Status: Active — dozens of projects under construction, approved, or in planning Key hotspots: Robina, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Varsity Lakes, Coolangatta
Introduction
The southern Gold Coast is experiencing one of the most concentrated periods of apartment construction in its history. Driven by an acute housing shortage, strong interstate migration, the approaching 2032 Olympics infrastructure pipeline, and the structural shift of east coast buyers relocating to lifestyle-driven coastal addresses, the corridor from Robina to Coolangatta now has well over $5 billion of residential development in planning, approved, or under construction.
This article maps the significant projects by suburb — what's being built, by whom, for how much, and when it's expected to complete.
Robina: The Development Epicentre
Robina — already the southern Gold Coast's commercial and transport hub — is seeing its residential market transform. Multiple projects are underway or approved, ranging from boutique luxury apartments to large masterplanned communities.
Description: Twin 15-level towers on a 1.1-hectare masterplan. Resort-style amenities including a 25m magnesium pool, spa, cold plunge pool, gym, yoga studio, sauna and steam rooms.
Pricing: 2 bed from $1,000,000; 2 bed + study from $1,320,000; 3 bed from $1,580,000; penthouses from $1,950,000
Developer: Immerse Projects / Greyburn Building Contractors
Cost: Undisclosed
Status: Well under construction — completion: Autumn 2026
Description: 8-storey mixed-use, 95 apartments (1, 2, and 3-bedroom) plus integrated retail and commercial spaces. Located on one of the last remaining sites within the Robina Town Centre precinct. Some apartments priced below $750,000 for first home buyers.
Status: Completed. 90%+ sold; $50M+ in sales achieved.
Description: 69 apartments + 4 townhouses across 8 levels. Resort facilities including pool, gym, pilates/yoga room.
Source: https://www.greyburn.com.au/
300 Build-to-Rent — Robina Stadium Drive
Developer: Sentinel (with planning by Urbis)
Status: Approved
Description: 9-storey build-to-rent development, 41,799m2 of rental accommodation. Adjacent to Cbus Super Stadium, Robina Train Station, and Bond University Institute of Health & Sport. Sustainability-focused.
Developer: Walker Corporation (one of Australia's largest private developers)
Status: State-facilitated development — planning underway; Preliminary Approval Application submitted to increase dwellings from 1,500 to 2,750
Description:2,750 homes including approximately 550 affordable homes. 50+ hectares of open space. 15 hectares of lakes and wetlands. Pedestrian and cycle network with direct connectivity to Robina Train Station and Robina Town Centre.
Impact: The single largest residential project in Robina. The Queensland Government fast-tracked approval under its State Facilitated Development program given the acute housing shortage.
Pipeline Sites in Planning (Robina Town Centre area)
Multiple sites are in planning or pre-construction phases, identified through apartments.com.au research: - 5–13 Robina Town Centre Drive - 13 Robina Town Centre Drive - 26–28 Ben Lexcen Place - 228–236 Highfield Drive - 172–182 Highfield Drive - 1 Glades Drive - 34–38 Glenferrie Drive
Burleigh Heads has become the Gold Coast's most coveted lifestyle address — and its development market reflects that. The combination of beachside location, village atmosphere, and the approaching light rail terminus is generating an extraordinary concentration of premium and ultra-premium residential projects.
Mondrian Hotel & Residences — 48 The Esplanade
Cost: $450 million
Status: Under construction
Description: Two-tower development — 208-room 5-star Mondrian Hotel + 89 luxury residential apartments. The Mondrian brand brings international five-star hospitality to Burleigh Heads for the first time, anchoring the suburb as a premium destination.
Burly Residences — 264–268 The Esplanade, North Burleigh
Developer: DD Living (David Devine)
Cost: $510 million
Status: Under construction (demolition complete; main construction underway)
Description: 25-level tower, 101 apartments (2, 3, and 4-bedroom). Double beachfront site with 40m ocean frontage. Two levels of six-star resort amenities. Interiors by Mim Design; architecture by Koichi Takada (known for his organic, nature-inspired designs).
