The Gold Coast Bulletin

‘SOAPED’ WITH COKE

The four Gold Coast men charged in connection with an alleged cross-border drug ring in which timber planks were allegedly infused with $14 million worth of cocaine, a process never before seen in Queensland, can finally be identified. This masthead...

KICKED OFF THE BUS

A bus driver is being investigated for kicking a Gold Coast schoolgirl off at the wrong stop during a storm because he feared her route was flooded. The mother of the 10-year-old Tallebudgera State School student said her daughter hid behind a tree in...

‘MY CHILD WAS ABUSED’

A court has heard about a recorded phone call between a Gold Coast tennis coach accused of sex offences and the alleged victim’s mother.

WE’VE LOST CONFIDENCE

The president of one of the Gold Coast’s largest community clubs is facing a vote to remove him from office after its board claims to have “lost confidence” in him. Southport RSL Memorial Club, which trades under the name SOPO, will hold a special...

1 YEAR FOR SON’S DEATH

The parents of a nursing student killed by a driver who lied to police about reaching speeds of at least 119km/h before the crash, are “deeply disappointed” his killer will spend only one year behind bars. Arundel man David Saji Mathew, 23, was...

WELCOME TO THE GOAL COAST

Footy fever is here, with the next generation of players gearing up for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup at Cbus Super Stadium. Fans from across Australia and Asia will flock to the Robina venue next month for six international matches featuring Iran, Korea,...

THE S10M OUESTION

Three state MPs have joined the Gold Coast City Council in urging the state government to “call-in” the Reedy Creek quarry application to prevent a potential multi-million dollar legal bill for ratepayers. But the MPs and the council are at odds over...

CEO’S FLIGHTS GROUNDED

Gold Coast Council will now approve the CEO’s travel in a stunning move after it was revealed the top boss and mayor have been signing off on each other’s ratepayer-funded international trips. A Bulletin investigation into council’s travel...

FREQUENT FLYER

Gold Coast City Council must overhaul its travel policy as the CEO (right) prepares for his fifth international trip in just 12 months, a councillor says.

HEY, SOUL SISTER

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has used his ratepayer-funded trip to the Winter Olympics in Italy to lock in the city’s 11th sister city with Ancient Olympia in southern Greece. Mr Tate says the partnership will be critical ahead of 2032.

CHEERS TO SUPER BOWL

WE’VE FOUND OUR LANE

Plans are already being hatched for an even bigger and better Laneway Festival next year after the resounding success of Saturday’s event. More than 35,000 fans packed the Southport Sharks for the 10hour music spectacular headlined by Chappell Roan....

‘MY BODY JUST KNOWS THIS IS HOME’

Netflix star Aisha Dee has made a triumphant return to the Gold Coast this week, arriving back in her hometown ahead of Friday night’s AACTA Awards ceremony with two major nominations to her name – including one for her standout role in one of 2025’s...

WHO IS LANEWAY’S surprise guest?

Fans are speculating whether Robert Irwin or Jacob Elordi will make a surprise appearance at Laneway Festival on the Gold Coast. Chappell Roan, Role Model, Pink Pantheress are set to headline the festival at Southport Sharks on February 7. As...

HOW JOSH CHANGED THE GAME

New Titans coach Josh Hannay has overhauled the “negative” culture at the club as he fights to win back the support of the Gold Coast and create an NRL premiership contender. Hannay has transformed the Titans and brought light to Parkwood since the...

FOUND THREE YEARS LATER

Tweed Heads resident Mikaela Jarvelainen, 33, walked through Gold Coast Airport on Monday cradling something more precious than luggage – her beloved cat Rishi, who vanished three years ago. The former Victorian was in the middle of moving house when...

RAPE CHARGES SERVED

The founder of Gold Coast charity Serving Our People has been accused by prosecutors of “calculated” and “deplorable” sexual assaults against three women after he fronted court on more than 50 charges, including 14 counts of rape. In a statement, the...

CHARITY RAIDED

Detectives from the Gold Coast Criminal Investigation Branch have raided the headquarters of southeast Queensland charity Serving Our People. No arrests had been made at the time of publication. Police said in a statement the search warrant was part...

WAR OF WORDS OVER SKIPPER’S FUTURE

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui’s manager has slammed criticism of the Titans captain as “disgraceful” as a war of words breaks out over the skipper’s future on the Gold Coast. Titans legend Mat Rogers has lobbed a grenade into the Fa’asuamaleaui bunker, claiming...

