Pimpama population in overdrive
Our fastest growing suburb is desperate for transport funding
A BOOMING Gold Coast suburb is the third fastest growing in the country – and the Deputy Mayor says it urgently needs better transport infrastructure to keep it “liveable”.
Pimpama residents rose a whopping 30.8 per cent – or 2966 – from 2016 to 2017, new ABS statistics have revealed.
The soaring northern corridor hotspot’s percentage rate of growth was only outstripped by a Melbourne suburb and Coombs in the Australian Capital Territory.
The data showed, as of last year, Pimpama had 12,586 residents and also ranked its growth spurt the seventh largest in Australia by number.
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, who represents the northern division, had a stark warning for State and Federal governments.
“I’m glad these figures have come out because it may draw attention to the fact M1 (upgrades) or the Coomera connector needs to be fasttracked to cope with the population,” she said.
“This is the biggest problem with the growth. It’s not schools. But the traffic is a major concern and because we are talking about major motorways it can’t be funded from ratepayers,” Cr Gates said.
“It requires an injection of of funding from State and Federal Governments to keep the place liveable,” she said.
Council was overseeing a new library at Ormeau and a $58m community, aquatic and sports centre at Pimpama with a 50-metre pool, netball and tennis courts.
“Council is meeting population growth targets and developing supply set out in the south-east Queensland regional plan,” she said.
“What the community doesn’t understand is why council keeps approving development without corresponding infrastructure upgrades to help cope with the growing population. And by that I mean primarily access to the M1. The problem with we have is all the roundabouts and interchanges to the M1 are single lane.”
The council had an obligation to approve development applications within the State-designated urban footprint and land owners were permitted to take legal action if council re-zoned land, she said.
Cr Gates added the pace of Pimpama’s stunning growth revealed by ABS was no surprise
“It is a terrific location. There are so many schools, it is so close to Brisbane, halfway between there and Surfers Paradise.
“It’s a great location for families to move and enjoy all the Gold Coast has to offer – but it certainly needs some help.”
Coomera was the only other Gold Coast suburb to record double-digit growth, climbing 10.3 per cent to 15,227 residents. Ormeau-Yatala