Council Plan

Council Plan 2022–2027

The City's Council Plan 2022–2027 supports the implementation of the City Vision and is structured around the 6 Gold Coast 2032 themes. It describes the priority outcomes we are working towards and our measures of success over a 5-year period. These outcomes help prioritise investments and service delivery based on our communities’ aspirations.

The Local Government Act 2009 requires the Corporate Plan (known as the Council Plan 2022–2027) to outline the strategic direction of the local government. The Council Plan must include performance measures for measuring progress and incorporate community engagement. It must also include the objectives and significant business activities of each Commercialised Business Unit.

The Council Plan will direct annual priorities, adopted by Council in the City’s Annual Plan which incorporates the City Budget and City Operational Plan. Implementation of the plan is supported by robust planning, responsible management and active engagement of the Gold Coast community.

Message from the Mayor

I am proud to lead a council that has a strong and transparent vision for the future.

Protecting our lifestyle and planning for one-million-plus residents means the decisions we make today will have a huge bearing on every aspect of our city and the way we live – from transport to open space, community centres, sporting fields, parking, public transport and events.

Our Council Plan 2022–2027 lays out Council's commitment to the residents of the Gold Coast.

As Mayor, I am focused on ensuring strong fiscal discipline to every decision we make on the floor of council chamber. People rightly expect quality services, at a price they can afford, and we are achieving that while keeping a lid on our debt.

Equally, people expect certainty when it comes to how the city is growing, where future residential infrastructure is being established and how our transport strategies interface with the growing population.

Since 2012 when I was first elected Mayor, every Councillor has worked tirelessly to deliver a low-rates future. We have achieved that by ensuring the past 11 annual budgets have delivered any rate increase at, or below, the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This plan sets in concrete that commitment until 2027.

Just as residents want certainty, the business community also wants certainty when it comes to fees and charges, planning provisions and incentive projects. Our city has in excess of 71,000 registered businesses – the true backbone of our economy and the major employer of Gold Coasters.

I encourage you to explore our Council Plan and commend the City's administration for delivering the projects we all want to see in this great city of ours.

Tom Tate BE (UNSW)
Mayor

Chief Executive Officer's message

It's in setting our sights on the future Gold Coast that we are reminded of the many great things about living here.

Developing our Council Plan 2022–2027 with input from the community has given us the opportunity to define what's important and then set a roadmap for the way in which the City will achieve our collective vision "Inspired by Lifestyle, Driven by Opportunity".

This plan defines our priorities for investment and service delivery and sets our measures of success to ensure we're meeting expectations.

It reflects the sentiment of our organisation, our Council and most importantly the people who live, visit, work or study here.

Taking the time to update our Council Plan allows us to recognise the achievements we've made, revisit our priorities, introduce initiatives, and reshape them where needed.

We are proud of our resilient, kind-spirited community, with residents supporting and looking out for each other, especially over the past two years of overcoming the challenges of COVID-19.

This 5-year plan shines a light on what we want to be known for as a city. We want the Gold Coast to be distinctive, sustainable, ambitious and creative, and your Council recognised as Australia's finest.

A huge amount of research has been undertaken to help refresh the Council Plan. And we will continue to listen to our community and partners, and work in harmony to ensure we are delivering a city that is thriving.

Tim Baker
Chief Executive Officer

Inspired
by lifestyle.
Driven
by opportunity.

Our Council Plan supports the implementation of the City Vision.
It describes the outcomes we are working towards and our measures of success.

DIVERSE THRIVING ECONOMY

Outcomes

We have sustainable economic growth in the industries and sectors that offer opportunity.

We develop, attract and retain the best talent in our city.

We are the best place to visit in Australia.

Measures of success
  • Gross regional product
  • Growth in tertiary education sector
  • Visitation spend

VIBRANT LIFESTYLE

Outcomes

We are a safe, active and healthy community.

We have accessible community and cultural infrastructure which supports social connections.

Measures of success
  • Perception of safety
  • Physical activity ranking
  • Community infrastructure accessibility and visitation
  • Satisfaction with arts and culture

CONNECTED COMMUNITY

Outcomes

We provide safe and sustainable travel choices to enable us to move around the city easily.

We have beaches, parklands, waterways and natural places that are accessible and enjoyed by everyone.

We are a digitally connected city.

Measures of success
  • Travel time reliability
  • Daily trips using public, active and shared transport
  • Accessible outdoor environments
  • Digital connectivity

NATURALLY UNIQUE

Outcomes

We have a healthy and connected environment network.