TRAM-BITION TO AIRPORT

Mayor Tom Tate (right) says he will run for a record fifth term in the 2028 elections to help deliver light rail to the Gold Coast Airport. In a stunning election announcement the Mayor told the Bulletin the trams were his unfinished business. The...

LOVED PILOTS KILLED

A pilot who died after his light plane crashed was a “passionate aviator” who flew people to medical appointments and played a critical role in the industry. Greg Ackman, 73, (inset) and a long-time friend from Sydney died at Heck Field in Jacobs Well...

CHAOS IN THE RIDDLE LANE

Motorists warn signage for driving on the new Coomera Connector is “an absolute joke” and needs urgent upgrading to avoid crashes around Helensvale on the northern Gold Coast. Confusion has reigned on the westbound approach to the new highway’s...

AUS DAY PRIDE: OH WHAT A PEELING

Just over a quarter of a century after taking gold in the Sydney 2000 Olympics race that stopped the nation – the unforgettable 400m sprint that cemented her in national folklore – Cathy Freeman has received the nation’s highest Australia Day...

STAND IN UNITY

Mayor Tom Tate has called on Gold Coasters to give a “middle finger to the terrorists”, announcing a significant increase in security for Australia Day after the foiling of an alleged terrorist plot targeting the city’s festivities.

AUS DAY TERROR

A PHD student with the CSIRO has faced court on a terror charge with police alleging he had planned to throw molotov cocktails during a riot on the Gold Coast on Australia Day. Sepehr Saryazdi, 24 of Bellbowrie, is charged with a single count of act in...

TRUMP TOWER SPLITS COAST

A young Gold Coast worker has started a petition to support the Trump Tower in Surfers Paradise as the development faces a wave of opposition. Jordan Quoc-Tien Hoai Nguyen, 26, a resident, worker and investor, says the prime vacant beachfront site...

BRASS BARBECUE COOKS UP STORM

A Gold Coast funk band is gearing up to hit the stage this weekend for the Big Brass Barbeque at HOTA, Home of the Arts. Heavy Wax, an eightmember group from the Coast known for its soulful tunes, will perform at Saturday’s event. The 26-piece...

BEST FOOT FORWARD NEW RUN CONFIRMED

Gold Coasters will be lacing up their running shoes ahead of a new 10km race at Surfers Paradise this year. As part of the inaugural Gold Coast T100 Triathlon, a 10km fun run will be held on March 22. The flat course starts at the Broadwater...

OFF TO A FLIER

Gold Coast racing and political leaders have dubbed the 2026 Magic Millions carnival to be the best in years, kickstarting a bumper 12 months for events in the city. “The Millions brand is fabulous and what it does for the city is great,” Gold Coast...

TRUMP CARD

Australia’s first ‘Trump tower’ is being planned for a beachfront Gold Coast site. Council sources say the Trump family is planning to build the tower – which will be emblazoned with iconic gold Trump lettering – on site of the old Iluka building.

MORE MAGIC ON THE HORIZON

Hooves thundered and thoroughbred buyers plundered as the TAB Gold Coast Magic Millions carnival hit top gear with the traditional beach gallop, and a horse went for $2m on the opening day of the 40th annual yearling sales. Top jockeys joined Magic...

STARS IN OUR EYES

The TAB Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival has bolted out of the gate with a stunning opening weekend which included a twilight meeting on Saturday hailed as an “outstanding” success by race bosses. “The vista of racing under lights, going from the...

CAGED IN HOMES

Homeowners in an affluent Gold Coast enclave are considering selling after alleged violent arguments, screaming, verbal abuse and sexual activity in their own backyard.

ATTACK DOGS GUARD TRACK

Attack dogs, infra-red cameras that detect night movement and hi-tech alarms are part of beefed-up security measures to protect the Gold Coast track from another poisoning drama ahead of the rich Magic Millions carnival.

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Two young girls in Bonogin Valley are spending these school holidays learning lifelong skills and stepping into the world of entrepreneurship. Sisters Fleur (10) and Chloe (7) Blackburn, are running their own roadside business – selling homemade dog...

SPLASHED OUT OF THE PARK

Gold Coast theme parks have experienced a sizzling start to the holidays with record numbers coming through the gates. Investment in new rides and attractions combined with idyllic summer days have been credited with the visitor surge at Dreamworld,...

