British Expats - Goldcoast!!

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Seemed like quite a lot of bad stuff for a relatively small population... How many bikie gangs have made a home there? 4,5,6?

In terms of moving a young family there, it would seem a bit of a dumb decision currently ( if you believe the locals, press and stats )

Love the place though so will be keeping close tabs...

Quote:

Originally Posted by straussmouse (Post 10845837)

There are always lots of comments from locals at the end of the Bulletin articles and many sounded like they were fed up with the "crime wave" and soft courts etc

Locals say violent crime is getting worse, police say its less than ever! Same old.....

the Bulletin is the paper version of today tonight ;)

light on news heavy on sensationalism

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil248 (Post 10846427)

So there are around 550,000 residents and none of them work on the Gold Coast.

we both do

all my work is confined to the gold coast with the sole exception of logan lea tafe who we visit twice a year,

my wife runs her business solely on the GC so we must be exceptions ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by straussmouse (Post 10846446)

What locals, the type who have nothing better to do than write to the Bulletin!

The bulletin features the same tattooed idiots making their court appearances over and over.

What stats, the police may massage their figures but the Gold Coast is as safe as anywhere to live.

The real criminals are enjoying their mansions on The Sovereign Islands and they are certainly not going to the likes of us.

We've lived in Helensvale for the last four and a half years. My boys are now 19 and 14. Best move we ever made.

I work in Southport and I love the vibe but I would not live here. It only takes me 15 mins to get to work.

From our experience, I feel my personal safety living here is much more secure than the UK and I certainly have not witnessed or experienced any of the violence described in the media. Most people who live on the Gold Coast do not go to Surfer's at night. We love it in the day and early evening for dinner though.

Feel free to PM me for any advice I can give.

[QUOTE=neil248;10847487]What locals, the type who have nothing better to do than write to the Bulletin!

Pot kettle black Neil lol

Thanks for the replies all

Really? you want to move in GC, then we welcome you my friend. You can enjoy here living with nice people. I couldn't elaborate all info about the place but you can feel that if the happiness you are here.

[QUOTE=straussmouse;10847919]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil248 (Post 10847487)

What locals, the type who have nothing better to do than write to the Bulletin!

Pot kettle black Neil lol

Thanks for the replies all

My thoughts exactly as I pressed the submit reply button :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by RenShen (Post 10847871)

Agree 100% with all that. Surfers is just Blackpool with sun, during the day its fun and family friendly, but, at night the young idiots come out...nothing new there! The rest of GC is a decent area.

We have just 'celebrated' our 7th year of owning a retail business & living on The Gold Coast. There is a substantial criminal underclass living here, a huge drug problem and an epidemic of robberies / hold ups from businesses.
This has IMO been fueled by a collapse in the jobs market (when we first arrived there were cranes dotting the skyline, now none), and an overstretched & underfunded Police service. Anecdotal evidence from conversations I have had with the 500+ people we see in our shop each day suggests many people now have long commutes to find work and if they could sell their house (house sales have fallen) would move away.
I agree the local rag has an unhealthy obsession with bikies but their reporting of overall crime seems fair.

Here are the most up to date crime stats

Assaults (excluding sexual) reported per 100,000 people
2008-2009 | 2011-12
Gold Coast 396 | 422
Logan 406 | 410
Brisbane (comprising Metropolitan North and South) 330 | 316
State rate 449 | 449
Robberies reported per 100,000 people
2008-2009 | 2011-12
Gold Coast 67 | 63
Logan 71 | 75
Brisbane (comprising Metropolitan North and South) 55 |44
State rate 43 | 40
Drug offences reported per 100,000 people
2008-2009 | 2011-12
Gold Coast 939 | 1509
Logan 898 | 980
Brisbane (comprising Metropolitan North and South) 900 | 847
State rate 1026 | 1055
Weapons Act offences reported per 100,000 people
2008-2009 | 2011-12
Gold Coast 69 | 114
Logan 72 | 88
Brisbane (comprising Metropolitan North and South) 59 | 61
State rate 78 | 84
All offences against the person reported per 100,000 people
2008-09 | 2011-12
Gold Coast 613 | 641
Logan 761 | 682
Brisbane (comprising Metropolitan North and South) 561 | 503
State rate 705 | 680
All offences against property reported per 100,000 people
2008-2009 | 2011-12
Gold Coast 5609 | 6794
Logan 5058 | 7459
Brisbane (comprising Metropolitan North and South) 4660 |4835
State rate 4618 | 5101
All other offences reported per 100,000 people
2008-2009 | 2011-12
Gold Coast 3486 | 4648
Logan 2974 | 3229
Brisbane (comprising Metropolitan North and South) 2981 | 2688
State rate 3813 | 3705
Figures are from Queensland Police Annual Statistical Reviews for 2008-9 and 2011-12

And a graph of house sales