Why the northern Gold Coast is becoming the city’s next growth corridor

The problem: growth has outpaced supply

Industry voices quoted in the piece, including Ray White Bell Group chairman Andrew Bell and Colliers residential director David Higgins, point to the same underlying issue. A wave of new residents moved to the Gold Coast in recent years, and housing supply in the areas people actually want to live in, close to transport and employment, hasn’t kept pace.

The flagged consequence is longer commutes and more congestion, as people are pushed further from the jobs and infrastructure they rely on. The fix, according to those interviewed, is more diverse housing built near existing transport corridors and employment hubs, rather than continuing to concentrate development in the already dense central Gold Coast, where a large share of apartment sales currently occur.

Why the north is the answer

This is where Biggera Waters and its neighbouring suburbs come in. Higgins describes this stretch of the northern Gold Coast as significantly undersupplied relative to demand, which is exactly the kind of gap that tends to close quickly once infrastructure catches up.

And infrastructure is catching up. The announcement of a new light rail spur to Harbour Town has been called a clear signal of the opportunity opening up on the city’s north shore. Better public transport connectivity is expected to improve liveability, ease reliance on cars, and make it easier for developers and buyers alike to look beyond the traditional hotspots.

Walkability and access to quality infrastructure are increasingly the deciding factor for buyers weighing up where to put down roots, more so than proximity to the beach alone.

Biggera Waters: well placed for what’s coming

Biggera Waters already has a lot going for it: Broadwater frontage, proximity to Harbour Town, easy access to the M1, and a growing precinct of amenity that didn’t exist a decade ago. Add a light rail connection and continued investment in the surrounding suburbs, and the fundamentals for long-term growth are hard to ignore.

Harbour Shores sits right in the middle of this shift. As a master-planned community on 16 hectares of Biggera Waters, it was designed around exactly the kind of connected, amenity-rich, walkable living that buyers are increasingly prioritising, with a marina, lagoon pool, wellness centre, boardwalk and more than half the site given to open space.

The community also reflects a point raised in the article by developers working on housing diversity: that a well-planned project needs to cater to more than one type of buyer. Harbour Shores spans multiple buildings and price points across its lifecycle, from entry-level apartments through to larger residences, which means the precinct is evolving alongside the suburb rather than sitting apart from it.

What this means if you’re thinking about buying

If the northern Gold Coast is genuinely entering a new growth phase, as the experts quoted in the Bulletin suggest, then suburbs like Biggera Waters are likely to see increased attention from both owner-occupiers and investors over the next few years. Getting in ahead of that curve, in a precinct that already has the amenity and connectivity in place, is the opportunity many buyers are currently weighing up.

Frequently asked questions

Is Biggera Waters considered part of the Gold Coast’s growth corridor? Yes. Property experts have identified Biggera Waters, alongside Hollywell, Coombabah, Runaway Bay, Paradise Point, Hope Island and Helensvale, as undersupplied northern Gold Coast suburbs expected to see increased density and demand.

What infrastructure is planned for the area? A new light rail spur to Harbour Town has been announced, which is expected to improve connectivity and liveability across the northern Gold Coast and support further development in the area.

Why are buyers looking north instead of the central Gold Coast? A large share of Gold Coast apartment sales currently happen in the already dense central Gold Coast. Improved transport links are expected to draw developers and buyers toward growing northern areas with more infill opportunity and better walkability.

What is Harbour Shores? Harbour Shores is a 16-hectare master-planned residential community in Biggera Waters, offering a mix of apartment and residence living across multiple stages, along with amenity including a marina, lagoon pool, wellness centre and boardwalk.

Source: “High-density plan to ease housing crisis,” Gold Coast Bulletin, 28 July 2026, by Andrew Potts and Chelsea Bunting.