DUBAI’S THE LIMIT

Billionaire NSW racing identity John Camilleri’s development company has unveiled plans to build a giant beachfront twin supertower project in Surfers Paradise which draws inspiration from Dubai and Singapore. It comes as 2026 shapes up to be one of...

FACES TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2026

JACOB ELORDI Nominated for two Golden Globes for his acclaimed work in Frankenstein, Elordi’s star in Hollywood continues to rise. Already talk of the town for his good looks and for dating some big names, the Aussie raised actor is set to shine...

VISION OF PARADISE

Surfers Paradise starts the New Year on the cusp of what is hoped will be a new golden age, with a host of major projects to revitalise the Gold Coast’s tourist heart. Construction will start this month on the Gold Coast Civic and Music Hall in...

CHEER WE GO

Locals from across the Gold Coast can ring in the New Year with fireworks, food and free family entertainment from Coomera to Coolangatta. Gold Coast City Council will run free events and fireworks at Broadwater Parklands and Coomera, and fireworks at...

MERRY CHRISTMAS ... AND A SNAPPY NEW YEAR

Four American alligators have arrived on the Gold Coast and are settling into their new home at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. The male reptiles – named Ace, Cal, Big John and The Rock – will join the sanctuary’s long-term alligator Patty. They will...

CARNAGE

A wild storm caused a trail of destruction on the Gold Coast on Christmas Day, severely damaging homes, tearing boats from their moorings and toppling a crane. Ben Wilson and his son Stone, 4, were at home when their roof collapsed.

SLAM DUNK F R THE GC

The National Basketball League is in “advanced” talks to create an expansion team for the Gold Coast. NBL chief operating officer Vince Crivelli has confirmed the league is ready to create a new franchise in the city but only if it has the right...

HOW GOLD COASTERS ARE SPENDING FESTIVE SEASON + RELEASING STRESS

Gold Coast personalities have shared their Christmas Day plans, from the joy of mandatory Santa surfs, to sad milestones of a first holiday without loved ones. Here’s what these Gold Coasters, including Mayor Tom Tate, Burleigh Pavilion owner Ben May...

TEEN’S $500K EMPIRE

A Gold Coast teen has built a paw-some empire – turning over half-a-million dollars a year, at just 17 years old. When she was 14, Nea Fernandes battled major health issues, missing out on school for months on end. She decided to create a luxury pet...

CRACKER FESTIVE FORECAST

Hot, sunny and slightly unpredictable: the Gold Coast’s Christmas forecast is officially in, and the crowds are already embracing the beach ahead of the “cracking” weather on Christmas morning. A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said Gold Coasters...

THOUGHT I WAS DEAD

A Gold Coast teenager is speaking out about the dangers of modifying electric mobility devices after a shocking crash that almost cost him his life. Sebastian Jordan (above) was just 14 when the modified electric skateboard he was riding crashed into...

A SHORE THING

The Gold Coast’s famous waterfront fishing trawlers will be retained on The Spit under a $500m redevelopment of the precinct. The state government unveiled a pair of new developments for the Broadwater peninsula on Wednesday morning which will see the...

SPIT & POLISH

New resorts, hotels and a giant 100-berth commercial marina will be built on The Spit as part of a more than half a billiondollar transformation. The state government will unveil a pair of new developments for the Broadwater peninsula on Wednesday...

RABBI: STAND UP TO HATE | NATION MOURNS | HERO TACKLED TERRORIST

Rabbi Mosheh Serebryanski says it’s time for all Australians to stand up against anti-Jewish rhetoric plaguing the country, after the terror attack on a Jewish gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The Gold Coast Jewish community figurehead said the...

SOPHIE’S CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

A teenage girl has cheated death thanks to generous donations from Gold Coast locals. What started as influenza A nearly killed Ballina’s Sophie Moran when her lungs and heart started to fail her when she was just 16. She spent 118 days at Gold Coast...

OLYMPIC HOLE IN 1

Royal Pines Resort is planning to demolish and redevelop one of its worldclass golf courses into housing ahead of it becoming the Gold Coast’s 2032 Olympic Games Athletes Village.

BOWLED OVER

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate (below) has confirmed his consortium has sold the controversial Surfers Paradise Bowls Club site, understood to be worth at least $30 million, to the developer and owner of the Jewel towers.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A HOME

A Gold Coast pensioner is spending his Christmas and new year trying to find a new home in the housing crisis as he faces eviction from his Bundall rental of 30 years. After five months of searching, Stephen Scale, 81, is yet to find a suitable place...

