A City Built for Outdoor Living: Expanding Green Spaces and Parks Across the Gold Coast
The City of Gold Coast is celebrating an important milestone, with the unveiling of the first stage of Greenheart – a new urban green space in Merrimac and Robina that is transforming 257 hectares of floodplains into a destination park equipped with sports fields, play areas and community spaces.
When it comes to sun-soaked and salt-flecked escapes, the Gold Coast already boasts an unassailable standing courtesy of its world-renowned beaches. But the City of Gold Coast may soon be recognised as a coveted destination for those seeking a holistic outdoor-focused way of life, thanks to a new wave of exciting and accessible green spaces.
While projects such as Broadwater Parklands, HOTA Home of the Arts Cultural Precinct, The Spit Master Plan and the Tallebudgera Creek improvement works have helped vastly improve the Gold Coast community’s connection to nature, a brand-new development – the scale of which hasn’t been undertaken by Council in several years – is set to raise the city’s standard of outdoor amenities.
Greenheart is a 257-ha site that sits within the Merrimac–Carrara (Gurangunbah) floodplain. As the area is unsuitable for residential housing and development is restricted, the City of Gold Coast has approved the transformation of the area into a destination park that looks to cater to all ages and interests.
Construction works began in May 2023, with the first stage of Greenheart’s development unveiled this year. Dubbed Greenheart Robina Parklands, this 22.5-ha segment boasts more than $25 million in park upgrades, including the installation of modern recreational facilities that will allow visitors to play, relax and reconnect with nature.
Amenities include accessible toilet and changing facilities, a yoga lawn, a fully fenced space for toddlers and primary school aged children with custom-designed play towers, a water play area, barbecues, picnic tables and shelters, an events lawn and stage suitable for large community and ticketed events, an informal ball sports area, an outdoor gym, a pedal park for scooters and bikes, and a fenced dog off-leash area with agility equipment, seating and shade trees.
“The opening of Greenheart Robina Parklands marks a significant milestone in the City’s commitment to fostering vibrant and accessible green spaces,” says City of Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate. “It is a testament to our dedication to enhancing open spaces and providing valuable recreational facilities for our growing population.”
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Greenheart Robina Parklands also features 400 newly planted trees and over 17,000 plants, which will enhance the green canopy and contribute to improving the city’s ecological wellbeing.
“This park not only offers a space for locals and visitors to enjoy but also supports our overall Greenheart master plan, which aims to create a central ‘green heart’ on the Gold Coast,” says Tom Tate. “This project is a great example of our commitment to improving the quality of life for our community. As the first stage of the Greenheart initiative, the park represents a significant step towards a greener, more sustainable future for the Gold Coast.”
Once complete, Greenheart will be the largest parkland on the Gold Coast – an urban outdoor space roughly six times the size of Broadwater Parklands. Ensuing stages of Greenheart’s development will include the construction of new sports fields, a large event lawn for multi-stage festivals and international concerts, renewed wetlands providing important habitat and feeding grounds for birds and other wildlife, and a 27-km network of paths and trails.
For more information on the Greenheart master plan, click here.
