šļø E-bike riders hit in police crackdown but Tate wants more
Volume 135: Shark-bite resistant wetsuits | A TikTok for deepfakes by OpenAI | Prime Southport office tower hits market | A new 'World's tallest building' | Springbrook Firies' support and more
Happy Thursday GC, and welcome back to another weekly newsletter.
Hereās cheers to a long weekend for His Majesty (and the footy final..), and good luck to the āNorthern Gold Coastā Brisbane Broncos, heading south for the big dance on Sunday with the ever-strong Melbourne Storm.
Itās October 2, and itās hot š„µ.
In today's newsletter
One Big Thing: E-bike riders hit in Police crackdown, but Tate wants more
Shark bite: Resistant wetsuit tests run by Flinders University
Prime Southport office: Tower āSeabankā hits the market
Trending: A massive warship out from Main Beach
Around the web: Upper Coomeraās new $33m storage hub, a TikTok for deepfakes.. by OpenAI, the new āWorldās tallest buildingā, opens in November, Springbrook firiesā support, GC juniors selected in hockey squads and heaps more.
Upcoming events
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šØPublic Holiday Alert: Monday, October 6, for His Majesty, King Charles IIIās birthday
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*Brisbane includes the Gold Coast
1. One Big Thing: E-bike riders hit in police crackdown, but Tate wants more
By Marshall Hall
Whatās Happening: Police have intercepted 35 Gold Coast e-bike riders, and 14 juveniles were charged during a two-day blitz on unsafe and unlawful behaviour by riders.
Why It Matters:Ā Queensland has been deemed the worst in the country in terms of e-bike incidents, and the Gold Coast plays a big part inĀ those numbers.
As a result, calls for tighter laws and restrictions on manufacturers are mounting, following the area emerging as a hotspot for high-speed e-bike incidents.
By the Numbers:
A 13-year-old Bonogin boy,Ā who police allege was riding an e-bike at more than 70kmh along Christine Avenue before failing to stop at two red lights, was charged.
A 14-year-old boy, also riding an e-bike, was charged with evading police and committing dangerous operation of a vehicle. Additional offences included riding without registration, insurance, or a licence, and failing to wear a helmet.
A 15-year-old boy was intercepted on an e-motorbike, which was subsequently impounded by police for alleged offences including unlicensed driving, riding an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, operating a defective vehicle, failing to stop, driving without due care, and driving on a nature strip.
Local Impact:Ā With the crackdown continuing throughout the school holidays, the Gold Coast Mayor wants laws to be even tougher to punish the offenders.
What The People Say: Mr Tate said he wanted riders to hold a license, for the bikes to be speed-limited to 15kmh and for manufacturers to be required to limit the top speeds.
ā(An e-bike) doesnāt need to go up to 40, 50 kilometres per hour, which is dangerous, so that legislation should be put through as soon as possible,āā Mr Tate said.
āI welcome technology, but the legislation should keep up with it.ā
What To Look For Next: With Mr Tate saying he would like new laws to be in place by Christmas this year, read more at the full article below.
2.
3. Southport office tower hits the market
By Marshall Hall
Whatās Happening: The prime Southport office tower āSeabankā is now on the market through an international expression of interest campaign.
Why It Matters: The building has 11 storeys, of which the top 10 storeys feature commercial office spaces leased by a variety of businesses including:
The Gold Coast Bulletin
The Queensland Government
Hays Recruitment
Nimble Loans
Gullotta Orthodontists
Plus three engineering consultancies, Arcadis, Aurecon, and TTM Consulting.
By the Numbers:
$34 million is what the building at 12-14 Marine Parade last changed hands for, with a previous sale in 2017 for $40 million.
STRADA is the number one majority shareholder in Sydney Football Club, which plays in the A-League.
8,482āÆsqm is the buildinās net lettable areas, with an annual net income of approximately $3.8āÆmillion
Local Impact:Ā Seabank is part of Southportās commercial heartbeat and a cornerstone of commercial real estate in the area.
What The People Say:
CBREās Mark Witheriff and Jack Morrison are managing the sale.
āSeabank is a truly exceptional asset,ā Mr Witheriff said. āIts prime location, strong tenant profile, and recent upgrades make it a compelling investment opportunity in a market experiencing significant growth.ā
āThis is a rare opportunity to acquire a landmark A-grade office tower in a thriving market,ā Mr Morrison said.
What To Look For Next: Expressions of Interest close 4pm, Wednesday 22 October.
Recent newsletters
4. Trending
5. Around The Web (Snippets)
David Bowieās album artwork for the iconic ā Aladdin Saneā might: Become the most expensive album artwork ever sold
Staff unhappy as OpenAI made a: TikTok for Deepfakes, and it is getting very hard to tell whatās real
Weekly Dream Gig
This week: TripADeal is charting a course for a Head of Digital Transformation & Product at Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast.
Leading a high-performing team at one of Australiaās fastest-growing travel companies, youāll set strategy, champion data-driven decisions, and make Customer Lifetime Value the north star. Think collaboration across tech, marketing, sales, and exec leadership ā all while turning ambitious goals into seamless travel experiences.
Paying $120,000.00+ (according to Seek filters), this is a full-time, hybrid (Byron Bay & Gold Coast) role with a competitive package and career-defining impact on offer.
6. Upcoming Events
š UniSport Nationals Mon 29 Sep ā Sun 6 Oct, various times
6,000+ student-athletes compete in 30+ sports at venues city-wide. sports
š Australian Pickleball Championships Mon 29 Sep ā Sun 6 Oct, various times
Nationās biggest pickleball event at Pimpama Sports Hub (pros to para divisions). championships
šµ Ageing Australia National Conference Tue 30 Sep ā Thu 2 Oct, 9:00 am ā 5:00 pm
Major aged-care and seniors-housing summit at GCCEC, Broadbeach. conference
š¤ø Gymnastics Australia National Clubs Carnival Thu 2 Oct, all day
State and national club gymnastic competitions return to Carrara. gymnastics
š AFLW Round 8: Gold Coast Suns vs Brisbane Lions Sat 4 Oct, time TBC
Top-tier AFLW rivalry clash at Heritage Bank Stadium. AFLW
š¶ Acoustic Picnic Sessions at HOTA Sun 6 Oct, from 2:00 pm
Live music on the lawn at HOTA with food trucks and drinks. sessions
š Coast On Tour: The Canterville Ghost Sun 6 Oct, 3:00 pm
Classic comedy theatre adapted for modern audiences at Helensvale Library. theatre
