Landscape Designer in Clear Island Waters
Waterfront and family homes deserve outdoor spaces that match. We’ll help you plan yours with confidence — so nothing gets lost between the design and the build.
The plan is about your brief, not selling you a build · Fixed prices for suburban gardens, $2,530 to $6,850 inc GST · 5.0 from 66+ Google reviews
Landscape design near Clear Island Waters: a recent garden in Ashmore
“He really did take his time and listen to the overall brief and making some fabulous suggestions in the process.”
Getting it built? A decade of landscape industry and supplier know-how goes into your plan. A trusted landscaper builds it: yours, or I’ll suggest one if I know a good fit. I take no commission. What each package includes
New here? See how a Gold Coast landscape plan works: the process, the prices and sample plans.
What Shapes Your Clear Island Waters Design
Clear Island Waters’ low-lying, water-fronted lots bring their own design challenges. Here’s what we look at when designing for properties in this area.
63%
Separate houses · Clear Island Waters
Mostly separate houses, with a solid share of townhouses and a small number of apartments; median age is 50. Waterfront lots are common, but block size and exposure change from one street to the next, so the design starts from your site, not the suburb.
Source: ABS Census 2021Wet
Poorly drained Hydrosol soils
Low-lying coastal plain with gley duplex soils: a friable surface over a subsoil that stays wet and drains poorly. The area is subject to flooding, and disturbed ground carries acid sulfate soil risk. Species choice, bed levels and drainage matter more here than on sandy ground.
Source: Queensland GlobeWaterfront
Development control area · waterways
Waterfront development control areas cover much of the suburb, with 219 mapped features, plus 56 waterway features. Bushfire hazard mapping touches some areas, and single features are mapped for flood assessment, landslide hazard and a heritage place. Worth checking what applies to your lot before any earthworks or structures.
Source: Gold Coast City Plan1,302mm
Annual rainfall · 25°C avg max · 67% humidity
Subtropical — 94 rain days per year, using Gold Coast Seaway station figures. Around 5.4km inland, so salt spray is minimal and the main design driver is the wet ground rather than exposure. No frost risk.
Source: Bureau of MeteorologyThese are just some of the site factors that can shape a landscape design.
Your Landscape Design Packages
Where are you starting from?
- The structures are set (built, or on my builder’s or architect’s plans). I need the garden and planting worked out around them. → Landscape Plan
- The structures need designing, or I’m not sure the layout works. → Masterplan. It comes in three stages, bought one at a time. Stop whenever you have what you need.
- Only need a plan for approval of your own home or courtyard? For council conditions, a DA (development approval) or a building approval. For your estate’s rules or design review panel. → Landscape Approvals Plan for council, estate and body corporate. $1,800 inc GST.
- Acreage? The fixed price covers the garden around the house. More of the property is quoted on its own.
- Acting for a body corporate, a builder, a developer or a business? → Commercial & Approvals
The Masterplan is $6,850 in total, paid stage by stage: $1,850, $2,250, $2,750. Each stage is yours to approve before the next begins.
Two ways to start. Want to talk it through first? Book a free 20‑minute call and I’ll recommend the package your project needs, not the biggest one. Not sure which plan fits? Start with a consultation ($550), up to 90 minutes. Every home plan starts with it, and it counts in full. I design it; I don’t build it.
Landscape Plan
Structures already set? This is the garden around them.
The garden worked out around what’s already there. Your house, builder’s or architect’s plans are the base. I work out where beds, lawn, steppers and mulch go, then every plant: what to buy, how many and where. Your landscaper can price the planting from it. It doesn’t design new structures or ground heights: walls, steps, decks, paved areas and drainage are the Masterplan.
Planting chosen for Clear Island Waters’ wet, low-lying soils.
Starts with a $550 consultation. It counts in full toward the plan.
- For
- Your own garden, structures in place or on your plans: plant it yourself or hand it to your landscaper.
- Not for
- New structures, walls, steps, decks, paving, ground heights, drainage or a steep site → Masterplan. Same if you’re not sure of the layout.
- Not for
- A plan just for an approval → Landscape Approvals Plan for council, estate and body corporate
Includes
- Layout plan with a key, one sheet. Your structures as the base, with beds, lawn, paths and steppers placed. Shown as intent (e.g. mulch, concrete steppers), not drawn to build from.
