Gold Coast Athletes Village: A New Suburb After the Games

Status: Planning phase — scheme amendment lodged, no development approval confirmed Location: RACV Royal Pines Resort, Benowa (near Robina / Ashmore) Developer: RACV (private sector) Capacity: Up to 2,600 athletes and officials Post-Games legacy: Intended conversion to permanent residential housing — no formal commitments in current documentation

Overview

When Brisbane hosts the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Gold Coast will have its own dedicated Athletes Village — a satellite facility at RACV Royal Pines Resort in Benowa. The village will accommodate athletes and officials competing in hockey and indoor sports at the new Gold Coast Arena.^3,9

After the Games conclude, the development is intended to convert into permanent residential housing — creating a new neighbourhood in one of the Gold Coast's most established residential areas. However, as of March 2026, no development approval has been granted and no construction has commenced. The project remains in the planning and scheme amendment phase.¹

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 — a significant transformation of the existing resort footprint.⁶

Who Is Delivering It?

The RACV Royal Pines Athletes Village is a privately funded development by RACV — the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria, owner of Royal Pines Resort. RACV is working collaboratively with the Queensland Government and the City of Gold Coast Council on delivery and integration with the broader Games plan.²

The project is being progressed under the Integrated Resort Development Act 1987, alongside the Planning (Social Impact and Community Benefit) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025.¹ Under this framework, Olympic-associated developments can be fast-tracked with limited appeal rights and reduced opportunities for judicial review.

A community consultation and submission period closed on 16 January 2026.²¹

Scale, Funding and Transparency Concerns

The proposed scheme amendment covers the redevelopment of 9 holes of the Eastern Golf Course adjacent to Royal Pines. The broader masterplan — yet to be designed — will allow for building heights ranging from 4 storeys up to 25 storeys, consistent with existing height limits.²¹

Queensland has allocated $3.5 billion in public funding for athletes' villages statewide, including $150 million in the 2025–26 budget.¹ Community stakeholders have raised questions about the contractual arrangements between government and developer, the extent of public funding involved in the Royal Pines project, and post-Games ownership structures.

A further concern raised in commentary published on 26 February 2026: the proposed scheme amendments make no explicit reference to Olympic use — an omission critics say obscures how much of the project is genuinely tied to Games infrastructure versus long-term private real estate development.¹

In December 2025, the Queensland Government appointed Unite32 — a joint venture between AECOM and Laing O'Rourke — as the delivery partner for Games infrastructure statewide.¹

Post-Games Housing Legacy

The Athletes Village model — converting Games-time accommodation into permanent housing — has precedent:

- Sydney 2000: Homebush Athletes Village became the suburb of Newington - London 2012: East Village (Stratford) is now an established residential neighbourhood

For the Gold Coast, RACV Managing Director Neil Taylor has stated it is RACV's "intention that any Athletes Village development at RACV Royal Pines Resort contributes to permanent dwellings for South East Queensland's growing population, after the Games."² However, no such commitments appear in the current Royal Pines planning documentation.¹

A high-performance training facility is also planned as part of the broader precinct masterplan — a long-term sporting infrastructure legacy for the Gold Coast.²

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. 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."¹⁰

As of March 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 Robina CBD and Greenheart Parklands precinct — adding significant residential density to an area already seeing 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, assuming the project proceeds.

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 from the 27-hole course is significant for the resort's golf offering. The remaining 18 holes constitute a standard full course, but the championship configuration of the full 27-hole layout would be diminished.⁶

Planning risk. No development approval has been granted. The project is proceeding under a legislative framework that limits community appeal rights — a factor that has attracted public scrutiny and may influence the pace and form of final approvals.¹

Sources

1. Independent Australia (2026) Royal Pines redevelopment raises major questions on the Gold Coast, Independent Australia. independentaustralia.net 2. RACV (2025) RACV Royal Pines Gold Coast Athletes Village, RACV. racv.com.au 3. Total Property Group (2025) 2032 Olympics Gold Coast venues revealed, including new arena, indoor sports, hockey and more, Total Property Group. totalpropertygroup.com.au 6. Golf Industry Central (2025) Royal Pines Resort to Lose 9 Holes as Major Redevelopment Takes Shape, Golf Industry Central. golfindustrycentral.com.au 9. Queensland Government (2025) Media Statement: Let the Games Begin on the Gold Coast, Ministerial Media Statements. statements.qld.gov.au 10. Queensland Government (2025) Venues — The 2032 Delivery Plan, Queensland Government. delivering2032.com.au 21. Royal Pines Gold Coast (2025) Scheme Amendment — Royal Pines, Royal Pines Gold Coast. royalpinesgoldcoast.com.au

Article first published: February 2026. Last reviewed: 2 March 2026. Review triggers: Development approval decision; RACV construction commencement announcement; Robina Athletes Village site confirmation or cancellation; post-Games housing conversion commitments formalised in planning documentation.

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