🥵 Mega El Niño odds upgraded, Queensland outlook shifts
Volume 169: Property giant's Robina project green light | 100 epic World Cup facts | The GC's new Australians of the Year | NASA's record breaking supersonic flight and more!
G’day GC, and welcome back to another weekly edition.
It’s June 11, and the eve of the 2026 World Cup!
The first match kicks off tomorrow, Friday, between Mexico and South Africa at 5 am, with our Socceroos going into battle at the times and dates below (AEST).
⚽️ Fun football fact: What is the fastest someone has received a yellow card in a FIFA World Cup match?
Scroll to the bottom of today’s newsletter for the answer.
In today's newsletter
One Big Thing: Property giant wins green light for Robina project
Mega El Niño odds upgraded with: Queensland outlook shifting
Palmer Leisure Coolum, controlled by GC’s richest person, has: Pleaded guilty
Around The Web: The GC’s new Australians of the Year, 100 epic World Cup facts, GC Suns face player retention battle, NASA’s record-breaking supersonic flight and heaps more!
Trending: Nerang Cineplex prices…
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1. Property giant wins green light for Robina project
By Marshall Hall
What’s Happening: Property giant Walker Corporation has won Queensland Government approval for thousands of new dwellings in the heart of the city at Robina, a massive new development that will go by the name Lakesview.
Why It Matters: The site previously had approvals for 1550 dwellings, but its revised masterplan sought to increase that number to 2750.
The State Government reduced that number to 2500, but also dropped the requirement to include affordable homes.
By the Numbers:
2,500 apartments and townhouses have been approved for Lakesview Robina.
The requirement for 500 affordable homes has been dropped by the State Government
50ha of open space, including 15ha of lakes and wetlands, are included in the proposal.
Local Impact: Set for a large site beside the northern side of Glades Golf Club and west of the Greenheart Parklands, the approval adds a major housing project to Robina, one of the city’s key residential, retail and transport hubs.
In short, it continues Robina’s rapid shift from a planned suburb to a higher-density city centre.
What To Look For Next: The State Facilitated Development pathway is designed to streamline the approval processes for “shovel-ready” projects on infill land to boost housing supply faster.
So, we’re likely to see more quick-moving major development approvals.
2. Mega El Niño odds upgraded, Queensland outlook shifts
What’s Happening: The odds of a major El Niño this year have been upgraded, with unusually warm tropical Pacific waters raising weather risks across the coming months.
Why It Matters: In just the last few days, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has said El Niño conditions are developing further, with June to August now the key window for a possible significant event.
Such a weather event can bring much hotter, drier conditions across eastern Australia in particular, which can flow through to winter crops, cattle supply, dairy margins, vegetable planting and supermarket prices.
Queensland's agricultural industry had a better start than expected this year after the late-May rain, but the season still needs follow-up falls to hold that ground, especially given how long El Niño may hang around for if it forms.
By the Numbers:
There is now an upgraded 80 per cent likelihood of a significant El Niño emerging between June to August.
In State of Origin betting terms, 80% odds would be a far-from-ideal NSW paying $1.25, and Queensland out at $5.00 (but with every Queenslander deep down knowing those odds haven’t meant anything in the last 15 years...)
If it forms, there is also a 90 per cent chance it continues until at least November
57mm of rain fell across Queensland’s wheatbelt in May, about 278 per cent of the median.
Zoom In: Late-May rain gave Queensland agriculture a much better winter starting point.
Bendigo Bank Agribusiness report showed Queensland’s wheatbelt averaged 57mm in May, about 278 per cent of the median, which helped winter crops get out of the ground after a dry lead-in.
Cattle producers also got a lift with better seasonal conditions, meaning fewer producers were forced to sell quickly, which tightened supply and helped Queensland export cattle prices rise 20c to 40c/kg across several categories in May.
Queensland winter vegetables were still below long-term price averages in May, but reduced planting could tighten supply from August.
Despite the news above, the watch-outs are still real given the WMO’s upgraded prediction.
What The People Say:
WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said “We need to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event – which will exacerbate drought and heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heatwaves both on land and in the ocean.
The most recent El Niño, in 2023-24, was one of the five strongest on record and it played a role in the record global temperatures we saw in 2024,”
Dr Mandy Freund from the University of Melbourne has said, “A moderate to strong El Niño is now likely. That matters and is worth paying attention to.”
What To Look For Next: More at the full article below.
3. Palmer Leisure Coolum pleads guilty
By Marshall Hall
What’s Happening: A company controlled by the Gold Coast’s richest person, billionaire Clive Palmer, has pleaded guilty to breaching the nation’s corporate takeover laws after fighting the charges since 2018.
Why It Matters: Mr Palmer, who is reportedly worth more than $22 billion, is also set to face the court again in September on related charges for which, if he were also found guilty, he faces a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and/or fines of up to $11,000.
