Geography IGCSE - Gold Coast Stats

Gold Coast location

The Gold Coast is a coastline as well as a city located in the southeast of Queensland, Australia. It’s coastline is 40 km.

Amount of tourist

12 million tourist annually both internationally and domestically

BP1 (Attracts over 12 million visitors annually)

has significant revenue in tourism sector → beaches and surf spots are backbone of its tourism industry → major employer in the region → influx of tourists supports variety of businesses → e.g. hospitality + retail → boosts local economy → creates diverse job opportunities for residents

BP2 (50% of all new housing developments concentrated along coastline, has a construction boom with over 5,000 jobs in the construction sector annually)

appealing environment → spurred extensive residential and commercial development → urban expansion helps local economy through construction + related industries → boosts property values → offers significant investment opportunities + economic benefits for residents + investors

BP3 (hosts over 30 marine-based research projects and environmental initiatives annually)

proximity to marine biodiversity → unique opportunities for research + education in marine + environmental sciences → projects contribute to global environmental efforts → career opportunities in research, conservation, + education sectors → supporting local universities + institutions

Hazard BP1 (Sea levels are predicted to rise by up to 30 cm by 2050, increasing the risk of coastal flooding)

Climate change contributes to rising sea levels → enhances vulnerability of Gold Coast to flooding → particularly in coastal + low-lying areas → ongoing threat poses challenges for urban planning and environmental conservation → need for adaptive strategies to protect ecosystems + infrastructure

Hazard BP2 (Coastal erosion on Gold Coast has a loss of up to 3 meters of beachfront annually in certain areas)

natural processes of wave action → particularly during storm events + human activities → e.g construction near shoreline → contribute to coastal erosion → threatens property → reduces beach size → affects tourism → the need for costly mitigation strategies → e.g. beach nourishment to preserve coastline

Hazard BP3 (Gold Coast experiences an average of 10 storm surge events per year that threaten low-lying coastal areas)

Due to location → its prone to flooding exacerbated by storm surges during cyclones + severe weather systems → leads to property damage, disrupt local infrastructure + safety risks to community → needs effective emergency response + how quick they are able to adapt accordingly

Reducing beach erosion (BP1)

Gold Coast has built sea walls ➝ e.g. 16 km stretch from Main Beach to Burleigh ➝ acts as a hard barrier ➝ absorbs wave energy + protects property from storm surges ➝ n 2013, a severe storm caused $20 million in property damage ➝ but the sea wall prevented worse inland flooding

Reducing beach erosion (BP2)

Regular replenishment programs pump sand offshore to widen beaches ➝ Between 2013 - 17, about 3 million m³ of sand was added around Surfers Paradise ➝ provides a natural buffer against storm waves ➝ protects both tourism + infrastructure

Reducing beach erosion (BP3)

Groynes are used in the Tweed River Sand Bypassing Project ➝ pumps sand across the Tweed River mouth to maintain natural drift ➝ stabilises beaches ➝ prevents sand build up on one side + erosion on the other ➝ without it, erosion would intensify as natural longshore drift was blocked