💰Gold Coast local property prices set to soar again in 2026
Volume 143: Shark attack at Crowdy | The most expensive comic book in the world | BOM's $96.5m website spend | Our interview with Lee Kernaghan | Surf legends join 2026 GC Conservation Event and more
G’day GC, welcome back to another Thursday edition. It’s November 27.
What a week it’s been… steamy, stormy, and summer hasn’t even officially started 😰
Here’s hoping it lingers a bit longer, just because there’s nothing like a good Queensland scorcher to send the Poms into meltdown in next week’s Ashes!
In today's newsletter
One Big Thing: Local property prices set to soar again in 2026
Surf legends set to join the: 2026 Conservation Conference Gold Coast
The sun is rising on the Surfers Paradise: Equinox Resort sale
Our interview with Lee Kernaghan about: Bringing the Boys From The Bush tour back to the GC
Trending: Expensive but poor quality restaurants to recommend to an enemy..
Around the web: Shark attack at Crowdy Bay, four locals face firearm and drug charges, QLD mud crab research, our interview with Lee Kernaghan, Christmas Island to get mega data centre by Google, and heaps more
Upcoming events
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It’s just a few dollars a year 🙌
😮 Fun Fact: Just this week, three brothers were helping clean their mother’s house, when they found a 1939 copy of Superman No. 1, which their mother paid 10c for all those years ago.
While not quite the cheeky $96,500,000.00 that the BOM have paid for that new website… the three brothers sold it for approximately $14,000,000, making it the most expensive comic ever sold.
Best hold onto those old Pokèmon and NBA cards just a little longer..
Weekend Weather and Surf
Live Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: Gold Coast property prices set to soar again in 2026
What’s Happening: In great news for homeowners but terrible news for those trying to break into the property market, the Gold Coast is forecast to experience more double-digit property price growth next year.
Why It Matters: In its annual Housing Boom and Bust Report, specialist property research company SQM Research has predicted Gold Coast property prices will grow between 7 per cent and 13 per cent, depending on interest rate changes, in 2026.
By the Numbers
The 2026 forecast follows an incredible 18% growth in GC median price to November 2025, which was outlined in the report released this week
The median Gold Coast house price is now $1.32m
Local population growth is estimated to see one million residents call the GC home by 2040
Median rent $955 is now per week after increasing 8-10% across the year to September 2025, with another 5–8% rise tipped for 2026
Local Impact: Light rail extensions, M1 upgrades and 2032 Olympics preparations are hard-wiring long-term demand into the Coast’s economy and housing market.
What The People Say
SQM Research director Louis Christopher said the city’s tourism and lifestyle-driven industries were acting as a magnet for interstate migrants, retirees, and investors.
“Population growth for the Gold Coast is expected to moderate to about 1.8-2.3 per cent, or an increase of approximately 15,000-18,000 people annually, fuelled by net migration and the region’s appeal as a sea-change destination, projecting toward 1 million residents by 2040.
“The Gold Coast’s population grew by around 2.3 per cent the year to mid-2025, reaching about 752,570, which my estimate translates into additional demand for some 5,000-6,000 dwellings.
What The GC Minute Thinks: With an 18% jump in the past 12 months, the current median of $1.32 million means an extra $237,600 on paper for the average homeowner.
Here’s hoping a little of that newfound equity windfall trickles into local hospitality, charities, grassroots sporting initiatives and more somewhere along the way.
2.
Surf legends join 2026 Conservation Conference Gold Coast
What’s happening?
World Champion surfers Layne Beachley and Tom Carroll are confirmed as key speakers for the 2026 World Surfing Conservation Conference. The four-day event will take place from..
3. Sun rising on Equinox Resort sale
By Marshall Hall
What’s Happening: If you want to buy a Gold Coast high-rise resort in time for Christmas, your time is running short.
The international Expression of Interest campaign for the sale of the near beachfront Surfers Paradise tower, Equinox Sun Resort, has officially closed.
Why It Matters: Situated in an incredible 4044sqm site right at the beach, 90 of the 103 unit owners have joined forces to sell the ageing tower, a move emblematic of the Gold Coast’s evolving high-rise landscape.
By the Numbers
Just 2.86 sqm shy of a whole acre is the impressive size of the Main Beach Parade and Ferny Ave property
200,000+ social media interactions were generated during the sale campaign, evidence of the high interest
The current building has 14 storeys, 103 apartments, and was built in 1979
Local Impact: This collective sale could unlock a premium redevelopment site in the heart of Surfers, paving the way for a new chapter in the beachfront precinct’s growth.
Sun Setting, Skyscraper Rising Despite major investment in repairs, engineers warned the building’s future was limited. A new development could soon reshape this iconic corner.
What The People Say: Agent Roland Evans from Canford Estate Agents says
“he is reviewing the submission and will report offers to the owners of the 103-apartment, 14-storey building in the next two weeks.
The response to the campaign had been exceptionally strong.”
What To Look For Next: The owners are capitalising on the recent surge in interest from developers hoping to secure these prime beachfront sites.
4.
Our interview with Lee Kernaghan about bringing Boys From The Bush back to the GC
The Australian country music icon and Gold Coast local Lee Kernaghan is closing out the biggest..
Recent newsletters
5. Trending
6. Around The Web (Snippets)
Two swimmers aged in their 20s have been: Bitten by a ‘large bull shark’ at Kylies beach in Crowdy Bay early on Thursday morning, with a woman dying at the scene
Multiple London councils are responding to an ongoing cyberattack, prompting officials to: Shut down networks and phone lines and activate special emergency plans
The BOM’s new website, which annoyingly makes us all click more than it used to, to get poorer quality information that we had before, has been found to have cost: $96,500,000.00, which is roughly 20 times more than was reported to have been spent (just $4.1m)
Christmas Island is reinventing itself as a mega data centre connecter, following: Google’s confirmation of plans to build a hub that will connect it to the Maldives and Oman👇
Weekly Dream Gig
This week: Winners Locker is unlocking a powerhouse role for a Head of Content in Southport.
If you eat, sleep, and breathe content, this full-time gig pays a tidy $120,000.00–$160,000.00 + super to steer one of Australia’s fastest-rising rewards and lifestyle brands.
You’ll be the creative captain behind all things TikTok, Insta, YouTube, Meta and beyond, leading a tight in-house crew of shooters, editors, and creators.
If you’ve got 3–5+ years running content teams, know your way around short-form like a pro, and can turn big ideas into systems that don’t crumble on Monday morning, this is for you.
7. Upcoming Events
🌊 Summer by the Sea Markets: Sat 29 Nov, 3 pm; beachside stalls, food and music at Kurrawa Park, Broadbeach.
🍷 Wine & Paint Night @ Burleigh Bazaar: Sat 29 Nov, 6 pm; relaxed sip and paint session with live tunes.
🏄 GC Surfboard Swap Meet: Sun 30 Nov, 7 am; boards, gear and surf culture at Miami Beach Surf Club.
🧒 Broadwater Parklands Kids Fest: Sun 30 Nov, 10 am; games, rides and family fun on the Southport Broadwater.
🎤 Open Mic Night @ Mo’s Desert Clubhouse: Tue 2 Dec, 7 pm; local singers, spoken word and jam sessions.
