Politics
Gold Coast Updates Infrastructure Charges for New Development Approvals July 1
Developments approved after 1 July 2025 on the Gold Coast will use updated charges to fund local roads, parks and water services, with effects visible as projects reach completion stages.
How we reported this
The Council of the City of Gold Coast Charges Resolution sets infrastructure charges for developments approved from 1 July 2025 onward. These charges apply to reconfiguring a lot, material change of use and building work, and they attach directly to the land title for current and future owners.
Funding timeline for trunk infrastructure
Charges collected support trunk infrastructure such as local roads, parks, stormwater systems, water supply and sewerage. The resolution replaces earlier regimes that applied before 1 July 2025, with the new rates used once an Infrastructure Charges Notice is issued following approval of accepted or assessable development, change applications or extension applications.
Gold Coast residents will encounter the updated charges first through new housing, commercial or subdivision projects that receive approval after the July 2025 date. Payment timing can be adjusted through infrastructure agreements that allow offsets for trunk works, payment deferrals or not-for-profit deferrals, which developers must request separately after approval.
Transparency measures and quarterly updates
The Trunk Infrastructure Information Register, published under Schedule 22 Section 3A of the Planning Regulation 2017, provides periodic details on planned delivery. Registers covering October to December 2025 and January to March 2026 are already available on the council website, giving advance notice of committed projects.
Before lodging a development application, property owners can request an estimate of charges and credits applicable to their site. Applications must include the Infrastructure charge proposal summary form, which lists current rates by development type. Negotiated Infrastructure Charge Notices can be sought within 20 business days of suspending an appeal period.
Further registers will continue on a quarterly schedule, allowing residents to track when funded infrastructure is scheduled for delivery in their area. The council maintains historical charging information for approvals granted before 1 July 2025 on its dedicated infrastructure charges page.