.3 sq mi)
Mayor	Tom Tate
Council seat	Surfers Paradise
Region	South East Queensland
State electorate(s)	Albert, Broadwater, Burleigh, Coomera, Currumbin, Gaven, Mermaid Beach, Mudgeeraba, Southport, Surfers Paradise
Federal Division(s)	Fadden, Forde, McPherson, Moncrieff, Wright
Website	City of Gold Coast
LGAs around City of Gold Coast: Logan Redland Redland Scenic Rim City of Gold Coast Pacific Ocean Tweed (NSW) Tweed (NSW) Pacific Ocean

The City of Gold Coast is the local government area spanning the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and surrounding areas. Based on resident population in the 2011 census, it is the second largest local government area in Australia (City of Brisbane being the largest).^[2] Its council maintains a staff of over 2,500. It was established in 1948, but has existed in its present form since 2008.

History

Early history

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

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.

Development and growth

Aerial view looking towards Coolangatta, ca. 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.^[3] 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 15 March 2008 local government elections.

Heritage listings

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

• Currumbin
• Main Beach
• Pimpama
• Numinbah Valley
• South Stradbroke Island
• Southport
• Springbrook
• Surfers Paradise
• Tallebudgera
• Willow Vale

Suburbs and localities

Divisions and councillors

Beach foreshore at Steiglitz, 2014

Highrises at Broadbeach, 2008

Gold Coast City has been divided into 14 divisions, each electing one councillor at elections held every four years. The most recent local government election was on 19 March 2016.^[4] Additionally, a mayor is elected by the entire City. The present mayor is Cr Tom Tate.

Divisional Councillors are:

• Division 1 Cr Donna Gates (Deputy Mayor) – Coomera
• Division 2 Cr William Owen Jones – Helensvale
• Division 3 Cr Cameron Caldwell – Hope Island
• Division 4 Cr Kristyn Boulton – Biggera Waters
• Division 5 Cr Peter Young – Pacific Pines, Nerang & parts of the Hinterland
• Division 6 Cr Dawn Crichlow – Southport
• Division 7 Cr Gary Baildon – Surfers Paradise
• Division 8 Cr Bob La Castra – Ashmore
• Division 9 Cr Glenn Tozer – Mudgeeraba
• Division 10 Cr Paul Taylor – Broadbeach
• Division 11 Cr Herman Vorster – Robina
• Division 12 Cr Pauline Young – Burleigh Heads
• Division 13 Cr Daphne McDonald – Palm Beach
• Division 14 Cr Gail O'Neil – Coolangatta

Population

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.

Libraries

Palm Beach Community Lounge

The City of Gold Coast has 13 libraries, a special needs library^[7] (located within Nerang Branch Library), a Local Studies Library^[8] (on the first floor above Southport Branch Library) and a mobile library service.^[9] and is a member of the Queensland Public Libraries Association.^[10] They are located at Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Coolangatta, Elanora, Helensvale, Mudgeeraba, Nerang, Palm Beach, Robina, Runaway Bay, Southport and Upper Coomera.

Key projects

Hinze Dam was upgraded in 2011

• Gold Coast University Hospital
• Tugun Desalination Plant
• Raising of Hinze Dam
• Southport Broadwater Parklands
• Gold Coast Rapid Transit System
• Gold Coast Ferry Service
• Rosser Park Regional Botanic Gardens
• Evandale Cultural Precinct including a greenbridge from Evandale Parklands to Chevron Island
• Mermaid Waters Library
• Gold Coast Shoreline Management Plan

See also

• Gold Coast Art Centre
• Gold Coast City Art Gallery
• List of Gold Coast suburbs

References

External links

• City of Gold Coast
• History of Gold Coast Council

Coordinates: 28°00′04″S 153°25′42″E / 28.00111°S 153.42833°E / -28.00111; 153.42833