THIS WEEK IN ROBINA

Anyone who's sat through the Robina Town Centre Drive crawl knows the pain firsthand. Council's just changed course on how to fix it.

The original plan, a state funded M1 overpass costing more than $100 million, has been paused. In its place, council's pivoting to a $50 million package focused on intersection upgrades and expanding the existing overpass rather than building a new one from scratch.

Local Division 11 reps have welcomed the shift, pointing out that current delay levels for daily commuters simply aren't good enough. Cheaper and faster beats bigger and slower if it actually gets traffic moving sooner.

No firm timeline yet on when works start, but worth keeping an eye on this one if the M1 crawl is part of your daily grind.

Recent incidents in our local community have reminded many families that confidence, awareness and practical self-defence skills can make a real difference.

The International Jujitsu Foundation in Mudgeeraba is welcoming new beginners to learn traditional Japanese Jujitsu in a structured and supportive environment. Your first introductory session is FREE.

There’s training for adults and beginners aged 13+, plus a new Monday 5pm junior session for younger students aged around 11–15, depending on size and maturity.

No fitness level or martial arts experience is needed. Students progressively learn practical self-defence, movement and controlled techniques while building confidence, discipline, coordination and self-control.

You can come on your own or bring someone you care about, whether that’s a parent, teenager, partner, sibling or friend, and learn together.

Mondays & Wednesdays, 6pm–7.30pm
Junior class: Mondays, 5pm–6pm
Mudgeeraba

First introductory session FREE
Come along, have a go and see if Jujitsu is right for you.

Robina Town Centre has quietly built something you wouldn't expect from a shopping centre car park. Racquet Club has opened across 6,842 square metres, seven padel courts, six pickleball courts, recovery facilities and a clubhouse style food and drink setup.

It's Racquet Club's third permanent location nationally after Sydney and Canberra, and their second biggest venue anywhere. QIC's Sally Harding says the idea was building somewhere families could genuinely build a day around, not just a quick game and home.

Timing's fitting too. It lands during Robina Town Centre's 30th anniversary year, adding a proper sport and social layer to a place that's usually just retail and dining.

Courts are open for bookings now, with the clubhouse following later this month.

There are some numbers you probably shouldn’t wait until an emergency to go looking for. A good sparky is one of them.

If you’ve driven around the Gold Coast, there’s a fair chance you’ve already spotted the unmistakable East Coast Sparkies ute.
Behind it is a local team that has built an extremely good reputation for getting the job done properly.

East Coast Sparkies is led by Matt, a Gold Coast born and bred, second-generation electrician with 17 years of experience across electrical and air conditioning.

And locals clearly rate them.

They currently hold a perfect 5.0-star Google rating from more than 90 reviews, with customers repeatedly recommending the team for their professionalism, communication and workmanship.

They cover pretty much everything you’d want your sparky to handle, from everyday electrical repairs, lighting and power points through to switchboards, air conditioning, smoke alarms, data, security, renovations and larger commercial projects.

So rather than waiting until something starts tripping, flickering or stops working altogether, this might be one worth saving now.

We’re very happy to recommend East Coast Sparkies to Gold Coast locals.
Next time you need a sparky, give the team a call.

East Coast Sparkies
5/2 Hawker St, Currumbin
0420 750 752

Event Cinemas Robina has added ScreenX, and it's a proper shift in how you'll watch a blockbuster. Instead of one screen, the picture wraps across three walls of the theatre for a 270 degree view during key scenes.

It's paired with Dolby surround sound and full recliner seating, so the whole set up leans into making the big action moments actually feel big, rather than just loud.

Robina Town Centre already punches above its weight for entertainment options, and this puts it up there with the flashier cinema tech usually reserved for Brisbane or the bigger capital city complexes. Worth checking which sessions are running in ScreenX next time you're booking, especially for anything action heavy where the format will genuinely add something.

For Meridian Painting Director JK Parker, a quality finish starts long before the final coat goes on.

With more than 15 years of experience across residential, commercial and construction painting, JK built Meridian Painting around a simple approach — prepare properly, communicate clearly and deliver work that lasts.

Meridian Painting services the Gold Coast and Northern NSW, from residential repaints and renovations to new builds, commercial projects and property maintenance.

Preparation is at the heart of every job. Sanding, filling, sealing and priming may not be what everyone notices, but it’s what helps create a finish that looks great and stands the test of time.

Reliability matters too. Meridian focuses on clear communication, respecting your property and making the painting process smooth and hassle-free.

The images are from White Fox Development in Currumbin, one of Meridian’s recent Gold Coast projects and a great example of the finish and attention to detail they deliver.

Whether it’s a family home, new build, investment property or commercial project, the philosophy stays the same:

Prepare properly. Take pride in the details. Leave a finish that lasts.

Meridian Painting
Gold Coast & Northern NSW
0466 231 698

A coroner's report has found gaps in how Robina Hospital managed a mental health patient's care before his death by suicide in 2024. Jonathan Stevens, 28, had been admitted after being found swimming a kilometre out to sea, and was discharged just over 13 hours later.

Coroner Amanda Bain found his medication should likely have been reviewed earlier, given his deteriorating symptoms in the weeks before his monthly injection was due. An independent psychiatrist believed he probably should have been admitted rather than discharged with an outpatient plan.

The coroner also found the hospital's own internal investigation didn't address whether he should have stayed in for that review. Gold Coast Health maintains his care was appropriate and in line with clinical guidelines.

If this brings up anything for you, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the Suicide Call Back Service is on 1300 659 467.

If you're catching public transport anywhere near Robina Station lately, worth checking your route hasn't shifted. Translink rolled out a fresh bus network to line up with the tram now running to Burleigh Heads.

The big one for us is route 701, a brand new service running between Robina Station and The Pines at Elanora via Varsity Lakes. It's designed to give the southern end of the coast better connectivity without doubling up on the tram corridor.

Route 765 has been trimmed too, now sticking strictly to Robina Station and Christine Avenue rather than running the old, longer stretch. Routes 700, 754, 760, 764 and 777 have all shifted as well.

Fifty cents a trip still applies, so it's cheap enough to just check the app before you head out and avoid standing at the wrong stop.

Want your business listed here? Reply to this email.

That is a wrap for this week, Robina. Get amongst the debate, have your say in the community corner, and we will catch you next Thursday with more of what is happening around the traps.

Thanks for reading. See you next week.