Property Development

The Gold Coast is Australia’s sixth largest city; a title it obtained via rapid sustained, long term population growth, driven by affordability benefits as well as the city’s unmatched coastal lifestyle.

As evidence of the city’s popularity, the Gold Coast’s population has increased ten-fold during the last 50 years.

The demand for the Gold Coast’s lifestyle in recent decades triggered employment growth in the development and construction industries and it has continued to be a mainstay of the city’s economy to this day. The South East Queensland Regional Plan has signalled the growth will continue, with the Gold Coast’s population set to rise to approximately 800,000 by 2031. (reference:http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au/products/profiles/pop-housing-profiles-lga/pop-housing-profile-gold-coast.pdf)

The development industry is the fourth largest employer on the Gold Coast. As well as 33,900 directly employed staff, the development industry also indirectly generates $5.7 billion in value added and 56,800 full-time equivalent jobs (reference:Development & Construction Industry Performance Report, Gold Coast City Regional Fact Sheet, June 2012)

The development and construction industries employ a wide spectrum of professional services including town planners, architects, environmental consultants, surveyors, engineers, market researchers, project managers, lawyers, accountants, valuers and countless more. Through its construction activities it also employs a wide range of blue collar workers and apprentices from builders and electricians to machinery operators.

The development and construction industries deliver a wide range of products to suit all needs and lifestyles, including Master planned communities, land subdivisions, medium density development, urban renewal, attached and detached housing, multi-level development, commercial development, retail development, hotels and resorts, industrial development and retirement living.

The Gold Coast Logan branch of the Urban Development Institute of Australia is the city’s peak development and property group. The UDIA is a member of the Joint Industry Working Group (JIWG) alongside the Queensland Master Builder’s Association, Housing Industry Association, Property Council of Australia, and Sustainable Development Gold Coast Incorporated.

The Gold Coast Logan UDIA has focused on making the city more competitive as a destination for business investment. This in turn makes residential and commercial development cheaper to deliver on the Gold Coast, improves housing affordability and generates jobs in large scale construction activities.

Fast facts

• The Gold Coast’s natural attributes and climate has propelled significant migration to the city. Over the last half a century, the Gold Coast has grown from a beachside holiday hamlet to a city with over 550,000 residents. Over the same period, the Gold Coast has increased its share of the national population by two per cent and cemented itself as Australia’s fastest growing regional centre. (Reference  http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure/mcu/files/NUPBP_Complete.pdf
• The population influx spawned a strong and diverse construction and development sector to meet the demand for housing on the Gold Coast. The development and construction industries directly employ 13 per cent of the city’s workforce (Development & Construction Industry Performance Report, Gold Coast City Regional Fact Sheet, June 2012)
• Indirectly, construction workers provide far reaching benefits for the wider economy via purchases through wholesale equipment suppliers, mechanics who service their vehicles, and even takeaway stores where they buy their lunches on worksites. Likewise, development and construction industry workers also provide far reaching benefits through professional service including the financial sector, marketing, insurance and so forth
• A major economic impact study into the development industry on the Gold Coast in 2011-12 indicated the sector had an annual turnover of $7.4 billion, directly generating $2.45b in gross regional product; $1.1b in incomes; $344m in direct state and federal taxes; and employment for 33,900 people in real terms (Reference: Development & Construction Industry Performance Report, Gold Coast City Regional Fact Sheet, June 2012)
• Population forecasts for the Gold Coast suggest the Gold Coast will require an additional 137,500 dwellings over the next two decades (Reference  http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au/products/publications/broadhectare-study/broadhectare-study-seq-2009-executive-summary.pdf )
• Gold Coast construction workers and professionals supplying to the development industry are contributing to the design and construction of Queensland’s first light rail system. Urban renewal of the light rail corridor between Southport and Broadbeach is anticipated to accommodate a large amount of future infill development on the Gold Coast  
• Gold Coast construction workers and development professionals will contribute to the sporting and community infrastructure required to deliver the 2018 Commonwealth Games throughout the city

Industry links

• Urban Development Institute of Australia www.udiaqld.com.au
• Real Estate Institute of Queensland www.reiq.com
• Property Council of Australia www.propertyoc.com.au/QLD
• Queensland Master Builders www.masterbuilders.asn.au
• Sustainable Development Gold Coast Inc www.sdgci.com.au

Company snapshot

• Mirvac
• Bradlees Consulting
• iLiv Group
• Cardno HRP
• WMS Chartered Accountants
• Arnold Development Consultants
• Robina Land Corporation
• LEDA
• Minter Ellison Gold Coast
• RPS
• The Potter Group
• Sunland Group
• Horizon Housing Company
• SMEC Urban
• SSKB
• Colleen Coyne Property Research
• PLACE Design Group
• Mulpha Sanctuary Cove

More information

Gold Coast Development Construction Industry Performance Report - March 2013

Gold Coast Development Construction Industry Performance Report - June 2012

Information provided by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Queensland), July 2012 and April 2013. 

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