The Gold Coast Bulletin
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE
AI-generated pictures and pranks calls are hurting the search for a Tasmanian devil that escaped a Gold Coast wildlife park earlier this week, authorities say. Mary, 2, escaped her enclosure at Village Roadshow’s Paradise Country with some credible...
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RATES HIKE SLASHED
Gold Coast City councillors have backed down on a record rate hike, settling on a 4.7 per cent general rate increase that will save ratepayers at least $13m. The Bulletin earlier revealed council had planned a 5.7 per cent increase — which would have...
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DAREDEVIL ESCAPES
A theme park remains closed after a Tasmanian devil staged a daring escape, taking an “abnormally large leap” to get out of her enclosure, and sparking a suburb-wide hunt. Staff at Village Roadshow’s Paradise Country have spent almost two days...
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DON’T BE SILLY BILLY FORMER ORIGIN STARS URGE SLATER TO CHOOSE WALSH
Queensland coach Billy Slater has been urged to axe Ezra Mam in favour of his Broncos teammate Reece Walsh to help the Maroons save the series in Origin II. Former Maroons halfback Cooper Cronk and legendary NSW pivot Matty Johns have questioned Mam’s...
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BUSH MATTERS
The largest conversation between the bush and powerbrokers starts today, as News Corp Australia launches its 2026 Bush Summit campaign. Regional Australians can have their say on issues that matter most in a new poll, which will help frame debate at...
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BARRELS OF FUN
The Gold Coast’s coolest week-long party, the Sessions Surf Festival, has wrapped up its 2026 edition with a Burleigh Heads blowout featuring live music, a beach bar, and a USA versus Australia showdown that saw an impeccable Kelly Slater monster our...
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ART OF THE MATTER
Every successful film franchise deserves a sequel. Which is why, after decades spent attracting Hollywood productions and blockbuster budgets, the Gold Coast’s film and television industry is about to debut its new chapter: The Rise of the Local...
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A FEAST FOR THE SENSES
The Scenic Rim Eat Local Month launches this weekend, Friday to Sunday, turning the Gold Coast’s stunning hinterland backyard into a premier food and wine playground. Focusing on the eastern subregion – Tamborine Mountain, Canungra and Beechmont – the...
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‘FULL OF JOY’
The Gold Coast’s premier contemporary arts celebration is set for a major shake-up as a “spring awakening” this year. Under new artistic director Felix Preval, Bleach Festival will be predominantly hosted by HOTA from October 1 to 11. Mr Preval, a...
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WILD NIGHT OUT
Gold Coast glamour and crucial wildlife conservation will collide Saturday night as Dreamworld hosts its highly anticipated second annual Give for the Wild: Gatsby Soiree. The immersive, afterhours event will transform the park’s Rivertown precinct...
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MAGIC TITANS PARTNERSHIP
Seven in 10 Australian parents say they are concerned about their children’s financial future. Crucially, half (49 per cent) say costof-living concerns have influenced their decision to limit their family size or not have children at all, Sharesies...
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A SWELL TIME AT THE BEACH
A hazardous surf warning is expected to be in place until Tuesday, with a low-pressure system over New Caledonia sending powerful waves thousands of kilometres away. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jonathan How said on Sunday southeast...
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OMEROS SON SUED
Veteran Gold Coast restaurateur Nick Omeros, co-founder of the Omeros Bros seafood empire, has lodged a bombshell lawsuit to prevent his son operating a new restaurant amid allegations he had been brutally cut out of the picture. Nick Omeros, 83,...
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CULTURAL STATEMENT
More than $600,000 has been spent to form a “unifying cultural expression” to help Gold Coast tell a “shared story” describing a yes culture that “is more than a city — it is a mindset,” a new report reveals.
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TITANS FANS READY FOR LAS VEGAS
A founding member of the Gold Coast Titans’ dreams have come true, jumping at the chance to watch his team play in the NRL’s 2027 Las Vegas season opener. The Titans will tackle the Parramatta Eels, alongside Melbourne Storm and Wests Tigers, at...
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VEGAS, BABY!
The Gold Coast Titans are going to Sin City. The Titans have trumped the Dolphins in the Queensland battle for a spot in the NRL’s 2027 Las Vegas season-opener. Josh Hannay’s Titans will take on the Parramatta Eels.
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REUNITED AT LAST
It was the call Amanda Walczak never expected to get. The Oxenford mother-oftwo was on a work call earlier this month when she received a message that her cat was at a pound in Melbourne. This was a surprise to Ms Walczak, who had been forced to give...
