Gold Coast QLD News Summary: Proposed Gold Coast towers, with aquarium, to set new 'benchmark' and other top stories.

Proposed Gold Coast towers, with aquarium, to set new 'benchmark'
Proposed aquarium at at Sunland development at Southport Spit. Photo: Supplied One of the Gold Coast's key high rise developments on the Southport Spit, and widely seen as a test case for future development on the Spit, could be debated before the March 19 Gold Coast elections.Council planning officers are now researching the complexities of twin 44-storey towers, now including an underwater aquarium and museum, on a site where the "desired height outcome" is..
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Coast talents hit TV reality show

Gold Coast entertainers Carter, 6, Keira, 7, and Michael Bennett have all made it through the first round of auditions for the new series of Australia's Got Talent. Picture: Richard Gosling.DON’T be fooled by their megawatt smiles — these three Gold Coast acts will be out to upstage each other when the new-look reality TV talent search Australia’s Got Talent premieres on Monday.The trio — comedian Michael Bennett, five-year-old hip-hop dancer Carter, and seven-year-old hula hooper Keira — and fe..
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Coast's red hot auction action

4709 The Parkway, Sanctuary Cove sold prior to auction. Picture: Jerad WilliamsRAY White Surfers Paradise’s auction juggernaut The Event saw $33 million worth of property sell on Sunday with chief executive Andrew Bell hailing the result as a good omen for the year ahead. Nearly 100 properties and boats went under the hammer at the Gold Coast Turf Club with Andrew saying it had a 60 per cent clearance rate once presales were included. “The Event is widely regarded as a barometer for the local an..
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Boating boom after eight-year slump

Riviera Chair and owner Rodney Longhurst at his Coomera factory. Picture: Richard GoslingTHE Gold Coast boating industry is at its best since the global financial crisis but some observers are worried it will never get back to its golden days.Local boat builders — notably Riviera and Maritimo — say they have noticed a boom in demand due to the low Australian dollar and a lack of good quality, second-hand boats.Upcoming boat shows in May have already had a massive increase in pre-sold and reserve..
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Will the wrecker's record car sale

Gold Coast Wreckers owned by Will Smith at Reedy Creek will see an auction and sale of cars from the site now that most of the land has been sold. Picture: David ClarkWILL Smith has bought a new iPhone as he prepares, for the first time, to open the doors of his Gold Coast Wreckers for one of the biggest spare parts sales staged in Australia.Sitting on an old stool under his Reedy Creek home office, renowned for the pink FX Holden poking out on the top veranda, Mr Smith yesterday was taking a st..
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Icon buys back shares during downturn

Icon Energy boss Ray James. The explorer has concentrated on a share buyback while it hopes for a rebound in the resources sector. Picture: Jerad WilliamsSTRUGGLING Gold Coast oil and gas explorer Icon Energy has been buying back shares while its exploration activity remains in a holding pattern.The company, like all junior explorers finding life tough in the wake of the resource sector rout, has been forced to suspend or carry out minimal activity at its tenements in the Surat, Cooper, Eromanga..
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Bolter Wright in Titans' Nines squad

Shane Wright has been named in the Titans’ squad for the Auckland Nines. Picture: Mike BatterhamHE’S a rising star in a sport he knew little about growing up in AFL-mad Western Australia but Titans bolter Shane Wright is hoping his senior debut goes a little more smoothly than his first outing for the Gold Coast club. Wright, a West Coast Eagles fan who grew up playing soccer in Western Australia before following his school mates into league after moving to the Whitsundays, was the biggest surpr..
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Police leak fears in bikie case

Former Titans under 20s player Christopher Bloomfield in court. Picture: John Gass.POLICE kept details about a bikie extortion case off police computer systems amid suspicions an officer was feeding information to the Hells Angels.The shocking detail emerged during the committal hearing of former Gold Coast Titans Under 20s player Christopher Bloomfield, Rhys Mirkin and Brady Van Rooijen — all alleged to have links to the Hells Angels.The men are accused of extorting the ‘middle man’ in an alleg..
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New leaders rise at Suns

Gold Coast Suns players Peter Wright (left) and Jarrad Grant at training. Picture: David Clark.EXPECT the Gold Coast Suns to make some noise this year. At a time when the club is preparing to announce their leadership group, experienced Gold Coast midfielder Michael Rischitelli said the Suns had put more of an onus on the collective voice of the team rather than a select group.“That’s what you want to achieve and the leadership group, regardless of who it is, doesn’t change whether or not you ca..
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Coast set to be gun capital of Qld

Gold Coast the gun capital of Queensland.THE Gold Coast is fast gaining a reputation as Queensland’s gun capital with almost 64,000 weapons registered, causing emergency service workers to predict there will be more domestic violence deaths.The Gold Coast Bulletin has learned the number of applications for firearms statewide has doubled since 2012 after applications could be made online.A weapons count for southeastern police district reveals 95,409 firearms are owned by residents on the Coast a..
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