Source: https://brisbanedevelopment.com.au/
One Burleigh — 88 The Esplanade
Developer: MAYD / Formplus
Status: Under construction — completion: Summer 2026
Description: 16 full-floor ultra-luxury residences (4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 3 car spaces each). Designed by MAS Architecture Studio. Approximately 50% sold.
Description: 18-level boutique building, 55 apartments on a 1,017m2 site.
Source: https://www.businessnewsaustralia.com/
Morris Property Group — 1873 Gold Coast Highway
Developer: Morris Property Group
Status: Development application submitted
Description: 25-storey residential apartment block (2 and 3-bedroom apartments), 4 levels underground parking. This is MPG's fifth proposed development in Burleigh Heads.
Source: https://www.businessnewsaustralia.com/
Burleigh Waters: The $2 Billion Transformation
Burleigh Waters Masterplanned Precinct
Cost: $2 billion
Status: Civil infrastructure commenced July 2024 — first residential buildings launching mid-2026
Description: 14 acres (5.66 ha) of waterfront land being transformed into a major mixed-use urban village. The approved masterplan allows:
~1,500 apartments and townhomes
Up to 3,736 bedrooms
Buildings up to 43 metres (approx. 14 storeys)
Retail market square
Medical centre
Childcare
Aged care village
Commercial office space
Public waterfront parklands
Impact: One of the largest developments in the southern Gold Coast by total value. Transforms an underutilised waterfront site into a self-contained urban village.
Source: https://www.crucollective.com.au/blog/
Varsity Lakes: Affordable Mid-Market Supply
Cienna Varsity Ridge Stage 2 — Homecorp Property Group
Developer: Homecorp Property Group (Ron Bakir)
Status: DA approved late 2024; construction commenced early 2025
Description: Two towers (12 and 14 storeys), 289 apartments (2 and 3-bedroom). Located between Bond University and Robina Town Centre on a 1.3-hectare elevated site. Stage 1 (257 apartments) completed mid-2023 and fully occupied. Stage 2 adds 44 extra car parks above code + 24 publicly accessible spaces.
Description: Three-stage redevelopment of the Kirra Beach Hotel site. Stage 1: 15-storey tower, 200 residences. Stage 2: 10-storey residential tower. Stage 3: boutique hotel. Major urban renewal of the Kirra/Coolangatta foreshore.
Source: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/
Esprit Residences — 6432 Boundary Street
Developer: S&S Projects
Status: Under construction/nearing completion (est. 2025)
Description: 72 apartments across 12-storey and 8-storey buildings. Follows developer's sell-out of $74M Flow Residences and Awaken Residences (which set a southern Gold Coast penthouse record of $8,150,000).
Source: https://www.totalpropertygroup.com.au/
The Big Picture: What's Driving This?
Housing undersupply: Southeast Queensland has faced severe housing undersupply since 2020. Vacancy rates across the Gold Coast fell below 1% during peak periods. Pent-up demand from interstate migration is substantial.
Interstate migration: Queensland recorded net interstate migration of 30,000+ per year in recent years. The Gold Coast — particularly its lifestyle corridors — has been a primary destination.
Light rail effect: The approaching Light Rail Stage 3 opening (mid-2026) is directly driving investment in the Burleigh corridor and suburbs south of Broadbeach. Developers and buyers are positioning ahead of the transport upgrade.
Limited land: The southern Gold Coast is geographically constrained — the ocean to the east, the M1 to the west, national parks and waterways limiting expansion. New supply is predominantly vertical on infill sites.
2032 Olympic investment: The arena, athletes village, and venue upgrades are concentrating long-term attention and investment confidence in the Gold Coast.
Summary Table: Active Major Projects (Southern Gold Coast)
Keep reading:Gold Coast market data — prices, supply and selling times, updated as new sales settle.
Article first published: February 2026. Review triggers: Light Rail Stage 3 opening (mid-2026); major project completions; new DA approvals in these suburbs.
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.
Where does your own home sit?
Fields keeps a record of every active listing and recent sale across the southern Gold Coast, and reads any address against the sales around it — the comparables, the range they support, and the method behind it. This analysis of the Gold Coast comes from the same database.