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MILES AHEAD
Sunshine and blue skies made for perfect conditions for runners to hit a PB at the GC30 event at Main Beach. Event director Adam Goodger said the sold-out race had 4000 participants run from Seaworld Drive to Doug Jennings Park and around to the...
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HOONS TERRORISE SENIORS
A gang of e-bike hoons are terrorising an over-60s soccer club, alongside separate reports they have been throwing rocks at cars and targeting drivers with laser pointers. Angelo Raguz, 58, said his soccer team have been terrorised for the past month.
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ON A NEW NOTE...
They are the festival first-timers ready to shine at the Blues on Broadbeach this weekend. Despite predictions of continued dreary weather, Brunswick Heads’ Ally Palmer and Gold Coast local Jodie-Joy Smith are excited to make their festival...
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TRUMP DUMPS COAST
The Trump family has pulled out of a controversial planned $1.2bn supertower development on the Gold Coast.
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SPIT’S $120M REVIVAL
The first all-residential development on The Spit is one step closer as the transformation of the precinct ramps up. Ignite Projects has lodged plans with Gold Coast City Council for the $120m, threestorey The Isles complex, earmarked for the site...
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MUM OF 7 KILLED
A single mum of seven who died in a three-car crash on the Gold Coast was on her way home from a Mother’s Day market. Coomera mum Rebecca Hayes (inset), 41, died at Maudsland on Sunday. Police said three vehicles, a Mitsubishi ASX station wagon, a...
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ETSU’S SIBLING TO OPEN
The owner behind one of the Gold Coast’s most highly rated Japanese restaurants is a month away from rolling out the welcome mat at their new venue in Burleigh Heads. Etsu Izakaya owner Nathan Horwood will open his new restaurant Shoto Dining along...
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MY KIDS SAVED ME
Gold Coast mum Anna Wilkinson says she owes this Mother’s Day to her two children – for saving her life, and for stepping up when she needed them the most.
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LITTLE OLIVIA’S BRAVE FIGHT
A young Gold Coast mum received devastating news her three-year-old daughter had stage four cancer on her 20th birthday. Now the inseparable pair are facing the fight of their lives. Jazmine Spring was told her blonde and bubbly little girl Olivia...
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ALEXA’S SECOND CHANCE
Australia knows Alexa Leary as the bright and bubbly swim star who won the nation’s hearts with two swimming golds at the Paris Paralympics. Her tear-jerking and inspirational heroics came after doctors gave her little chance of surviving a...
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MARGOT STUNS AT MET GALA
Some of the world’s biggest stars, including Gold Coast’s Margot Robbie, stunned on the red carpet in what was possibly the raciest Met Gala yet. Robbie, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman and girlfriend Sutton Foster led the Aussie charge on the steps of...
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A FIGHT ON THE BEACHES
Plans to fast track a radical beachside dining trial on the Gold Coast are facing a setback ahead of a crucial vote as councillors call for more details after strong opposition from residents. Surfers Paradise-based councillor Darren Taylor (pictured)...
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OUR KIDS, OUR FUTURE
Top doctors have warned the future of Australian children is at a critical crossroads and in dire need of worldleading medical research to reverse a situation where an entire generation’s health is now, for the first time, worse than their...
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FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW
The Gold Coast Titans have reinforced their support of junior rugby league in the region with Rugby League Gold Coast’s junior competitions now set to be named the Gold Coast Titans Junior Rugby League. Rugby League Gold Coast chairman Wayne Court...
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STAR’S BLOODY GOOD MOVE
A former Home and Away star says his risky move from LA to the Gold Coast has delivered his “best case scenario”. Martin Dingle-Wall will walk the red carpet for the first Australian screening of his film This Bloody Country at HOTA on Wednesday at...
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RAIN ON OUR PARADE
The Gold Coast’s soggy spell is set to continue, with forecasters predicting another week of rain. Meteorologist Harry Clark said the region would be seeing “more of the same” after the city was drenched over the Anzac Day weekend. From 9am on Sunday...
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PUSHED OUTTA PALMY
Palm Beach’s highrise push might be driving up density in the suburb, but it’s also driving out existing businesses. A Palm Beach Thai restaurant is closing, a hairdressers has moved and six other stores face having to shut up shop after twin tower...
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‘HIGH LIFE’ ARREST
An unemployed Gold Coast panelbeater living the ‘high-end life’ in one of Clear Island Waters’ ‘most iconic homes’ was detained at an airport and charged with coke trafficking after a tip-off from the state’s bikie-busting squad. The arrest of Clear...
