⛏️ Controversial quarry update
Volume 153: A poll | Coomera braces for traffic pain | $23.3m Pokemon card record | Sunrise DJ set at Cali Beach Club and heaps more
G’day GC, and welcome back to another big weekly newsletter - it’s February 19.
What an incredible week of watching our Winter Olympians give it their all up there in Italy.
Our best Winter Games ever 💪🇦🇺!
In today's newsletter
One Big Thing: The fate of the controversial Reedy Creek quarry
A new sunrise DJ rave to hit: Cali Beach Club on 21 February
The Gold Coast grabs: A lion's share of the money, and runs
Trending: How locals look at tourists in a tourist town..
Around the web: Coomera braces for traffic pain, A poll for you to vote in, Pokémon card sells for $23.3m, GC Australian of the Year nominations now open, and heaps more!
Upcoming events
🔓 Unlocking extras
We love sending you our snackable reads, and if you’re loving them too, we have an upgraded version with extra perks for just a few dollars.
Weekend Weather and Surf
🕹️That’s fun: We’re back in the (online) snow again this week, sending it downhill like an Aussie Winter Olympian with this free snowboard game 🏂
Live Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: The fate of the controversial Reedy Creek quarry
By Marshall Hall
What’s Happening: The future of a controversial Reedy Creek Quarry plan is set to be placed in the hands of the Queensland Government after it announced plans to “call in” the approval process for the planned Boral quarry.
Why It Matters: The ongoing conflict over Boral’s Reedy Creek Quarry plan dates back over a decade, when it was initially declared a Project of State Significance.
For nearby Reedy Creek locals, the project could determine traffic, noise and environmental pressure for years.
By the Numbers
It has been 15 years since the quarry was first declared a Project of State Significance.
In 2014: The City of Gold Coast actually rejected the development application.
10 days: Will be the community window to oppose the proposed call-in
Zoom In: The planned “call in” follows a request last week from three Gold Coast-based Members of Parliament - Ros Bates, Laura Gerber, and Hermann Vorster.
Last year Boral submitted a revised application, with the proposed quarry having a smaller footprint than originally planned.
But residents opposed the revised plan, and protests have grown louder over the past few months.
What The People Say: Mr Bleijie, who is also the Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, said the proposed call-in was about restoring confidence that community concerns were fully understood and properly considered.
“By initiating this proposed call in, we’re taking the time to test whether the right questions have been asked, the right information has been considered, and whether the community has had a genuine opportunity to be heard.”
What To Look For Next: With the announced plans to call in the approval process, all eyes will be on what the State Government decides next.
2.
3. The GC grabs the money and runs
By Marshall Hall
What’s Happening: The Gold Coast has secured the lion’s share of a $57 million state-federal package to restore Queensland beaches hammered by Cyclone Alfred.
Why It Matters: Following the battering the beaches copped last year, Councils from Bundaberg to the Gold Coast were invited to apply for funding, with successful projects focused on the areas most impacted by the cyclone.
By the Numbers
The GC is set to receive a whopping $37.229 million: Which is 64% of the total funding
8 Queensland Councils: Shared the recovery cash from Bundaberg to the Gold Coast.
20 projects: Have been funded, by the package, which came about
What The People Say: Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said all levels of government were working together on long-term recovery from Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
“This is a significant package that won’t only bring back a sense of normalcy, but will rebuild habitats for local wildlife and rehabilitate coastlines so they can withstand future severe weather events.”
🔓 Unlocking extras
We love sending you our snackable reads, and if you’re loving them too, we have an upgraded version with a few extra perks just for you.
For just a few dollars, upgraded subscribers get:
The full back catalogue + open access to all website articles
Subscriber-only content
Ability to interact with the GC Minute community
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4. Trending
5. Around The Web
Coomera braces for more traffic pain
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Coomera residents face even more traffic gridlock after the City of Gold Coast approved a 720-apartment, four-tower mixed-use development on one of the region’s busiest roads.
Those Pokémon cards your parents threw out could’ve helped you: Retire early, especially considering Logan Paul just sold a rare card for a record AUD $23,300,000.00
An entirely new synthetic material has been developed, inspired by: Octopus skin, which is able to rapidly change colour and texture on demand
The computer scientist behind the world’s first: Chatbot, dedicated his life to publicising the threat posed by AI, saying the tech can “induce powerful delusional thinking in quite normal people”
Computer RAM (random access memory) in phones and computers is becoming: Short-stocked due to AI infrastructure getting priority allocations, with warnings of mega price hikes coming soon to personal devices as a result
Universities are on notice with OpenAI pushing harder into: Higher education to influence how AI is taught, governed, and normalised.
Recent newsletters
Last week’s top-clicked link was 👇
Weekly Dream Gig
This week - Tribeca Health is hunting a Head of Marketing & eCommerce in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast to help Kamikaze hit the afterburners across retail, online sales and culture-led campaigns.
If you’re the rare breed who can juggle brand storytelling and ROAS spreadsheets, you’ll own the full marketing + eComm function (brand, performance, retail activations, partnerships) reporting straight to the Director.
The kicker: $120,000.00–$140,000.00 per year, full-time — and it was posted just 1 day ago.
6. Upcoming Events
🏄 Gold Coast Open (surfing) – Fri 20 Feb–Sun 22 Feb, 6 am–8:30 pm; five days of high-stakes surf action hits Burleigh Hill as top surfers battle it out (and it’s free to watch).
🏐 Suncorp Spirit Cup (Firebirds v Lightning + SSN double-header) – Fri 20 Feb, 5 pm–9 pm; pre-season netball rivalry night at Gold Coast Sports & Leisure Centre, Carrara, with a full double-header on court.
🏊 World Para Swimming Gold Coast – Fri 20 Feb–Sun 22 Feb, 9 am–10 pm; elite para swimmers race under lights at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, delivering three days of world-class competition.
🏮 Lunar New Year in Chinatown (Southport) – Sat 21 Feb, 3 pm–7:30 pm; Lion/dragon dancing, food trucks, market stalls and a fireworks finale to light up Davenport & Young Streets.
🎸 The Darkness (live) – Sat 21 Feb, 6 pm–10 pm; UK rock hits the Gold Coast for a loud, late one at Miami Marketta (18+).
🏀 NBL Ignite Cup Final – Sun 22 Feb, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm; a standalone championship showdown (between the Adelaide 36ers and New Zealand Breakers) at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach.
