Safety appeal
To help you get through festivities Warning over balconies
General information and directions
General items (band aids, condoms)
EMERGENCY
Police/Ambulance/Firefighters – Triple-0
Drug Arm – 07 5532 0717 Surfers Paradise Day/Night Pharmacy – 07 5502 1321 Open 7am-midnight daily.
Surfers Paradise Day/Night Medical Centre – 07 5592 2299
Open 7am-11pm daily.
Exceptional Dental – 07 5504 7002 Open 9am-5pm daily. SCHOOLIES HUB
Central Surfers Paradise will be fenced nightly for exclusive access by those with Schoolies wristbands.
This is a drug and alcoholfree environment. It operates from 7pm to midnight.
The hub can be accessed near Cavill Mall.
RECHARGE ZONES
Recharge Zones are free, private places to rest, rehydrate and receive support. They operate nightly between 7pm and midnight.
Zone 1: inside the Schoolies Hub, near North Stage
Zone 2: Esplanade outside the Schoolies Hub, between Hanlan St and Cavill Mall
Zone 3: inside the Schoolies Hub, near South Stage goldcoastbulletin.com.au
SCHOOLIES EVENT TIMES, TICKETS AND DISCOUNTS
EMERGENCY CENTRE
The Emergency Treatment Centre provides free, emergency medical treatment for schoolies in need.
It has an onsite ambulance for emergency transportation when needed.
It operates nightly from 7pm to 2am and is located on The Esplanade, next to the Soul roundabout.
TREATMENT
A SCHOOLIES safety boss says organisers “cannot lock balconies” to prevent falls during this year’s celebrations.
The warning comes as 18,000 school leavers are expected to flood the city this weekend, almost a year on from the death of Hamish Bidgood during the 2018 Schoolies festival on the Gold Coast.
The 18-year-old Sydney student fell to his death from the balcony of a Surf Regency Holiday Apartments room after a night out with friends.
Bidgood had been ingesting nitrous oxide or “nangs” after a night of drinking, and was believed to be hallucinating when he pushed past friends and climbed over a balcony railing.
In the early hours of Monday this week a 22-year-old New Zealand man died when he plunged from a balcony in Surfers Paradise. Police said Liam Kearns fell from the 15th floor of the Breakers North building about 12.30am.
In light of the tragic accident, officers issued a plea for the thousands of schoolies about to arrive on the Gold Coast to take care.
Gold Coast Safer Schoolies chairman Mark Reaburn said yesterday he could not recommend any policies to hotels taking in schoolies over the next two weeks.
“You can’t lock balconies,” he said.
“Schoolies are entitled to book. That’s really a matter for the Department of Fair Trading, and they’ve made it clear you can’t treat schoolies any differently from other members of the public.
“Schoolies isn’t a compulsory response. The kids don’t have to come and the parents don’t have to make the kids come.”
Stratacare Australia managing director Jim O’Hare urged apartment owners to crack down on dangerous balcony behaviour.
He said bodies corporate, individual owners and building managers “must takes steps” to mitigate risks throughout Schoolies celebrations.
“Balcony safety must be made a priority, especially with such a tragic reminder this week of how engaging in risky behaviour on balconies can have fatal consequences,” he said.
“Short of locking balconies – which is certainly an option – school leavers must clearly understand that if any misbehaviour on balconies occurs, then they will be evicted.”
Schoolies numbers this year have decreased, which organisers said they anticipated due to a smaller graduate cohort in Queensland.
The numbers have fallen by 10 per cent in the first week, but have jumped by 12 per cent in the second week, when NSW schoolies arrive.
A Queensland Police spokeswoman urged schoolies to behave responsibly.
“Police have the powers to act on any incident that has the potential to cause harm,” she said.
“Irresponsible behaviour on balconies could lead to eviction from the property and even arrest.
“Schoolies (festival) is a time for celebration and one poor choice could significantly impact your future.”