First published 12 Nov 2026, 5:00am
Surf prodigies Milla Coco Brown and Dane Henry will own apartments in the Gold Coast holiday-let tower, named Surfer
A Gold Coast developer that enlisted teen surf champions apartments to inspire Gen Z into property ownership has carved up the design to bring prices back down to earth.
Bastion Group has dramatically overhauled the layout of its upcoming $200 million Surfers Paradise tower, named Surfer, cramming in more units to slash starting prices by about $250,000 before taking the project to market.
The 30-storey project was conceived around youth and surf culture. Tweed-based junior world champion Dane Henry, now 20, and Sydney talent Milla Coco Brown, 18, were signed as ambassadors, with each to own an apartment in the building as part of the deal.
Project ambassadors Milla Coco Brown and Dane Henry, pictured with Sammy Lowe (L) ahead of WSL Pro Junior on the Gold Coast. Picture: Nigel Hallett
But with interest rates biting and the Gold Coast’s weighted average apartment price soaring to $2.634m in Q2, the reality of pitching seven-figure pads to twenty-somethings forced a rethink.
Bastion redesigned the council-approved 100-unit project at 27 Vista St into 115 residences by shaving 15 two-bedroom floorplates to fit 30 one-bedroom pads alongside 79 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units.
The move cut starting prices from just under $1m to $746,000, with 27 apartments now priced under the seven-figure mark.
Henry and Brown with project designer Joe Snell. Picture: Supplied
Bastion Group chief executive Alex Wood said much of the local market was now out of reach for younger generations.
“The Gold Coast has never had more cranes in the sky, but for many buyers, luxury has drifted out of reach,” Mr Wood said.
“We’ve chosen to redesign Surfer to respond to these market conditions, so more people can secure a foothold in property.
“Renting where they live and owning where they want to be is a smarter first step.”
The 30-storey tower was redesigned to lower unit prices
The push to lower prices highlights a shift in the off-the-plan sector, with entry-level buyers wary of committing amid higher interest rates and settlement valuation risks.
With 74 per cent of the building designated for short-term holiday letting, the developer has pitched a coastal spin on “rentvesting”, appealing to young professionals priced out of southern capital cities to rent near their jobs and buy where they holiday.
The play also leans into controversial federal tax changes restricting negative gearing to new builds, positioning off-the-plan projects like Surfer as among limited property assets where owners can still write off rental losses against personal salary from 2027.
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However, holding costs remain a wildcard, with Bastion confirming body corporate levies are not yet finalised as communal amenities undergo upgrades.
Designed by Studio Snell with landscape architecture by Jamie Durie, the tower features a rooftop infinity pool, board locker room, and wellness spas.
Construction by in-house arm Bastion Built is scheduled to start in early 2027.
Three-quarters of the units are designated for holiday letting
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