E-BIKE CRASH CHAOS

A young driver has slammed reckless e-bike hoons after a rider failed to give way and smashed into her car, embedding a piece of flesh into the glass and sending two teens to hospital. Poppi Watson, 19, (pictured) was driving on Tahiti Ave, Palm Beach,...

DECK THE HULLS

The Gold Coast’s Broadwater was awash with red and green as more than 100 Santas, elves and grinches churned through the water on their summer sleighs for charity on Sunday. The annual Santa Jetski Ride raises funds and awareness for the charity...

FEATHER IN HER CAP

Australian Paralympic champion Alexa Leary is a world record Para-swimmer, gold medallist — and now a New York marathoner

GUNMAN ATTEMPS BREAK-IN

Two men armed with a gun and meat cleaver have spent more than six minutes trying to break into a Mermaid Water home as police hunt the offenders. The terrifying incident unfolded at a Kurrawa Ave property around 3.25am on Wednesday. The property...

YOU GET A CAR

A Gold Coast councillor who won a car in a raffle on the council corporate credit card has vowed to gift it back to charity weeks after her name was pulled from the barrel. Southport councillor Brooke Patterson wants to gain backing from colleagues to...

LOVED TEEN KILLED IN WORKPLACE TRAGEDY

A teenage boy is being remembered as a cherished son and beloved friend after he died in a freak workplace accident on the Gold Coast. Beau Bradford was working at a construction site at Surfers Paradise about 7am on Monday when he was struck by a...

ON CLOUD NINE AS AIRSHOW RETURNS

The Pacific Airshow will return bigger and better to the Gold Coast in 2026 after the August event was sensationally cancelled due to beach erosion from Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The event will be held on the Surfers Paradise shoreline from August...

RAINBOW BAY BOOM

Developers are reporting strong sales of their Rainbow Bay towers, with new units which sold less than five years ago doubling in value. The Gold Coast’s southern most precinct has been a hub of development in the post-Covid era.

NATIONAL CRISIS MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IS BROKEN: EXPERTS

A state investigation into youth mental health care on the Gold Coast — triggered by the death of Giaan Ramsay — is a red flag that Australia’s system is in total meltdown, experts warn. As investigators this week met with the parents of Giaan, the...

SURF SUITS THE CAUSE

Gold Coast businesses will swap their suits and ties for board shorts and a surfboard to raise money for a devastating muscle-wasting disease. Club Wyndham Corporate Surf Challenge will be held on November 28 at The Spit at Main Beach. The event will...

FLIGHT RISK

A furore has erupted within Gold Coast City Council after Mayor Tom Tate (right) was approved to travel to the Winter Olympics in northeast Italy and chief executive Tim Baker (left) billed ratepayers for a US technology conference as part of...

SCHOOLIES SEX UNI

Two well-known sex workers say they are bringing “real life” sexual education to Schoolies on the Gold Coast. But an academic warned the stunts risked normalising “porn culture”.

FIVE NEAR MISSES

In the weeks before the Sea World helicopter crash that killed four people, investigators claim there had been multiple near collisions, raising fresh questions about safety procedures. The long-awaited public inquest into the deadly crash opened in...

SUMMER OF FUN

More than 15,000 Schoolies have hit Surfers Paradise over the weekend with police, paramedics and Red Frogs volunteers out in force to keep party goers safe. Thousands celebrated on the sand on Saturday night for the official Schoolies events before...

‘APPALLING’ DV HISTORY

A Queensland man who was involved in a crash that killed his three-year-old son last month has been jailed for a string of “appalling” domestic violence bashings against the little boy’s mum. Beenleigh’s Samuel Ian Paterson, 24, appeared in Southport...

RESORT’S BOOST

A new eco resort on South Stradbroke Island and an adventure hub featuring Australia’s longest zip line are one step closer to becoming reality after securing council backing. The push to supercharge the Gold Coast’s nature-based tourism offerings is...

DECISION PARKED

The 7am early start for paid parking across prime Gold Coast parking spots such as Burleigh Heads has been overturned.

PALMY HEIGHT REVIEW

Building heights on the beachfront at Palm Beach could be reduced back from 13 to four floors, under a proposed planning change to be investigated by the City. The move came during an update on the new City Plan where Councillor Josh Martin was backed...

SHINING A LIGHT FOR GIAAN

The state government has launched an investigation into Child Youth Mental Health Services on the Gold Coast following a number of teen deaths and claims of patient mistreatment. Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the state’s Chief Psychiatrist will...