Population | Climate | Transport | Events | Overview

Gold Coast City spans across 1,402 square kilometres (approx. 541square miles) featuring 70 kilometres of coastline from South Stradbroke Island to Rainbow Bay.

Population
At June 30 2002, the population was 438,473, making it the sixth largest city in Australia. The population is expected to increase to 700,407 residents in the year 2021.

Climate
Gold Coast City's climate is sub-tropical with 287 days of sunshine annually.
Average Summer Temperatures: 19 to 29 degrees Celsius (66 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit).
Average Winter Temperatures: 9 to 21 degrees Celsius (48 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit).

Transport
The region is served by Gold Coast International Airport, with frequent domestic services from Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart, and International services from New Zealand, Japan and Asia. Brisbane's International Airport also provides links with the USA and Europe.

Gold Coast Airport has undergone refurbishment, which has positioned it as the South Pacific's leading leisure destination. A rail link and Pacific Motorway connects Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Gold Coast City is a dynamic city with a wide variety of built and natural attractions including:

• 70 kilometres of beaches with an average water temperature of 22 degrees
• A large broadwater and five major river systems
• Major shopping centres as well as numerous boutiques, specialty shops and markets
• More than 500 restaurants and cafe's offering cuisine from around the world
• Nightlife entertainment from nightclubs, restaurants, clubs, hotels and Conrad Jupiters Casino to Broadway musicals, ballet and theatre.
• Theme parks including Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Dreamworld and Wet ‘n’ Wild as well as several wildlife parks such as Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
• Rural hinterland stretching to the west and north of the City encompassing many natural wetlands
• Tropical rainforest with abundant wildlife and numerous bush walks
• Large sugar cane farms and a wealth of industry in the northern districts of the City
• World-class sporting and recreational facilities
• A huge range of accommodation from five-star international resorts to camping grounds
• The Gold Coast Seaway providing safe ocean access and over 270 kilometres of navigable waterways

• The Asia Pacific Masters Games
• The Australian Surf Life Saving Championships
• T he Lexmark Indy 300
• Gold Coast Marathon
• T he Conrad Jupiters Magic Millions Horse Racing Carnival.
• The City also hosts yacht classics, horse races, triathlons and competitions in a variety of sporting codes

An overview of the Gold Coast

1. The linear urban coastal area including the Pacific Ocean and Broadwater from Coolangatta to Paradise Point.

This is the area of greatest development density. It is the popular focus for the City’s tourists and commercial operations. This coastal strip includes the major traditional business centre of Southport, the tourist centre of Surfers Paradise and other important activity nodes, including Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads and Coolangatta.

2. The extensive suburban area to the west of the coastal strip, generally between the Gold Coast Highway and Pacific Motorway.

This area contains the majority of the City’s residential housing stock. Its built form is characterised by low-density areas of predominantly detached dwellings. A large portion of this area has been designed around a complex network of waterways.

This suburban area includes the major new business centre of Robina and a range of smaller commercial centres. Traditional service centres at Nerang and Mudgeeraba have now been absorbed into this suburban expanse where it has extended into the hinterland. These are principally the rural areas, open-space recreation areas, forest reserves and national parks (including the World Heritage listed Springbrook and Lamington National parks).

These hinterland areas are characterised by narrow valleys, hill country, steep slopes and plateaux. Extensive areas of native forests have been retained. The hinterland incorporates the principal water-supply impoundments and catchments and includes village communities such as Springbrook.

3 . The newly developing Albert corridor extending from Gaven/Helensvale to Yatala.

This area is focused around the Pacific Motorway and the Gold Coast City railway and is planned as the major new urban development area for the City. It is already partly developed and includes the City’s major concentration of theme park tourist attractions. Coomera has been designated as the major new urban centre to be established in the Albert Corridor. The Yatala industrial area, in the northern part of the Albert Corridor, is planned to become an employment location of regional significance.

This north-eastern portion of the City is an area with a predominantly natural estuarine environment. This major recreation and scenic resource is of great importance to the City, for its nature conservation values. These areas also form part of the Moreton Bay Ramsar Site, the Moreton Bay Marine Park, the Southern Moreton Bay Islands National Park and the South Stradbroke Island Conservation Park. REIQ Property Sales Data Sept Quarter 2003

As way of explaining the data presented the median sale price, is defined as “the middle sale taken from all the sales in a locality throughout a specific period”. It means half the sales are below the median figure, and half the sales above that figure.

This figure is regarded by analysts as the most representative figure.

Last updated 2/3/04

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