Managing Wave Wealth: Gold Coast plans

Surf Management

City of Gold Coast a step closer toward a surf management plan

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 23 January, 2013 : - - Few surf cities in the world have Management Plans for the surf zone.  With the Gold Coast in Australia claiming to be the foremost ‘surf city’, steps have been taken toward a whole-of-city strategic Surf Management Plan. While such a move is regarded as long overdue, the idea has gathered popular momentum and strategic support is being secured across the beach-goer/surfing community, local and state government.  

The convenors of the recently-formed Gold Coast Surf Council hope that this SMP will create a template for other ‘surf city’ jurisdictions across the globe – it’s a historic move – and one we hope will further protect surfing resources and the heritage and lifestyle we enjoy now, into the future. Thanks for your interest.  
 
*We’d welcome any information you might have as to other models of any specific SMP across the world.

Read the more about the plan

Hi All - A reminder and some homework for the next meeting of the Gold Coast Surf Council(GCSC), scheduled for Tuesday 19 February at Kirra Community Centre at 6.30pm.
 
Since our first meeting in December last year, our petition has been reviewed by Council officers and we expect they will make a positive recommendation to Councillors at one of the first council sessions of the year in either January 29 or February. We met last week with Councillors McDonald, Betts and Robbins to further discuss the surf management plan (SMP) and seek their support. All three Councillors have provided their support and this week (Jan 22) we met with Mayor Tate for 30 mins to seek his support for a SMP.  
 
Mayor Tate embraced the ideology of a SMP to “ensure the sustainability of the economy, surf safety, the beach environment”.   We also met with Cr Lex Bell, which gives us majority endorsement of four coastal divisional Councillors, and the Mayor, who will, he assures us, speak in support, and we trust, lead to Council preparing the process.  
 
In addition to Council it is critical that State Government is involved, with this in mind we have briefed the Hon. Jann Stuckey MP, representing the state, as the Minister for Tourism and Member for Currumbin in the QLD Parliament.   She also welcomed the SMP and looks forward to “progressing the discussion” with us. 
 
We’ll provide a full briefing on these discussions at the meeting on 19 February, including the next steps and a possible budget package. Our advocacy is paying dividends and the prospects for a SMP are in are fact quite promising. A key aspect has been the ability to speak on behalf of GCSC in representing a surfing community.
 
These are the topics that we think need to be covered at the next meeting, would be great if you could give them some thought and discuss with fellow club members prior to attending, (of course if you cant make it happy to have any ideas comments by email)
 
1 - How could the ‘Gold Coast Surf Council’ be structured - is there a board? who do we represent? what mandate/direction is being provided to the conveners?

2 - How should the SMP be developed and who should be involved? - by council officers, by a consultancy, by an executive reporting to the GCSC, by a university

3 - How would your club/organisation support the work of the GCSC? e.g recruiting other members, letter writing, briefing politicians. also who is the nominated contact to represent your organisation/club at GCSC?

4 - What are the priority issues for surfing amenity in your local area? e.g crowding, mixed use, coastal management
 
5 - What are the opportunities your club/organisation would support to address the issue? e.g. education, sand bank grooming, artificial reefs
 
6 - What has been done so far?, in particular what road blocks exist? and what partnerships might be helpful?

Cheers - Dan Ware and Brad Farmer, Co-convenors   GCSC
 
www.surfingreserves.org

Source: GCSC

Author: The Editors

Tags: Gold Coast Surf Council, Government, Brad Farmer

Environment: Surfersvillage