Located on the magnificent Broadwater, Southport is the original town centre and a major centre for Government and private sector services and administration. It is a well serviced, growing central business district which is ripe for development and business investment and increasingly is being recognised as an emerging innovation centre for medicine, education and new technologies.

The Southport area has a wide range and high concentration of economic activities, from traditional retail and office functions to medical, education, business, professional services and tourism. Additionally Southport is home to the region's only law courts and is a centre for the legal and financial community.

Southport offers many business, leisure and lifestyle options. For example, business houses, retail outlets, Government offices and residential properties stand alongside each other overlooking the Broadwater.

Southport is well serviced by arterial roads linking to the upgraded Pacific Motorway and the transport interchange is a major hub for bus services. Southport business, community , government and academic leaders are committed to working collaboratively to ensure that the region takes its place as a key Business Centre for Medical, Education and Technology industries in the region.

Facts and Figures - (Sub-Region based on Southport)

• Population 68,702
• Growth 2.4%
• Labour force 31,740
• Businesses 4,193

Current Developments

• Establishment of Griffith University
• Gold Coast University Hospital
• Rapid transit Project
• Centre for Bio molecular Science and Drug Discovery Opening of new Multimedia Building at Griffith University Medical cluster forming around Gold Coast Hospital, including private hospitals, clinics and laboratoriesOngoing growth of residential, commercial and retail properties

Business Opportunities

• Further development of Southport as a business district with a key focus on knowledge-intensive, 21st century industries generating local jobs
• Maximising existing opportunities arising from Gold Coast Harbour location
• Enhancement of urban park on the Broadwater foreshore, appealing to both locals and tourists
• Creation of an Enterprise Coordination Unit, supported by the Gold Coast City Council, the Queensland Government and major private sector stakeholders
• Nurturing the growth of the health and medical industry cluster, centred on the Gold Coast Hospital and Griffith University
• Maximising opportunities for a host of education providers, supporting current providers and working with other national and multinational providers to co-locate in the area
• Increased clustering of research facilities, new millennium industry incubators and start-up companies
• Rapid growth of Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus as a high quality tertiary institution, with a reputation for world-class undergraduate programs, research capacity, attractiveness to international students, and service delivery to local students and industry
• Development of the Griffith University Technology Park as a focus for innovation and research-based activities
• Infrastructure and Links
• Excellent telecommunications infrastructure and access to broadband services
• Pacific Motorway access
• Major arterial road links to Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Nerang
• Excellent public transport services
• Airports: 35 minutes to Gold Coast International Airport at Coolangatta (domestic, freight and expanding international services) and 60 minutes to Brisbane International Airport by road, with new rail service link available
• Port of Brisbane 55 minutes by road
• Excellent shopping facilities at Australia Fair Shopping Centre offering a wide variety of department stores and specialty shops High-pressure natural gas available

Lifestyle

• Broad range of housing options from luxury waterfront dwellings to affordable houses, units and townhouses
• Easy access to State and private schools offering primary and secondary education, and tertiary courses at Griffith University and Central Queensland University both centrally located in Southport area; widest range of vocational training in the City including Gold Coast Institute of Technical and Further Education
• Extensive sports and recreational facilities
• Southport Community Centre and Library offers a wide range of services
• Fronting crystal clear waterways and a five-minute drive to ocean beaches