Esplanade Road Closure

How the design fails the Council’s own 4 key strategies

The Council’s own plan talks about enhancing lifestyle, celebrating culture, and amplifying brand Surfers. But when you look closely, the design doesn’t live up to the words.

Surfers Paradise — the thumping, pumping heart of the Gold Coast. It’s the draw card. The gateway for interstate and international visitors. Its mix of big city buzz and beach side chill is a standout offer. The tallest towers are here, shining in the sun, the apex of the Goldcoast skyline like a bar chart of popularity. But what happens when a bold vision is replaced by… beige paving, suburban furniture and misplaced priorities?

The 4 strategies

The revitalisation plan promised four strategies. On paper, they sound inspiring:

Open To All — welcoming spaces for everyone.

Supercharge the Experience — bigger, better, more vibrant activities.

Grow the Green — more shade, more trees, more lush spaces.

Amplify Brand Surfers — show the world what makes Surfers Paradise unique.

So lets see what they made of it.  

Grow the Green — by cutting down trees

We lose a lot before we start. 

A dozen stands of Pandanus Palms providing much sought after low shade from the morning sun rising over the ocean. Palms that have framed postcard views for decades – to go. 

33 Norfolk Pines. They form part of the international language of coastal destination. Grown for ships masts they also provide shade without blocking sight lines – and are slated for removal. 

The Poincianas that line Cavill Avenue touted as exemplary shade trees in the Council’s own 2020 report – are gone. 

These aren’t just trees. They’re part of the Surfers Paradise iconography. They are the tropical character people travel to see.

Instead, the council proposes suburban-style trees, common anywhere, opaque, uninspiring, and prone to breaking in storms – and palm trees. 

Lets build on the established trees we have, retain our icons, their morning shelter, sense of arrival and our world famous sense of place and add new palm trees to that.

Open to All — but not you or you

Drivers, tour operators, delivery vehicles, even marathon runners and skaters — many are effectively excluded. The “inclusive social landscape” promised is only accessible if you fit the council’s narrow definition of pedestrian. People who make the Esplanade thrive in multiple ways are sidelined.

Supercharge the Experience — by scaling things down

The natural amphitheatre of the beachfront, which works as easily with small groups scaling up to a quarter-million people on the sand, has a tiny 50-person ampitheatre taking an oversized bite out of the precious esplanade walkway. The iconic sun lounges are gone, replaced by angular concrete mall-style seating. Spaces for large events like the Gold Coast Marathon? Marginalised. Spaces for energy, variety and vitality? Diminished.

The council’s “experience economy” ignores what already exists: a vibrant mix of runners, skaters, scooters, street markets, car enthusiasts, beachfront BBQs, cafés, restaurants and events that fill the Esplanade year-round.

Amplify Brand Surfers — but there’s no brand vision

Surfers Paradise is about activity, playfulness, and fun. The plan’s design is anonymous — it could exist anywhere. The brief fails to capture the energy, the culture, the subcultures. Instead we get beige paving, clip-art furniture, clumsy pavilions, and dated lighting. Nothing in the design captures Surfers’ cultural DNA.

The Esplanade should tell the world: this is Surfers Paradise, a city built on leisure, sun and outdoor living. It should be unmistakable.

The Opportunity

The Esplanade is already a drawcard destination. With the right design it could be fabulous, flamboyant, stylish, and fun. Capping off Cavill Boulevard – a spine connecting river, city, and ocean – it could be incredible. That is not what is in the visuals. 

The Esplanade is more than paving and furniture. It’s the life blood of Australia’s playground. With a clear vision and respect for its culture, it can be extraordinary. Without it… we get a bland mall from anywhere.

“Surfers Paradise deserves better. Let’s make it bold, playful and full of joy.”

What can you do?

Take our survey

30 questions the Council didn’t ask about the The Surfers Paradise Esplanade Closure Trial

The consultation is open until November 16, 2025. If this matters to you, join us in speaking up now.

Contact your local member

Email John-Paul Langbroek (federal member for Surfers Paradise)

Contact the Council

Email Cr Darren Taylor (Councillor for Division 10)

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