In the long-running battle that dates back more than 12 years, Palmer Leisure Coolum Pty Ltd pleaded guilty this week in the Brisbane Magistrate’s Court to breaching Australia’s takeover law arising from a proposed takeover of The President’s Club Ltd.
The President’s Club is an unlisted public company representing more than 300 timeshare villa owners at the now-closed Palmer Coolum Resort on the Sunshine Coast.
By the Numbers:
$55,000 is the maximum fine Palmer Leisure Coolum now faces at sentencing
$11,000 is the fine Mr Palmer faces
$22,000,000,000 is what Mr Palmer is reportedly worth
2012 is when the proposed takeover bid was publicly raised
2018 is when Palmer Leisure Coolum and Mr Palmer were first charged
Zoom In: ASIC alleges that way back in April 2012, Palmer Leisure Coolum publicly proposed to make a takeover bid for securities in The President’s Club, however, the company did not make an offer to buy the securities within two months, as required under the Corporations Act 2001.
Mr Palmer was charged with aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the company to commit that offence.
Zoom Out: Both Mr Palmer and Palmer Leisure Coolum were first charged in April 2018. with the case before the courts ever since.
Mr Palmer and Palmer Leisure Coolum have lodged various appeals, including an appeal to the High Court of Australia, seeking to have the case thrown out.
What To Look For Next: With estimates that the cases would have cost millions of dollars in legal fees during that time, Palmer Leisure Coolum now faces fines of up to $55,000 when it faces sentencing in the District Court.
Palmer Leisure Coolum is due to be sentenced in the District Court, and Mr Palmer’s related matter is expected to return to court in September.
4. Around the web
Apple has finally revealed: Siri AI after two years playing catch-up in AI, which is apparently an improved experience, despite having Google’s Gemini under the hood
Here are 100 epic World Cup facts that: Every trivia fan should know.
Google has fired a warning short in the: AI subscription wars, announcing Monday that it is cutting the monthly price of Google AI Plus from $7.99 to $4.99, while doubling storage included at that tier from 200 gigabytes to 400 gigabytes.
Bank of America economists are warning Australia’s house prices will: Continue to fall as ‘correction’ talk amplifies
The Gold Coast Suns are set to face their: Biggest player retention battle since ‘dark days’
A record-breaking flight that lasted 81 minutes just took place, which saw: NASA’s X-59 plane go supersonic for the very first time 👇
5. Trending
Recent newsletters
Last week’s top-clicked link was 👇🏼
Weekly dream gig
This week - Think less social media manager, more founder whisperer.
Gold Coast growth firm eCom Capital is offering up to $125,000 plus performance upside for a Personal Brand Content Creator to work directly with founders Sasha and Nejra Karabut.
Your mission? Turn business wins, challenges and behind-the-scenes moments into content people actually want to watch.
You’ll film, edit, write, strategise and help grow the founders’ online presence. Basically, if you’ve ever watched a business creator on LinkedIn or Instagram and thought, “Someone is definitely following them around with a camera”, this is that job.
6. Upcoming events
📣 AASCF QLD Winterfest Cheer & Dance: Fri 12 Jun-Sun 14 Jun; cheer and dance teams take the floor at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, 296 Nerang Broadbeach Rd, Carrara, for the season-starting Winterfest.
🏃 YOHKA Gold Coast: Sat 13 Jun-Sun 14 Jun; an obstacle course racing weekend for elite athletes, first-time racers, spectators and kids, bringing coastal energy to Southport and Kurrawa Beach.
💬 HOTA Ideas: Love on the Goldy: Sat 13 Jun, 2 pm; a free panel conversation at Studio 1, HOTA Central, where local queer voices talk about love, belonging and community. Registration required.
👨👩👧👦 Family Fun Day in the Park: Sun 14 Jun, 10 am-2 pm; free family activities, live music, kids’ zones, food trucks, games and fundraising prizes at Roma Park, Isle of Capri, Surfers Paradise.
🎳 Australian Open Bowls: Fri 12 Jun-Thu 18 Jun; bowls action continues across Gold Coast host clubs, with the festival based around Broadbeach and running daily from 9 am to 5 pm.
🍩 2026 Baking Industry Trade Show: Tue 16 Jun-Thu 18 Jun; suppliers, live demonstrations, workshops and Australia’s Best Pie & Pastie Competition will fill Gold Coast Turf Club, Racecourse Dr, Bundall. Register through the trade show page.
🥋 2026 Australian Open and World Taekwondo Presidents Cup: Thu 18 Jun, 8 am-7 pm; elite black belt athletes compete for world ranking points at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, Carrara, across sparring, patterns and para events.
🏟️ Vinnies CEO Sleepout Gold Coast: Thu 18 Jun; leaders will sleep out at Cbus Super Stadium, Robina, to raise funds for people facing homelessness, with the Gold Coast event aiming for a $750,000 goal.
⚽️ Fun football fact (answer): It took just 11 seconds by Jesús Gallardo (Mexico) vs Sweden in 2018, the fastest yellow card handed out in World Cup history.