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GOLD COAST

Australia

OVERVIEW

Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve is a 16 km stretch of coastline from Burleigh Point in the north to Snapper Rocks on the Queensland/New South Wales border and all the central breaks in between.  The area, which has attracted surfers and other ocean users for generations, is renowned for its world-class point breaks, world surfing champions, and an undeniable surfing culture.  It is rich in surfing assets that, under its dedications as a WSR, will be preserved for future generations.  

The City of Gold Coast has endorsed the WSR as part of its surf management plan and ocean beaches strategy with a local stewardship committee appointed to oversee its management, which as a world first, will have direct input to council over all beach and surfing issues.

Why Gold Coast?

What do you get when you combine some of the world’s best sand-bottomed point breaks, generations of deep surfing community, a strong coastal activism ethic, and a score of homegrown surfing World Champs?

Located on the east coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland, the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve extends 16 km from Burleigh Point to Snapper Rocks and encompasses a series of world-class breaks, including the world renowned ‘Superbank’.  Although best when tropical cyclones are brewing (Dec-Mar), year round swells pour into the Gold Coast and produce perfect blue-green barrels that spin for hundreds of meters. A regular-footer’s dreamland can be found at any of the many points dotting the Gold Coast. The World Surfing Reserve boasts some of the world’s best sand-bottomed right points and a community of surfers, ocean users, and stewards mobilized to defend them.

The hallmark distinction of the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve is their unprecedented community support for this program and the cutting edge coastal management practices adopted by the World Surfing Reserve Local Stewardship Council. All levels of government have endorsed the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve and 4,000 local surfers rallied at Kirra Beach in 2014 to express their support of the designation. Building off this support, the Local Stewardship Council has successfully worked with Gold Coast City Council to approve the world’s first Surf Management Plan, a definitive management document designed to safeguard Gold Coast’s surfing resources and improve the surfing amenities.

All levels of government have endorsed the Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve  and 4,000 local surfers rallied at Kirra Beach in 2014 to express their support of the designation. Building off this support, the Local Stewardship Council has successfully worked with Gold Coast City Council to approve the world’s first Surf Management Plan, a definitive management document designed to safeguard Gold Coast’s surfing resources and improve the surfing amenities.

Attributes of a World Surfing Reserve

Dedicating the Gold Coast as a world surfing reserve

“This honor is truly well earned because it required all levels of government to work together” said Gold Coast WSR Chairman, Andrew McKinnon. “After two years of hard work we’ve finally realized the dream.”

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RESOURCES

Local Stewardship COuncil

Alton Twine
City of Gold Coast, Director of City Infrastructure
Adam Yates
Surfing Queensland CEO
Pearce Dougherty
Gold Coast Surf Council President
Nathan Fife
Surf Life Saving Queensland
Rod Brooks
World Surfing League
Andrew McKinnon
WSR Inc Chair
Jason Thomas
Gold Coast Tourism
Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew
WSR Patron
Cr Pauline Young
Chairperson, Division 12 Councillor
Cr Tom Tate 
City of Gold Coast Mayor/LSC ex-officio member
Professor Rodger Tomlinson
Griffith University
Robert Schwartz
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
Hal Morris 
Gold Coast Waterways Authority
Greg Turner
Maritime Safety Queensland
Michael Hart MP 
State Member for Burleigh
The Hon Karen Andrews MP
Federal Member of McPherson
Mike Brooks
Volunteer Marine Rescue Currumbin
Sean Bicknell
Currumbin Stand Up Paddlers
Luke Jackson
Gold Coast Body Board Club
Hilary Jacobs
Creek-to-Creek Chamber of Commerce
Stuart Black
Currumbin RSL Fishing Club
Bob Newman
Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce
Chris Butler
Surfrider Foundation Australia
Gary Radcliff
Association of Surfing Lawyers/LSC Secretary & Legal Advisor

Surf Management Plan

Gold Coast WSR News

STW Visits Gold Coast For International Surfing Symposium

The Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve successfully hosted a two day International Surfing Symposium (ISS) at the Gold Coast in early March that convened an impressive turnout of surfing legends, coastal management experts, and academics. STW’s Nick Mucha and Trey Highton both presented at the ISS. The two-day symposium, co-hosted by Griffith University, was the

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Gold Coast Officially Dedicated as 8th World Surfing Reserve

Coolangatta, Australia (March 8, 2016) – Save The Waves Coalition is happy to announce that on the morning of March 8th the Gold Coast from Burleigh to Snapper was officially dedicated as a World Surfing Reserve (WSR). The ceremony was held at Point Danger Park where Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gold Coast Mayor

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