- A standard notes page
Planting
- The full planting plan and schedule, with bed-by-bed layouts and plant photos. I’m a qualified horticulturist: I choose every plant for your site and how you live.
Not included
- Designing new structures or ground heights: walls, steps, decks, paved areas, measured positions, drainage, a written materials list → Masterplan. A plan for an approval shows built elements as drawn on your builder’s or architect’s plans.
Getting it built
✓ Contractor handover included: I send your landscaper the plan set. I answer their questions on the drawings for up to 6 weeks after I send it. This ends sooner if you sign a contract with them. After that, I’m happy to answer a quick question where I can. Anything bigger is quoted separately. Your landscaper sets the price. I don’t negotiate it or review contracts.
For your own garden, the plan can work from a PDF. Tracing isn’t exact, so it is only as accurate as the plans you give me.
“Kieran followed up within a week with the plant plan and turned around a minor edit within 24hrs.”— Michael, Hope Island, planting plan
“He is very knowledgeable and demonstrated a great balance of creative vision and practical design.”— Shannon, Burleigh Heads, Landscape Plan
See a sample planSee what’s includedBook a free 20‑minute callLandscape Masterplan
Layout to design, or structures and ground heights to price?
One plan, worked out stage by stage, and I stay with you through quoting. Good design is not decided in one meeting. So the Masterplan is three stages, each approved one at a time. You see the design at each stage, and anything you’d change is changed then, before the next stage starts. At stage 3, I check each landscaper’s quote lists what the plans show. Your landscaper then measures on site to confirm their price.
Starts with a $550 consultation. It comes off stage 1, so $6,850 is the full total.
- For
- A new layout, or you’re not sure the one you have works
- For
- Retaining walls, steps, terracing, decks, drainage or lighting that trades need to price
- For
- Steep, multi-level or complex sites
- Not for
- Structures already set and it’s the garden and planting you need → Landscape Plan
The first step
Design Consultation. Up to 90 minutes, on site or by video. You get an email recap and, if you go ahead, the proposed design direction. It’s $550 including travel in Gold Coast metro. Outside the metro, travel is extra. Every home plan starts with it, and it counts in full.
The three stages
- Concept · $1,850Your concept layout and mood board, walked through on a video call. One round of changes included.
- 3D + plants · $2,250A 3D model of the design, built on approximate ground heights. You see it on a video call. Model images and files aren’t handed over. The full planting plan and plant schedule: which plants, how many and where each goes. The planting bed shapes. One round of changes included.
- Renders, materials + spec · $2,750Three design renders of your finished garden. Materials and finishes. Ground heights from your survey, which may adjust the design. The layout and sizes of paving, walls and steps. Where lights, watering and drainage should go. An engineer or other licensed professional designs any retaining wall or drainage works. A spec for your landscaper and a list of what to buy and how much. All walked through on a video call.Quote support is included. Your landscaper quotes from the plans and the list of what to buy, so every trade prices the same plan. Send me each quote and I check it lists what the plans show. I aim to design to your approximate budget. Quotes can still come in over, so one round of design changes is included. The changes stay within the agreed design. It runs until you sign with a landscaper, or 6 weeks after your final plans, whichever is first. Your landscaper’s quote sets the cost. I don’t advise on price, quote, negotiate, review contract terms, visit site, supervise or manage the build.✓ Contractor handover included
Not included
- Engineering or certification
Your site survey
Stage 3 needs a contour and detail survey (ground heights) from a local surveyor, separate from the design fee. Recent Gold Coast surveyor prices for a 600 to 850 m² block ran about $2,090 to $2,750 inc GST. Yours depends on lot size, slope and access. After the call I can pass on surveyor contacts and tell you exactly what to ask for. Then every quote matches what the design needs. You engage and pay the surveyor directly. Architect or builder plans as well are ideal, but don’t replace the survey.
See a sample planSee what’s includedBook a free 20‑minute callOr start with a consultation ($550).
Pick a time that suits, by video. Take away what we cover, or go further if it’s a fit. I design it. A trusted landscaper builds it: yours, or I’ll suggest one if I know a good fit. I take no commission.
The Landscape Plan and Masterplan run remotely by default. You send site photos (including the view from the house), your site plan and your inspiration. We work through it by video.
Fixed prices are for a standard suburban block, front and back. Commercial and multi-unit jobs are quoted on their own. Only part of the garden? Ask and I’ll confirm what fits.
