WE WON!! 30 MARCH 2026
People Power Prevails – No Super Depot in the Tugun Environmental Parkland!
The community meeting scheduled for Wednesday 1st April at Elanora Community Centre has been cancelled.
A call from Councillor O’Neill confirmed that the Gold Coast Council will not build a Super Depot on the “old Tugun quarry” site. Instead, the depot will remain where it is until a more suitable venue is found. Local residents along with Gecko, Friends of Currumbin and Tugun Progress Association are very happy with this result.
Councillor O’ Neill also stated that she recognised that Council was obligated to undertake to turn the “the old Tugun quarry” into a parkland as promised in 2009. Further meetings will be held to discuss how this can be achieved. We can all look forward to a greener future in Tugun.
What’s next for Tugun Environmental Parkland?
A small group with representatives from neighbours, Gecko, Friends of Currumbin and Tugun Progress Association are now working towards the future of the Parkland. Councillor O’Neill who helped achieve the success of the campaign agreed that Resolution 4 made at the Tugun Progress Association’s general meeting on 17 March was the next step.
Resolution 4 reads The City of Gold Coast Council undertakes to work with the residents of the southern Gold Coast to rehabilitate the Tugun Quarry to retain and enhance existing native vegetation to such a condition that it becomes suitable as a regionally significant environmental park in keeping with its zoning as public open space.
For progress updates and to get involved in the future of the Parkland:
Follow @TugunEnviroPark on Instagram
Email tugunenviropark@gmail.com OR advocacy@gecko.org.au
Community Information Session – Tugun Depot
Wednesday 1st April
5.30pm for a 6pm start
Register via link https://shorturl.at/ZkNlL
⚠️STOP Tugun Super Depot
A reliable point of truth for the Gold Coast community.
Neighbours and surrounding residents say “NO WAY GO AWAY“
HARD NO to a ‘regional super depot’ on parkland zoned ‘open space’ and in a residential area.
📍Bordered by Boyd, Irene, Kitchener & Monash Streets in TUGUN
‘the old Tugun quarry’
- CITY OF GOLD COAST ARE PROPOSING A 24/7 INDUSTRIAL FACILITY IN OUR BACK YARDS
- ZONED PARKLAND ‘OPEN SPACE’
- NOISE, LIGHT & DUST POLLUTION UP
- PROPERTY VALUES AND WELLBEING DOWN
- NO CONSULTATION WITH NEIGHBOURS & SURROUNDING RESIDENTS
- COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR FLORA & FAUNA
WHAT CAN YOU DO? ACT NOW AND BEFORE APRIL 13
Email Division 14 Councillor
GailOneill@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
division14@goldcoast.qld.gov.au
Ask
- Why is this regional super depot not going in an industial zoned area?
- What other sites, if any, have been considered?
- Why have neighbours and surrounding residents not been consulted?
- Why is detailed information not available?
Have Your Say Before 13 April
Have Your Say
Objection Points
- Industrial facility operating 24/7 in a residential area.
- Land is zoned parkland ‘open space’.
- Proposed use violates
the serenity of the
current site. - Proposal is ecologically incompitable with the Koala habitat area.
- On Council’s own maps the proposed site is part of the Tugun/ Currumbin Conservation corridor to Springbrook.
Sign the Petition today!
Tugun Chempro Chemist
The Fox’s Pantry, Tugun
More sites to be announced
❗City of Gold Coast DO NOT accept digital petitions.
Quick Facts
WHAT’S BEING PROPOSED
A large industrial-style works depot, not a community facility.
Operations include 4am starts, night shifts and heavy vehicle movements.
The depot would service 300+ staff, vehicles, workshops and storage facilities.
10 Metre high noise walls, 10 metres from residential houses
50 Truck parks
56 Fleet car parks
83 Staff car parks
Diesel refuelling bay
Wash bay
3997 Square metres of offices, warehouses and materials storage
And all backing onto residential properties.
WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT
This is not a normal development approval process.
Council is using a mechanism (LGID) that:
Overrides zoning laws
Removes community appeal rights
Allows construction without a development application
WHAT COUNCIL ISN’T CLEARLY SAYING
The process bypasses normal planning protections.
The Environmental Park status has not been highlighted in consultation.
The loss of appeal rights has not been explained to residents.
Key impacts like noise, ecology and traffic are not fully disclosed upfront.
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
The site is confirmed core koala habitat.
Koalas are listed as endangered in South East Queensland.
Clearing this land may trigger federal environmental law obligations.
THE BIG QUESTION
The law limits this fast-track process to “community infrastructure” (like libraries or recreation centres).
A restricted-access industrial depot may not meet that definition.
THE PRECEDENT
Council has already:
Purchased industrial land elsewhere (Carrara) for a depot.
Which raises a simple question:
👉 Why use protected open space in Tugun instead?
WHAT HAPPENS IF IT GOES AHEAD
The depot is built without further public input.
The land is later rezoned to match the depot.
The Environmental Park is gone for good.
TIMING
Community submissions close: 13 April 2026
Construction planned: as early as August 2026
WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS SAYING
Works depots belong in industrial zones — not environmental parkland.
Open space on the southern Gold Coast is already limited.
Once this land is gone, it cannot be replaced.
SIMPLE TAKEAWAY
👉 This is a proposal to turn protected public green space into an industrial depot — using a fast-track process that removes normal community rights.
Tugun Super Depot Site Maps
- The proposed Super Depot is planned for 8.1 hectares of public parkland in Tugun.
- This land is zoned Open Space under the Gold Coast City Plan.
- It was formally declared an Environmental Park in 2009.
- The site contains native vegetation, wildlife habitat and forms part of a key ecological corridor.
Gold Coast City Council’s rendering of the proposed super depot.NOTE: It will be impossible to retain the Koala habitat area as indicated due to the setbacks required to install the handstand, stores, offices and fences.
🦜 Biocache for 44 Boyd Steet
🐸 iNaturalist for 44 Boyd Street
Community Files