Popular park to undergo big makeover
A FAVOURITE park among families is about to get a massive makeover in a planned decade-long upgrade which will see it become one of the city’s three biggest parkland attractions.
Country Paradise Parklands at Nerang is to be upgraded after a unanimous vote of councillors at a Gold Coast City Council lifestyle committee meeting on Tuesday, leading to the start of a multimillion-dollar funding program.
Plans obtained by the Bulletin for the site on the Beaudesert-Nerang Rd show:
● a new proposed multipurpose community hub.
● a planned horticultural centre and a community event open space.
● improved and extended carparking and new northern entry for vehicles.
● a reconfiguring of the Healing Hooves space and expansion of the community gardens.
The committee was told the parklands, which had been an old theme park, was bought by the City in 2011 and a management model was put in place a year later under which Nerang Country Paradise Association managed the facility.
Officers who had prepared an updated report said the City bought more land last year, expanding the site from 13ha to 18h and opening up the opportunity for major improvements.
“This is a very good opportunity to develop this district park into a park of regional significance,” an officer said.
“There is strong community ownership out there. Most (groups) have their hands in the dirt.
“It’s a cool community feel. It’s an amazing space and unique to what we have happening in the city.”
Some buildings were in “fair to poor” condition and officers admitted “the city probably hasn’t put the appropriate funding to get it to the necessary standards”.
Some councillors noted the funding needed was “quite sizeable” but declined to discuss future financial outlays to be determined in special budget meetings.
Area councillor Peter Young said the Parklands committee had worked hard to secure about $100,000 in
funding to ensure minor repairs on buildings, and worked to plant 150,000 trees.
Cr Young believes the new management plan could see the hinterland site become as important as the Broadwater Parklands to coastal suburbs and the Greenheart for central suburbs.
“The park has been scraping along on the smell of an oily rag. The facility is very well loved by the community,” he said.
“The playground has opened it up to a whole new audience. It’s a beautiful, unique parkland. It’s absolutely wonderful.”
Lifestyle committee chair Hermann Vorster said the parkland upgrade “enjoyed broad support” and he was backed by Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, who has visited the area on several occasions for community events.
Councillor Gates said the plans would “make it one of the really great facilities in our city”.