Gladstone, QLD 4680

Gladstone is a mid-sized port town of around 35000 people in the Capricorn region of Queensland, maybe 60000 including surrounding towns. First thing you notice is there is a lot of nature around, hilly with some quite stunning bushland with tall trees all around. Great open spaces, lots of parks with sports on, plenty of well-equipped playgrounds and a fantastic waterfront area with hectares of green open space, kids water play, cafes and outdoors events. Gladstone marina is across from there and also has acres of green space.

Tannum Sands is nearby for a different vibe with ok beach and Lake Awoonga is stunning, with bbq bungalows set amongst the bush overlooking the lake. The public facilities must be amongst the best maintained nationwide. Also it does feel very safe here, more so than other Queensland regional centres. Plenty of beautiful places nearby, Agnes Waters/1770 is stunning, as is Heron Island offshore. Yeppoon/Keppel islands arent far away and theres various national parks. Rockhampton has more options for shopping 110kms away.

The city centre is pretty low-key, just apartments, offices, one short semi-pedestrianised street and a scattering of shops, restaurants and pubs. Shopping revolves around the precinct at Kin Kora, where there's a small shopping mall with Woolies, Big W and various small shops, and a big Kmart and Coles across the road. Most services are there, but childcare is notoriously difficult and often you simply cant get a place whatsoever, which is a huge drawback for families. Early childhood centres are generally less helpful than elsewhere and seem to shun those moving to the town.

The hospital is infamous for being understaffed and not treating anyone thats not category 1, just hope you dont get sick. Its not too hard to get GP doctors (no bulk billing except for children) but they vary in quality enormously. Another strange thing is Marketplace, a lot of places you get good deals but in Gladstone people sell 2nd-hand stuff for near-new prices, sothe whole platform is virtually unusable.

Houses vary from run-down weatherboard bungalows that look 3rd-world to some nice, newer houses in the peripheral suburbs. Footpaths hardly exist, plan to walk the kids and push prams on the narrow roads with traffic. After over a decade in the duldrums, house prices are going up with more investors coming in, but rentals are mostly trashed and over-priced. Real estate agents make you do a full application just to view a property for 5mins, and dont really care much at all after that. Trades are hopeless, even if you get a booking they often just dont turn up and noone seems to care at all, even from a larger company with admin. Even trying to book swimming lessons for the kids took like 1 month, they had teachers and space but simply didn't have the capability to organise it.

Some people have been here for generations but theres a sizeable temporary population, a lot of FIFO workers, with camps and fly-blown cheap motels accomodating them. This leads to a weird vibe in the town, as I've alluded to, where locals seem to shun anyone coming in. They may be friendly but seem to treat outsiders with more disdain than most country towns. Its also kinda weird as everyone is in high-vis, imagine being in Woolies and 70% of the people are in high-vis.

All this revolves around the work situation - Gladstone is an industrial port town, always has been and the economy depends on the ugly infrastructure you see dotted around - coal export terminal, gas export terminal, coal-fired power plant, hydrogen plants, aluminum processing plants, refinery, smelter and red mud dams, and more. These places pay the bills in town but are pretty horrible places to work, particularly the ageing QAL refinery where a tiny slip-up can leave you with permanent disability from caustic burns (and you are forbidden from calling 000 there, you can only call their own first responders!!).

At this point, I need to issue a stark warning about Gladstone, it is infamous for cyclical nature of the work. One month there could be limitless engineering projects going and they are screaming for workers offering high wages, then at the drop of a hat from Rio Tinto or the other big players, overnight that all changes and the work disappears. Some Gladstone-based employers will entice you to relocate there, offering rent assistance, relocation allowances and sky-high salaries. We know people who did this, went through hell to relocate, put their kids in local schools and kindys, took out a lease, moved everything and uprooted their lives for Gladstone, only to be sacked within a few months when projects where wound down unexpectedly, and were then stranded there. Those who chose to buy were in a worse predicament:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-21/real-estate-boom-town-where-most-homes-now-sell-for-a-loss/9566710

I would recommend you DONT relocate to Gladstone, its a small town and when things go quiet you are very much stuck there. Its not terribly far to move to another regional centre or Brisbane but just be very careful and simply dont trust many of the employers in Gladstone with what they say. If you do relocate, get a clause saying they have to compensate you if employment ends within 1 year. This has happened for decades in Gladstone as thats the nature of the town, a non-diverse economy prone to change.

Overall, nice natural surrounds, its liveable, enough facilities, some people are friendly but there is a weird vibe, things are way harder than they should be and the risk of falling victim to the cyclical nature of town's very limited economy and untrustworthy employers.

in

We moved to Gladstone as part of a three year contract with work and we have been here 14 months and we have told our employer either get us out of here or we will quit.
We bought our house because we rentals were not really available at the time we came here,
The industries are horrible you get a lot of dust and coal dust in certain areas, the road coming in we noticed a way side stop with dirty mattresses and tyres dumped we were shocked them we saw the three big stacks and the muddy flats and we thought ohhh no, from there it has just got worse and we feel like we are living a nightmare no amount of money is worth this.
The people are either workers or unemployed social outcasts there is nothing in between.
We thought we will buy a boat and try to get out in the water to relax on time off and hot attacked by sand flies spent over $70 on treatments from the chemist and many pain filled days.
Our house we love but you do also need to venture out on days off but everything in Gladstone in alcohol based.
The bunnings store is a nightmare and has some of f the mist rudest people I have ever come across.
The shopping is crap not my any big name stores here and not one decent coffee shop.
The only place we sort of like is the airport because it gets out of Gladstone and Gladstone does actually look nice from 30,000 feet.
We have lived in a few places including Townsville yet we got broken into in Gladstone, the police never even visited us when we reported it so we know that report went no where.
Our employer has now told us that we are not the first people to beg to get out of here and they are now going to cut ties with sending employees to Gladstone and offer transfers to either Bundaberg or Rockhampton.
We have now received our transfers and will see out the end of this year list the house for sale and don’t even care if we get spending fines leaving town that’s how fast we will be leaving.
Do I recommend Gladstone absolutely not for these reasons
* Any body who thinks having multiple industries is not doing harm to your health in kidding themselves
* Crime problem just because you want to pretend it’s not a issue wont make it go away
* Very bad customer service and no real shopping
* sandflies
* To much government housing and social problems bought on by unemployment and social skills.
* Police service that is not up to standards
* Health care well where do we start don’t get pregnant or have a serious illness or have a serious accident and you bay survive if your lucky.

Gladstone is built on Auckland Creek and overlooks the Gladstone Harbour, therefore as you move around you frequently encounter water views.

Gladstone Central on Auckland Street services the inner Gladstone area, however depending on zoning you could investigate Gladstone West Primary on Boles Street. Gladstone State High or Toolooa High School are the State High Schools.
Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School is right in the CBD on Goondoon Street, and Chanel College is on Patterson Street, just off Dawson Highway.

Restaurants and coffee shops are plentiful in the main heart of Gladstone CBD, however you cannot go past Gladstone Yacht Club for a great meal overlooking Auckland Creek.

Gladstone Entertainment Centre is located in Goondoon Street and always provides great entertainment and shows for all ages, and also hosts Esiteddfords and school musicals.

Talisha Buttsworth – Asset Manager – Island Sands Asset Management, Tannum Sands
Phone 07 4973 7783 or email [email protected]