Greenheart

Greenheart is a 257 hectare site located in the suburbs of Merrimac and Robina, situated at the centre of the city’s urban footprint. The development of Greenheart is the largest open space and recreational facility project ever undertaken by the City. This development is a direct response to the Gold Coast’s significant population growth and the need to continue to provide high quality parks and infrastructure for the community.

From 31 May to 1 July 2024, we sought feedback from the community on a Master Plan for Greenheart, and the 8 proposed precincts that will make up this unique space. We received over 3500 responses to our survey and heard that:

  • 95% of survey respondents agreed with providing a new regional parkland
  • 88% of respondents agreed that developing the Greenheart site into a parkland is a good use of Council owned land located within a flood plain.


What’s happening now?

We are now moving into the concept design phase for Greenheart. As part of this, we will be working closely with stakeholders to help us create a Greenheart that’s accessible, vibrant and enjoyable for everyone. The Greenheart Community Reference Group (CRG) was established in May 2026 to provide community input into the development of Greenheart's concept design.


Local Government Infrastructure Designation (LGID)

The City has commenced the Local Government Infrastructure Designation (LGID) process for Greenheart. An LGID was identified as the most appropriate planning mechanism to support the staged development of the project. An LGID is a statutory planning pathway under Section 37 of the Queensland Planning Act 2016 that allows local governments to designate land for important community infrastructure projects such as sporting facilities, public utilities, transport infrastructure and community assets. You can find out more about the LGID process in the Minister's Guidelines and Rules (MGR), under the Planning Act 2016. Please also see the LGID FAQ section.

An Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) for Greenheart was prepared to assess the potential environmental impacts of the project and identify proposed mitigation measures. The EAR was submitted to the Queensland Government and provides all the necessary reports and investigations for the State Government to understand the proposed development and any potential impacts it may have.

The public notification period for the Greenheart LGID application has now closed. During this time surrounding residents, businesses and interested stakeholders were encouraged to provide a submission on the LGID application. The public submissions together with comments received through the State Government’s State interest assessment process, will be reviewed and a revised LGID report will then be issued for consideration by the State Planning Minister and Council.


Greenheart LGID - Timeline

Report - June 2026

A report was brought before Council for approval to commence consultation and State interests assessment. The report has been submitted to the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, who will coordinate an assessment of State interests by the relevant agencies and departments.

Public Notification Period - 16 June to 14 July 2026

During the public notification period, the community can make submissions about a development application to the assessment manager, who will consider these when making their decision.

Amendment and consolidation - July 2026 to mid-2027

Contributions from public notification and State interest assessment comments will be addressed and consolidated into a revised and final report.

Final report - Mid-2027

The final report and conditions, once endorsed by the State Planning Minister, will be presented to Council for approval to formally make the Local Government Infrastructure Designation.

Gazettal - Mid-2027

The designation will be published in the Government Gazette and take effect.

Greenheart is a 257 hectare site located in the suburbs of Merrimac and Robina, situated at the centre of the city’s urban footprint. The development of Greenheart is the largest open space and recreational facility project ever undertaken by the City. This development is a direct response to the Gold Coast’s significant population growth and the need to continue to provide high quality parks and infrastructure for the community.

From 31 May to 1 July 2024, we sought feedback from the community on a Master Plan for Greenheart, and the 8 proposed precincts that will make up this unique space. We received over 3500 responses to our survey and heard that:

  • 95% of survey respondents agreed with providing a new regional parkland
  • 88% of respondents agreed that developing the Greenheart site into a parkland is a good use of Council owned land located within a flood plain.


What’s happening now?

We are now moving into the concept design phase for Greenheart. As part of this, we will be working closely with stakeholders to help us create a Greenheart that’s accessible, vibrant and enjoyable for everyone. The Greenheart Community Reference Group (CRG) was established in May 2026 to provide community input into the development of Greenheart's concept design.


Local Government Infrastructure Designation (LGID)

The City has commenced the Local Government Infrastructure Designation (LGID) process for Greenheart. An LGID was identified as the most appropriate planning mechanism to support the staged development of the project. An LGID is a statutory planning pathway under Section 37 of the Queensland Planning Act 2016 that allows local governments to designate land for important community infrastructure projects such as sporting facilities, public utilities, transport infrastructure and community assets. You can find out more about the LGID process in the Minister's Guidelines and Rules (MGR), under the Planning Act 2016. Please also see the LGID FAQ section.

An Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) for Greenheart was prepared to assess the potential environmental impacts of the project and identify proposed mitigation measures. The EAR was submitted to the Queensland Government and provides all the necessary reports and investigations for the State Government to understand the proposed development and any potential impacts it may have.

The public notification period for the Greenheart LGID application has now closed. During this time surrounding residents, businesses and interested stakeholders were encouraged to provide a submission on the LGID application. The public submissions together with comments received through the State Government’s State interest assessment process, will be reviewed and a revised LGID report will then be issued for consideration by the State Planning Minister and Council.


Greenheart LGID - Timeline

Report - June 2026

A report was brought before Council for approval to commence consultation and State interests assessment. The report has been submitted to the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, who will coordinate an assessment of State interests by the relevant agencies and departments.

Public Notification Period - 16 June to 14 July 2026

During the public notification period, the community can make submissions about a development application to the assessment manager, who will consider these when making their decision.

Amendment and consolidation - July 2026 to mid-2027

Contributions from public notification and State interest assessment comments will be addressed and consolidated into a revised and final report.

Final report - Mid-2027

The final report and conditions, once endorsed by the State Planning Minister, will be presented to Council for approval to formally make the Local Government Infrastructure Designation.

Gazettal - Mid-2027

The designation will be published in the Government Gazette and take effect.

Page last updated: 20 Jul 2026, 12:14 PM