Safety and the Surfers Paradise Esplanade Closure Trial

When “Pedestrian Friendly” Becomes “Pedestrian Only”

The City of Gold Coast’s Esplanade Closure Trial has been promoted as a move toward a “pedestrian-friendly” Surfers Paradise. But in the process, “pedestrian friendly” appears to have been reinterpreted to mean “pedestrian only.” That distinction matters.

In community surveys, many residents and visitors said they wanted the Esplanade to be safer and more enjoyable for pedestrians. Yet pedestrian-friendly design doesn’t require removing vehicles entirely — it means designing shared spaces where people walking, cycling and driving can coexist safely and comfortably.

No Data to Justify the Safety Argument

Despite the rhetoric, the Council’s documents provide no evidence to indicates that cars using the Esplanade have posed a measurable safety threat. Vehicles are already limited to 30 km/h, with multiple pedestrian crossings, including the main traffic-light-controlled crossing. Drivers routinely stop to allow pedestrians to cross — a behaviour that, according to locals, is part of the area’s rhythm rather than a hazard.

The pedestrian-related data published in their report shows that:

• 50% of all pedestrian accidents in Surfers Paradise occur at night, and
• 35% occur on Friday and Saturday nights — times when the Esplanade itself is quiet.

These statistics more likely reflect the nightclub district around Orchid and Cavill Avenues or the Boulevard or Ferny Avenue (the highway). Not the beachfront, where nighttime traffic is minimal.

In other words: the “safety” rationale for closing the Esplanade is not supported by evidence.

When Removing Cars Creates More Danger

Ironically, removing vehicles from the Esplanade has increased safety risks elsewhere. Diverting traffic from a controlled beachfront road to narrower, busier inner streets creates multiple new hazards across the suburb:

A. Unsafe Crossings in High-Pedestrian Zones

Our visitors now cross Orchid, Elkhorn and Cavill Avenues — all busy, multi-use streets where diverted traffic mixes with heavy foot traffic. Daytime footage shows parents pulling children back to safety, mothers with prams weaving between delivery trucks, and riders zig-zagging through congestion.

B. Nightlife District Risks Intensified

The same streets are home to the nightclub precinct — where most pedestrian incidents already occur. Adding diverted through-traffic compounds the risk, particularly at night when crowds spill onto the street and visibility is reduced.

C. Emergency Access Bottlenecks

With the Esplanade closed, Orchid Avenue is now the only local northbound route — a single lane running through the city’s entertainment zone. The police station sits on this street; nearby are major high-rise towers such as the Hilton, where a rooftop fire last year required urgent access. Any additional obstruction — a road crane, film set or delivery vehicle — creates instant gridlock, delaying emergency response.

D. Escalating Frustration and Road Conflict

Gridlocked streets breed frustration among drivers, delivery riders and pedestrians alike. Noise, horns, and near-misses are now common, undermining the relaxed holiday atmosphere that Surfers Paradise depends on.

E. Tourists and Vulnerability

Perhaps most concerning is the vulnerability of visitors. Many are unfamiliar with local traffic patterns, distracted, or simply in holiday mode — wearing swimsuits, flip-flops or evening wear, carrying beach gear or shopping bags. These conditions heighten risk even in normal traffic — and they are now concentrated in narrower streets with more unpredictable vehicle movement.

The Esplanade as a Safety Barrier

The Esplanade itself has long served as a safety buffer, not a threat.

At night, its steady flow of cars provides two layers of protection:

1. Passive Surveillance

Cars mean people — and people mean eyes. Headlights, passengers and movement provide deterrence against predator behaviour along the beachfront. When this strip goes dark and empty, that passive security disappears.

2. A Physical and Psychological Barrier to the Ocean

For a century, the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club has never lost a swimmer during patrol hours. But patrols don't run at night. The Esplanade’s roadway creates a subtle but important line between nightlife and the sea — a visual and psychological boundary that discourages alcohol-affected revellers from wandering toward the water. Without that barrier, the temptation for a late-night “cool-off” swim could have tragic results.

A Fragile Network Promotes Risk

Surfers Paradise’s street grid is already limited and fragile — When one major link like the Esplanade is closed, the entire system feels the strain. This network needs to accommodate tourist peak loads and a wide variety of leisure vehilces like Hummer Limos, amphibious vehicles and busses.

The trial’s focus on low-cost, temporary Esplanade activation features — planters, paint, and street furniture — may look appealing in renderings but fails to address the operational reality of the whole precinct hosting millions of visitors a year. A place designed for safe, flexible movement has instead become a confusing, congested and potentially hazardous environment.

Safety: The Question That Deserves a Real Answer

The Esplanade closure trial has been framed as a matter of “safety.” But true safety isn’t achieved by removing movement — it’s achieved through good design, clear data and balanced access for everyone: pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and emergency services.

Until the Council can demonstrate with transparent evidence that the closure improves — rather than compromises — public safety across Surfers Paradise, the claim remains unproven.

If the closure becomes permanent without addressing these risks, the city could find itself not safer, but more vulnerable — for both residents and the visitors who define its identity.