Plans are design intent, marked not to scale.
Your Landscape Design Advocate
I’m Kieran Morris — an experienced landscape designer and horticulturist (NZQA Level 3 Horticultural Science) based on the Gold Coast. I work with homeowners across South East Queensland and Northern NSW to create outdoor spaces that are designed around how you actually live — not just how they look.
Independent. I don’t sell plants, materials, or construction. My advice is based on what’s right for your property.
Clarity. You’ll see your entire outdoor space resolved on paper before anything gets built — so there are no surprises.
From Concept to Contractor. I’ll connect you with trusted local landscapers who can bring the design to life.
Book a free 20‑minute call“I can absolutely recommend Kieran. He took time to understand our home before advising on the landscape design. I have worked with numerous landscapers over the years and Kieran is the best. On some of his advice I trusted him and now that the plantings are in I can see the beauty of his approach. The landscape has added far more to our home than I could have imagined.
Common Questions About Landscape Design in Clear Island Waters
How much does landscape design cost in Clear Island Waters?
Fixed-fee packages: the Landscape Masterplan is $6,850 inc GST in total, paid stage by stage: $1,850, $2,250, $2,750. Each stage is yours to approve before the next begins. The Landscape Plan, for a layout that’s already set, is $2,530 inc GST for your own garden, plant plan detail included. Know what you want? Start with the $550 Design Consultation. It costs the same on site or by video in Gold Coast metro, plus travel outside it. It counts in full toward the $2,530 Landscape Plan or the Masterplan. Only need a plan for approval, such as DA conditions (development approval), council requirements, your estate’s covenant or design review panel, a body corporate committee, or a building approval? A Landscape Approvals Plan is $1,800 inc GST for a simple single-house approval; multi-lot or complex DAs are quoted individually. The package figures are fixed for a standard suburban block, front and back. On acreage, the fixed price covers the garden around the house. More of the property is quoted on its own. So are commercial and multi-unit jobs. The right package depends on how much of the layout still needs designing. See our full packages or read our cost guide.
What’s the difference between a landscaper and a landscape designer?
A landscaper builds — they install gardens, paving, retaining walls, and irrigation. A landscape designer plans — we create the design, select species, resolve the layout, and produce the plans your landscaper builds from. Think architect vs builder. Most homeowners need both, in that order.
Do I need a landscape plan for my Clear Island Waters property?
Clear Island Waters sits on low-lying, poorly drained soils that are subject to flooding, and much of the suburb falls inside the City Plan’s waterfront development control area. Some areas are also touched by bushfire hazard mapping. A plan resolves levels, drainage and what goes near the water, so the garden suits the ground it’s on.
How long does the design process take?
A Landscape Plan takes 2 to 3 weeks of design time, and an approvals plan about 2 weeks. A Masterplan takes about 6 to 8 weeks, with each stage approved before the next. To begin, I need your site photos and any plans you have. Changes and your review time sit outside that, so you can take the time you need.
Can you recommend landscapers to build the design?
Yes — from concept to contractor. We work with a network of trusted Gold Coast landscapers and can connect you with the right builder for your project. Your design gives them a clear scope to quote from, so you can compare quotes confidently.
What plants suit Clear Island Waters’ wet soils?
With salt spray minimal, the main filter is wet ground. Water Gum and Weeping Bottlebrush work as trees; Tantoon (Leptospermum polygalifolium) and Thyme Honey Myrtle suit mid-level planting; Basket Grass (Lomandra fluviatilis) and Weeping Baeckea fill the lower layers in damp spots. Plants that need sharp drainage go into raised beds or get left out.
Design Inspiration for Clear Island Waters
Canal & Waterfront Garden Design
Wind, screening and making the view work — the essentials for canal and marina frontages.
Australian Native Garden Design
Local species, habitat value and designing a native garden that still looks deliberate.
Bushfire-Resilient Garden Design
Plant choice, spacing and layout for lots touched by bushfire hazard mapping.
Landscape Design in Nearby Suburbs
We work across the central Gold Coast — here are nearby suburbs we also service:
Ready to Design Your Clear Island Waters Outdoor Space?
Start with a free 20-minute call — we’ll talk through your property, your priorities, and the right next step. No obligation, no sales pitch.
Book a free 20‑minute call