Could The Gold Coast River System be Australia’s Answer to Venice?

Could the Gold Coast be looking at a potential Renaissance ahead? The Gold Coast City Council and the Gold Coast Water Authority are joining forces to transform the lesser known, under-utilised canal and river network into something grand. While the Gold Coast might not match Venice in terms of its cultural capital, there's certainly some intriguing opportunities afoot to develop this underused area of Queensland.

The council and Water Authority are specifically interested in using the canals as on-street parking; they plan to set up a metering system for water vehicles. Think water taxis instead of Venetian men in straw hats steering gondolas. The first step in making this all happen is to build a new pontoon, from which commercial operators pick up and drop off passengers. The building of the pontoon is expected begin later this year.

The plan is to transform the whole riverside precinct, making it as much of a tourist attraction as the Surfer's Paradise famous beachfront. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate told The Brisbane Times, "We have long identified that the riverside offers enormous potential, so it's exciting to be teaming up with Gold Coast Waterways Authority to breathe new life into the area."

Waterways authority chief executive Hal Morris echoes this sentiment, as he explains, "A river is the lifeblood of any city and it's a shame that we don’t really appreciate and use our river as much as we could here on the Gold Coast."

The Gold Coast has 400 km of canals and 160 of channels, so why not utilise them for transport? Watch this space.

Via The Brisbane Times.