Status: Confirmed — site preparation and masterplanning underway Location: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Benowa (near Robina / Ashmore) Developer: RACV (private sector — not publicly funded) Capacity: 2,600 athletes and officials Post-Games legacy: Full conversion to permanent residential housing
Overview
When Brisbane hosts the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Gold Coast will have its own dedicated Athletes Village — a satellite facility housed at the RACV Royal Pines Resort in Benowa. The village will accommodate athletes and officials competing in hockey (at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre in Labrador) and indoor sports (at the new Gold Coast Arena in Southport).
After the Games conclude, the entire development will be converted into permanent residential housing — creating a new neighbourhood in one of the Gold Coast's most established and prestigious residential areas.
The Location: Royal Pines Resort, Benowa
Royal Pines Resort is one of Queensland's most recognised golf and resort precincts. Located in Benowa, approximately:
4 km from Robina Town Centre and Robina Train Station
7 km from Surfers Paradise
10 km from Gold Coast Airport
Adjacent to the Royal Pines golf course (a 27-hole championship course)
The redevelopment will involve the loss of 9 of the 27 golf holes to accommodate the Athletes Village precinct. This represents a significant transformation of the existing resort footprint.
Who Is Delivering It?
The RACV Royal Pines Athletes Village is a privately funded development by RACV — the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria. RACV is the largest motoring club in Australia and the owner of Royal Pines Resort. This is not a publicly funded government project.
RACV CEO Neil Taylor has publicly stated the development will be delivered "well ahead of 2032", confirming the private sector's confidence in the project timeline.
RACV is working collaboratively with the Queensland Government and the City of Gold Coast Council on delivery and integration with the broader Games plan.
Post-Games Housing Legacy
The Athletes Village model — converting Games-time accommodation into permanent housing — has been used at multiple Olympic Games:
Sydney 2000: Homebush Athletes Village became the suburb of Newington
London 2012: East Village (Stratford) is now a thriving residential neighbourhood
Brisbane 2032: Multiple villages across Southeast Queensland will convert to housing post-Games
For the Gold Coast, the Benowa village represents a new residential neighbourhood in a highly desirable inner-south location. RACV has stated their intention for the development to "contribute to permanent dwellings for South East Queensland's growing population." RACV's broader vision is to transform Royal Pines into a "world-class sports, wellness, and community precinct."
A high-performance training facility is also planned as part of the broader precinct masterplan — providing a long-term sporting infrastructure legacy for the Gold Coast.
The Second Athletes Village Question: Robina
An earlier planning phase identified Robina Town Centre as a potential site for a second Gold Coast Athletes Village — potentially housing up to 2,600 athletes and officials. However, the 2032 Delivery Plan review noted that "site constraints have been identified...that need to be investigated" and that "proposals for several alternate sites warrant further analysis before a final decision is made."
As of February 2026, no confirmed alternate Robina site has been announced. The Gold Coast Mayor has indicated the Robina village concept is "not fully scrapped." This remains an open question.
A confirmed Robina Athletes Village would be transformative for the CBD Robina and Greenheart Parklands precinct — adding significant residential density in an area already seeing strong development momentum.
What This Means for Property in Benowa and Surrounds
The transformation of a portion of Royal Pines Resort into a residential neighbourhood has several implications for the surrounding area:
New premium housing stock. Athletes Villages are built to high quality standards and converted to residential use with full infrastructure — not retrofitted. The Benowa precinct will see a new residential product enter the market at Games quality.
Broadening of the Benowa market. Royal Pines has historically been a golf resort and conference destination. A residential village adds an urban living dimension to the precinct that didn't previously exist.
Amenity uplift. A high-performance training facility planned for the precinct adds sports and recreation amenity that will benefit broader residential demand in the area.
Impact on Royal Pines Golf. Loss of 9 holes to a 27-hole course is significant for the resort's golf offering. The remaining 18 holes would constitute a standard full course, but the championship status of the full 27-hole configuration would be diminished. This may have some impact on golf tourism to the precinct but is expected to be offset by the broader development.
Sources & Further Reading
RACV — Royal Pines Gold Coast Athletes Village: https://www.racv.com.au/about-racv/newsroom/royal-pines-athletes-village.html
Golf Industry Central — Royal Pines Resort to Lose 9 Holes: https://www.golfindustrycentral.com.au/golf-industry-news/royal-pines-resort-to-lose-9holes-as-major-redevelopment-takes-shape/
City of Gold Coast — Olympic and Paralympic Games Brisbane 2032: https://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/Invest-do-business/Olympic-and-Paralympic-Games-Brisbane-2032
Total Property Group — 2032 Olympics Gold Coast Venues Revealed: https://www.totalpropertygroup.com.au/2032-olympics-gold-coast-venues-revealed-including-new-arena-indoor-sports-hockey-and-more/
GIICA — Venues and Villages: https://giica.au/about/venues-and-villages
Keep reading:Gold Coast market data — prices, supply and selling times, updated as new sales settle.
Article first published: February 2026. Review triggers: Robina Athletes Village site confirmation (or cancellation); RACV construction commencement announcement; post-Games housing conversion plans release.
Licensed Queensland real estate agent, founder of Fields Real Estate and Lead Analyst at Fields Research. Covering Gold Coast market data, comparable sales analysis and suburb intelligence.
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