Broadwater masterplan revealed as Gold Coast's next great waterfront transformation

Gold Coast City Council has released a long-anticipated masterplan for the Broadwater foreshore between Southport and Labrador, proposing a new marina precinct, 4.5 kilometres of continuous waterfront parkland, and a series of residential and mixed-use development sites that would collectively transform one of the city's most underutilised foreshore corridors.

The Broadwater, a large estuarine lagoon separating the Gold Coast's main peninsula from South Stradbroke Island, has long been identified as underserving its potential as a public amenity. The current foreshore is fragmented by boat ramps, industrial-era structures, and institutional buildings, with limited public access in several key locations.

Mayor Tom Tate said the masterplan represented a once-in-a-generation opportunity to give Gold Coasters a great waterfront that matched the city's ambitions. "Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, Burleigh — we've been proud of what we've built there. The Broadwater is the next chapter," he said.

The proposed marina precinct at the northern end of the corridor will accommodate up to 400 vessels and be surrounded by restaurants, retail, and short-stay accommodation. Three residential development sites totalling approximately 1,200 dwellings have been identified on surplus government land abutting the foreshore, with a density framework requiring ground-level commercial use and public access to the water's edge.

A environmental impact assessment for the marina expansion, which will require dredging, is expected to take 18 months to complete, with construction on the land-side elements potentially beginning earlier while the marine assessment is finalised.

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