Help shape our directions for growth – are we on track?

Tuesday 01 July 2025 | 12:00 PM

By 2046, the city will be home to more than one million people, adding around 388,300 new residents, delivering 185,000 new homes, and creating 173,800 more jobs. To help guide this growth and maintain the city’s liveability, we’re preparing a Local Growth Management Strategy (LGMS) and a new Planning Scheme.

The LGMS is a strategic blueprint for managing population and employment growth over the coming decades. A key part of this strategy is the LGMS Directions Paper (to be released in late June), which outlines 8 city-wide directions for growth to guide how the Gold Coast grows over the next 25 years.

These directions for growth build on earlier conversations with the community and industry and set out clear outcomes (what we need to achieve) and potential initiatives (how we might get there) to deliver on the community’s growth priorities.

In this 1.5-hour interactive session, you will:

• learn how the directions for growth were developed and how they reflect community priorities
• explore whether the directions are on track
  • Are they bold enough?
  • What is missing?
  • What should be our top priorities?

Your feedback will directly inform the development of the LGMS and the new Planning Scheme. We look forward to your participation.

About Jennifer Michelmore

Jennifer Michelmore is a leader in change-driven urban strategy, with over 20 years of expertise in planning, policy, urban development, and corporate strategy. She specialises in aligning stakeholder and organisational priorities with the strategic shifts needed to create sustainable, equitable, and future-ready cities.

As Managing Director of Civic Shifts and former CEO of Studio THI, she has developed sector-leading tools, programmes, and strategies that help governments, industry leaders, and communities navigate urban change with confidence and impact.

She is currently collaborating with the City to shape community and industry conversations on growth priorities and ideas for the city’s future.

Jennifer sees urban change as both an opportunity and a responsibility, positioning every project, policy, and strategy as a catalyst for stronger, more resilient cities for future generations.

Getting there

Consider using public transport or active travel. Plan your trip with Translink's journey planner.

Parking may be limited. For metered parking, use the EasyPark app to start, end, and extend your parking direct from your phone to avoid fines. For more information visit City of Gold Coast's Parking page.