We design our city growth to protect our natural environment.

Measures of success
  • Connected and restored critical nature corridors
  • 51% native vegetation cover

LIVEABLE PLACES

Outcomes

We plan city growth and ensure sufficient capacity and types of housing to meet future needs.

We manage our resources for a sustainable future.

We have a prepared community and a natural and built environment resilient to hazards.

Measures of success
  • Residential growth management
  • Resource recovery and reuse – waste and wastewater
  • Beach erosion protection
  • Disaster resilience

ONE CITY

Outcomes

We address the challenge of climate change through practical and sensible solutions that deliver climate resilience.

We partner to leverage legacy outcomes and emerging opportunities for the city ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We are a high performing, customer focused organisation which delivers value for money services to our community.

Measures of success
  • City operational greenhouse gas emissions
  • Legacy outcomes
  • Average residential rate rise
  • Customer satisfaction

 

The Council Plan describes our Commercialised Business Unit's objectives and significant business activities.

GOLD COAST WATER AND GOLD COAST WASTE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES

  • WE ENSURE ZERO HARM
    We ensure the health and safety of ourselves, our environment and our community
  • WE STRIVE FOR SATISFIED CUSTOMERS
    We provide value for money, innovative, customer focused services
  • WE MANAGE FINANCES RESPONSIBLY
    We balance life-cycle costs and service prices to sustain our City
  • WE PROVIDE RELIABLE SERVICES
    We plan, build, operate, maintain and renew assets prudently and efficiently
  • WE SUCCEED THROUGH SKILLED PEOPLE
    We engage, develop and empower our people to continuously improve our business

Gold Coast Water

SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

  • purchase and distribute water
  • provide water, recycled water and sewerage services to customers
  • charge customers for relevant services
  • manage customer enquiries, service requests and complaints
  • perform functions relating to trade waste and seepage water as a sewerage service provider
  • perform planning and development assessment functions under the Planning Act
  • anything else likely to complement or enhance a function mentioned above – specifically analytical laboratory services directly to external customers

Gold Coast Waste Management

SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

  • promote waste avoidance and reduction and resource recovery and efficiency actions
  • reduce the consumption of natural resources and minimise the disposal of waste by encouraging waste avoidance and the recovery, re-use and recycling of waste
  • minimise the overall impact of waste generation and disposal
  • ensure a shared responsibility between government, business, industry and the community in waste management and resource recovery
  • support and implement national frameworks, objectives and priorities for waste management and resource recovery.

Signature Actions and Measures of Success

The City Operational Plan supports the Council Plan 2022-2027 by including signature actions that need to be implemented to deliver on the Council Plan outcomes. These signature actions are represented in City Operational Plan 2023–24(PDF, 555KB) . The Council Plan outcomes also include measures of success to ensure we're meeting expectations. Performance against the Council Plan is reported and published on a quarterly and annual basis. For more information visit our Annual Plan page.

Diverse thriving economy

Outcome: We have sustainable economic growth in the industries and sectors that offer opportunity

Outcome: We develop, attract and retain the best talent in our city

Outcome: We are the best place to visit in Australia

Measure of success Definition Baseline Interim 23-24 Target 2027
Gross Regional Product Measures the total value of all final goods and services produced in the local economy

2022-23 Gold Coast GRP 5.88%

State GRP 5.00%

 Equal to or greater than State Equal to or greater than State
Growth in tertiary education sector Measures the contribution that education beyond high school makes to the local economy $655M p.a. $800M p.a. $865M p.a.
Visitation spend Measures the growth in international, domestic overnight and daytrip visitor expenditure on the Gold Coast 0% 116.8% 153%

Vibrant lifestyle

Outcome: We are a safe, active and healthy community

Outcome: We have accessible community and cultural infrastructure which supports social connections

Measure of success Definition Baseline Interim 23–24 Target 2027
Perception of safety Measures the percentage of people who feel safe in the neighbourhood during the day. 72.74% 73.5% 75%
Physical activity ranking Measures the Queensland Local Government ranking for the percentage of residents undertaking sufficient activity to meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines. Ranking at 5th Ranking at 4th Ranking at 3rd
Community infrastructure accessibility Measures the percentage of people who are satisfied with the level of disability access in community and cultural facilities. To be established in 23–24 To be established in 23–24 To be established in 23–24
Community infrastructure – visitation Measures the number of visitations across the network of Council-owned community facilities. 5,765,114 21% increase from baseline 46% increase from baseline
Satisfaction with arts and culture Measures the percentage of people satisfied with the quality, accessibility and value of Gold Coast Arts and Cultural experiences. 76% Maintain or improve from baseline Maintain or improve from baseline