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PIG OUT ON EAT LOCAL
There’s never been a better excuse to pig out. Scenic Rim Eat Local Month has released its biggest program in 15 years, with an appetising array of adventures supporting our rural neighbours. Growers, farmers, makers and chefs will open their gates...
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‘GOD BLESS BRS’ War hero defends Ben Roberts-Smith
A Gold Coast Vietnam veteran has said the case against accused war criminal Ben RobertsSmith “really bloody stinks” and “God bless (him)” while receiving a long-overdue medal for his courage under fire. Mermaid Beach resident Garry John Chad was...
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PILATES HITS THE SAND
When Matilda McKinnon and Frankie White hosted their first free pilates class at Mermaid Beach, nobody showed up. Twelve months later, She’s Spicy has grown to about 200 women rolling out their pilates mats every week for a sunrise class on the...
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BALI BAIL JAUNT
The parents of a Gold Coast teen killed in an ebike crash are fuming that the boy charged over the tragedy had his sentencing delayed multiple times before flying straight to Bali on a family holiday – while on bail. Hudson Gagg, 17, died last...
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WHIPPING UP A STORM
From Coolangatta to Coomera, cafe lines are stretching around the block. Cost-of-living crisis? Apparently it’s no matcha for cold-foam coffee. The refreshment revolution was born with the Mont Blanc – cold brew capped with cream and orange zest...
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SKYE HIGH
Gold Coast’s Skye Nicholson will be fighting for her two brothers when she headlines a Victorian event next week.
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REOPEN SURFERS
State MP John-Paul Langbroek has demanded the Gold Coast City Council dump its Surfers Paradise beachfront plaza and reopen The Esplanade to traffic. The controversial closure of the road in mid-2025 has divided business owners and residents, with...
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POINT TO PROVE
Nearly 1000 movers and shakers from across Australia are descending on the Gold Coast for the Aussie Dance Tour. In its third year, the four-day event, kicking off on Wednesday at Carrara’s Gold Coast Indoor Sports Complex, brings together...
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JUST A BAD DAY
It’s never clinical like it was for Tiger when you’re riding the Rory rollercoaster. Despite breaking his 17-year Masters hoodoo 12 months ago, and racing to a record sixshot halfway lead, Rory McIlroy put himself through hell again before capturing...
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BRIGHT DAY FOR DARK KNIGHT
The streets of Broadbeach popped with colour and costumes across the weekend for one of the Gold Coast’s biggest annual events. Crowds of up to 30,000 people descended on the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre for the annual twoday Supanova...
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EVERY DAY IS A BATTLE
Gold Coast Paralympic queen Alexa Leary and her family are for the first time sharing their ongoing battle with her traumatic brain injury.
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INFLUENCER CAPITAL
Visit Burleigh or Nobby Beach and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled into a photo-shoot. Gorgeous twentysomethings in model-off-duty activewear clutch matcha lattes and cold-foam coffees, MacBooks open, hair blown out. This is the new Gold...
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VILLAGE TAKEN FOR A RIDE
A senior executive accused of embezzling more than $1m of funds from theme parks operator Village Roadshow had been with the company for 15-20 years, it can be revealed. The man was a widely respected executive and the allegations have rocked the...
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REUNITED WITH MY HEROES
Inspirational Paralympic champion Alexa Leary has had a teary reunion with the two Sunshine Coast doctors who gave her a second chance at life. After 111 days in hospital, and daily rehabilitation to learn to walk and talk again, Ms Leary is doing...
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COCKTAIL VENUE SHAKES IT UP
A former Burleigh Heads cafe has been transformed into an authentic Mexican cocktail venue. ConKaBar will be the newest addition to the evergrowing Burleigh Heads night-life scene when it opens on April 10. Owner Michelle Ramirez said the...
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SHARKS ECLIPSE GOLD COAST SUNS IN VFL
The Southport Sharks have retained the Doc Mackenzie Cup in style with a resounding 145-69 win over the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday in round 3 of the VFL. After an even first term, the Sharks stormed away in the second quarter and did not look back...
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READY TO WIN
Titans bosses have warned the days of the cashed-up Broncos stealing their best kids are over as the Gold Coast empire strikes back in the turf war to sign the next Reece Walsh. New Titans co-owner Matt Johns has made it his personal mission to lock...
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$1m ‘staff theft’ probe
Village Roadshow Theme Parks is confronting allegations staff embezzled more than $1m in “inappropriate payments”.
