Westfield Helensvale

Westfield Helensvale

Location	Helensvale, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates	27.926425°S 153.336155°E / -27.926425; 153.336155
Opening date	13 October 2005
Developer	The Westfield Group
Management	The Westfield Group
Owner	The Westfield Group and QIC
No. of stores and services	239
No. of anchor tenants	Kmart Target Coles Woolworths Aldi
No. of floors	1
Website	http://westfield.com/helensvale

Opened in Helensvale on 13 October 2005, Westfield Helensvale also referred to as Helensvale Town Centre, is the newest Westfield Shopping Centre.

It is the first Westfield for the Gold Coast and includes Coles, Kmart, ALDI, Target and Woolworths as majors as well as a food court with McDonald's, KFC and Subway. It also provides optimum access to Helensvale Station.

When approval for construction of the centre was requested by Westfield, it was suggested that the Helensvale location was too close to existing centres at Southport (Australia Fair) and Runaway Bay (Runaway Bay Shopping Village). The Gold Coast City Council argued that the planned Coomera Town Centre (about 5 km up the M1) would cater for the catchment. Westfield Helensvale was built mainly because Coomera Town Centre, which is planned to be the true heart of the region, was hitting obstacles in the ways of planning. Part of the outcome of this debate was that part of the Westfield Centre had the appearance of outdoor shopping street connecting the train station through to the older Helensvale shops nearby. This was to help encourage an increase in people walking and using public transport to access shopping facilities. Many other Westfield shopping centres conversely are often fully enclosed malls, however the company is redeveloping a number of sites (such as Garden City) to include outdoor, piazza style areas. There are rumours that Westfield Helensvale will be expanding in the future but no proposals or dates have been released.

Helensvale Town Centre sign

Helensvale Town Centre sign

Parking and Transportation

Westfield Helensvale offers 2000 free all day parking, there are multiple areas of parking due to its length it is one of the longest shopping centres on the Gold Coast, the parking spaces are appropriately zoned in relation to Millaroo Drive and are divided in to 3 sections with two 4 lane roads dividing the car parks.

The sections are for example the right most carpark is good for Woolworths/Fresh Food Court it also contains express shaded carpark area, and Woolworths/Caltex Petrol Station The central parking zone is good for the Food court, Kmart, Target and Aldi.

The leftmost carpark is good for Coles, Kmart Tyres, the outdoor Promenade, access to the old Helensvale shopping centre district via pedestrian underpass and also contains express shaded carpark.

Customers must be aware that if they parked their cars starting the day on the left/Center most parking section of the mall and ended the day shopping in the rightmost section after shopping centre hours, the internal thoroughfare maybe fenced off so customers have to exit the mall and go down Millaroo Drive. so for example if you parked in a parking spot good for Kmart at 4:30pm and you ended your day shopping at Woolworths at 6:30pm you are unable to internally walk from Woolworths section to the Kmart exit due to thoroughfare being fenced off you must exit at nearest exit to Woolworths and walk down Millaroo drive to a possibly lonely car.

it also must be noted when exiting the car park the leftmost (nearest Kmart Tyres) exit going North on Millaroo drive it is a Mandatory Motorway entry exit meaning you are either going to towards Coolangatta left lane or towards Brisbane right lane on the Pacific motorway. The rightmost part of the carpark near Woolworths\Caltex petrol this exit goes towards a underpass which is appropriate for customers traveling towards Pacific Pines, Nerang left lane and right lane Oxenford, Helensvale and Southport.

As well, there are "unofficial" parking areas such as at the western entrance of the Mall on Town Centre Drv this is a unofficial grassy gravel carpark that can park many cars and often is a parking place for off duty Buses, subject to flooding.

Plus incorporating the nearest Train Station i.e. Helensvale there is also an "unofficial" car park at the rear of the mall where customers may choose to park in the QR carpark and they can enter via the food court\outdoor play ground area.

And there are also 15 minute express parking available on the main street, a carpark in the rear of the Promenade on Town Centre Drv, and parents with prams and Disabled carparks are available for customers convenience.

Westfield Helensvale is within walking distance of Helensvale Train Station and is serviced by multiple Translink (Surfside) Buses and Trains from Brisbane to Varsity Lakes that operate in the area making it convenient. Translink Bus Routes include TX5, 3, 14, 16, 709, 715, 725, 726, 727 and 728. please refer to Translink website http://www.translink.com.au/tt_results.php?submit=search&route=Helensvale

External links

• Westfield Helensvale corporate website
• Gold Coast City Council - Premier Opens Westfield Helensvale Town Centre