Connected community

Outcome: We provide safe and sustainable travel choices to enable us to move around the city easily

Outcome: We have beaches, parklands, waterways and natural places that are accessible and enjoyed by everyone

Outcome: We are a digitally connected city

Measure of success Definition Baseline Interim 23–24 Target 2027
Travel time reliability Measures the reliability of customer travel times in both directions on key strategic road corridors for defined peak time periods. 85% of samples performing within planned performance levels 85% of samples performing within planned performance levels 85% of samples performing within planned performance levels
Daily trips using public, active and shared transport Measures the percentage of daily trips within the Gold Coast made by public, active and shared transport (non-private motor vehicle modes). 13.40% 16.40% 21.0%
Accessible outdoor environments Measures the percentage of people who find it easy to access the City's beaches, parklands, waterways and natural places. To be established in 23–24 To be established in 23–24 To be established in 23–24
Digital connectivity Measures the provision of digital connectivity using City of Gold Coast One Network to the City. 51% of City sites connected through One Network 63% of City sited connected through One Network 100% of City sites connected through One Network

Naturally unique

Outcome: We have a healthy and connected natural environment network

Outcome: We design our city growth to protect our natural environment

Measure of success Definition Baseline Interim 23–24 Target 2027
Connected and restored critical nature Measures the hectares of native vegetation cover within the natural asset network 60,327.15 hectares Maintain or increase from baseline Maintain or increase from baseline
51% native vegetation cover Measures the percentage of city land area covered in native vegetation 50.55% Maintain or increase from baseline Maintain or increase from interim checkpoint

Liveable places

Outcome: We plan city growth and ensure sufficient capacity and types of housing to meet future needs

Outcome: We manage our resources for a sustainable future

Outcome: We have a prepared community and a natural and built environment resilient to hazards

Measure of success Definition Baseline Interim 23-24 Target 2027
Residential growth management Measures the percentage of new dwellings approved in the city’s consolidation areas (as defined in the SEQ Regional Plan). 65% consolidation 67.5% consolidation 70% consolidation
Resource recovery and reuse – waste and wastewater Measures the percentage of collected waste materials that are recycled, reused or repurposed. 35% 45% 60%
Measures the percentage of collected wastewater that is recycled, reused or repurposed. 25% 30% 35%
Beach erosion protection Measures will ensure the city provides and maintains an adequate volume of sand as a buffer to protect coast assets from erosion impacts during severe metocean events. 72% are On Track 72% are On Track 72% are On Track
Disaster resilience Measures the city's resilience to disasters and hazards using elements of the disaster resilience scorecard for cities. Average score of 2 or higher Average score of 3 or higher Average score of 4 or higher

One City

Outcome: We address the challenge of climate change with practical and sensible solutions that deliver climate resilience

Outcome: We partner to leverage legacy outcomes and emerging opportunities for the city ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Outcome: We are a high performing, customer focused organisation which delivers value for money services to our community

Measure of success Definition Baseline Interim 23-24 Target 2027
City operational greenhouse gas emissions Measures Council's annual greenhouse gas emissions (t CO2e).

Scope 1: 364,539t CO2e

Scope 2: 91,316t CO2eTo

 Scope 1 and 2: Decrease from baseline Scope 1 and 2: By 2026-27, 10% decrease from baseline
Legacy outcomes Measures the number of outcomes Gold Coast 2032 legacy outcomes that our aligned (strategically) across all games partners (Australian Government, Queensland Government, International Olympic Committee, Australian Olympic Committee, Brisbane City Council, Sunshine Coast Council). 0 Equal to or greater than 1 16
Average residential rate rise Measure the average residential rate rise for the Gold Coast (through a defined formula which can be found it the City's Annual Plan 2021–22). 1.68% ARRR increase approximate to Brisbane CPI ARRR increase approximate to Brisbane CPI
Customer satisfaction Measure how customers rate their experience with the City. At least 87% customer satisfaction rating At least 87% customer satisfaction rating At least 90% customer satisfaction rating

Previous Corporate Plans

Corporate Plan – Gold Coast 2020(PDF, 1MB)

Corporate Plan – Gold Coast 2022(PDF, 3MB)

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