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PREGNANT PAUSE
halfback Jayden Campbell is anxiously awaiting the birth of his first child ahead of the M1 derby against the Broncos on Saturday. Campbell has been on tenterhooks for the past fortnight as he and partner Teagan prepare for the arrival of their...
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THE CRANE CAPITAL
For the first time there are more cranes dominating the Gold Coast’s skyline than in Brisbane, with $7bn dollars of new and stalled tower developments pulled off the shelves and rushed to construction to beat the Olympic rush. The Gold Coast’s...
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WORLD RECORD SMASHED
Gold Coast golfer Thomas Fliniks has cemented his place in sports history, receiving his Guinness World Record certificate for the fastest golf ball ever hit. Clocked at an eye-watering 235.1km/h-378.4km/h, the 35-year-old’s feat pushed the boundaries...
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DEADLY LOOP HOLE
When beloved Gold Coast teacher Sharon Lee Henningsen (pictured) received the devastating diagnosis of advanced stage-three endometrial cancer, she expected she could access life-saving immunotherapy under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. But while...
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HOME SWEET HOME
The Gold Coast Titans are coming home. After a three-week road trip to open the NRL season, the club returns to Cbus Super Stadium this Sunday for its Round 4 clash against the St George Illawarra Dragons. Both teams sit at 0-3, itching for their...
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MAYOR-A -LAGO EMBARGO
A leading expert on public integrity says Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has “no choice” but to abstain from deciding the future of the controversial $1.5bn Trump tower development. The Trump Organisation paid for the mayor’s two-day stay at Mar-a-Lago in...
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CHEQUES MARK THE SPOT
Gold Coast City Council has plundered millions in parking fines from beachgoers on a single Burleigh street. Data provided to the Bulletin shows tickets worth $3m were dished out at Goodwin Terrace in just two years. That’s more than any other Gold...
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PAW-SITIVE ROLE MODELS
An Australian organisation is desperately seeking more puppy volunteers, with a Gold Coast resident saying her adorable pups were the paw-fect success story. Assistance Dogs Australia (ADA) is seeking people living within 100km of Gold Coast and...
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WORLD-CLASS ACTION HITS COAST INAUGURAL GOLD COAST
A Gold Coast mother-of-two and an American triathlon star have shared the spotlight in inaugural T100 10km run on Sunday – complementing a blockbuster weekend of triathlons. In what might only be described as a stunning entry into competitive distance...
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FINE FORM
Gold Coast council’s enforcement priorities have been slammed after 15 dog owners were fined for having off-leash pets while illegal campers remained unpunished. Among the penalised dog owners was a Currumbin resident who received two fines in two...
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SECRET’S NOT SAFE
Gold Coast City Council is considering “new options” after it was caught trying to sneak through plans to replace a suburban Miami park with a depot for trucks. Under the plans a playground, picnic bench and trees would have been bulldozed to make way...
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TO HAVE BUT NOT HOLD
A Gold Coast dry cleaners has been accused of giving away a bride’s wedding dress, gifted by her late mother, to a charity store that sold it for $80. Peggy Worrell (left) found out recently it had been given away.
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HOMELESS BANNED
Antisocial homeless people could be banned from suburbs for up to three months under a statewide crackdown set to begin with the Gold Coast’s CBD. Southport has been blighted in recent years by a dramatic uptick in homeless people, many drug-addled...
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‘SHE’S NOT SAFE’
Former NRL star Chris Walker showed “deeply concerning” behaviour towards his estranged wife in the days leading up to his dramatic arrest, a court has heard.
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SEAR’S FULL OF CHEERS
At just 18 years old, Samantha Sear is proving the road to international cheerleading glory is paved with interstate miles and relentless discipline. The Gold Coaster has been selected to represent Australia for the second consecutive year at the 2026...
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DEMO ROW GROWS
Bulldozers have begun demolishing sections of the $2.25bn Coomera Hospital already completed under the previous state government. But Health Minister Tim Nicholls says it’s a result of Labor’s failed masterplan which had to be redeveloped.
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AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE
Five members of the Iranian women’s soccer team have been granted visas by the Australian government and are under police protection.
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BLOKE ON THE WATER
On the road, 19-year-old Jai Hunter is restricted by his Pplates, but on the Gold Coast Broadwater on the weekend there was no limit on the throttle for the jet ski racing champion. The speed demon, who lives in Pimpama, won the Pro-Am Runabout 1100...
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