Authorities have told interstate school-leavers visiting the Gold Coast over the next week that a "robust" police operation will be in place, despite most support services being scaled back for week two of schoolies.
Nine government agencies and community groups have been providing support services for schoolies since last Friday, with about 1,000 people undertaking a combined 40,000 hours of volunteer work.
About 18,000 school-leavers attended the Surfers Paradise hub in week one, up from 16,000 in 2021, with about 40 per cent aged 18 and the vast majority from Queensland.
Thousands more from Victoria and New South Wales are expected to visit the Gold Coast over the next week.
Queensland Police acting chief superintendent Rhys Wildman said the focus next week would be pubs and clubs, given most interstate schoolies are 18 years old.
"[Police will be] identifying those who are intoxicated, maybe coming out of accommodation doing the pre-loading," he said.
"So we can do that early intervention and prevent them from actually coming to harm themselves or creating issues in the precinct.
"We're still having a very robust policing operation for the coming week, at all hours of the day and night."
The designated schoolies hub at Surfers Paradise, including beach stages, have been dismantled but a "recharge zone" where interstate schoolies can seek out volunteer support will remain on-site.
Arrests up due to higher attendance, say police
A total of 165 people have been arrested since last Friday, 53 of which were schoolies.
That's up from 28 schoolies arrested in 2021 and 42 in 2019.
"The behaviour that's been demonstrated is comparable to pre-COVID years when you look at the crowd numbers," acting chief superintendent Wildman said.
Hand-held metal detecting wands were used to scan 918 people resulting in 32 arrests, mostly for bail offences and drug possession.
Seven weapons were located on people, including a knife allegedly hidden up the sleeve of a 13-year-old. But no schoolies were charged with weapon offences.
Acting chief superintendent Wildman said schoolies should be congratulated, with non-school leavers or toolies being the main focus of arrests.
An on-site Queensland Ambulance centre treated 446 people, including non-schoolies, with 46 taken to hospital — up from 19 in 2021.
Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) acting senior operations supervisor Dion Marr said schoolies were relatively well behaved, with intoxication the main area of concern.
He said QAS' on-site treatment centre had been dismantled but additional crews would attend Surfers Paradise throughout the next week.
Parties and mates
Schoolie Eliza Parenti, 17, said she was enjoying the parties, spending time with friends and going out for lunch and the beach.
"We've had pretty easy accommodation, our manager's been really nice, accommodating," she said.
"We don't play loud music so we're pretty responsible.
"We just party till 12am and then we go home, but sometimes we'll get food afterwards."
Tyler Lilley, 18, said the highlight had been hanging out with friends.
"Just improvising and still having fun," he said.
But another schoolie, Damon from Brisbane, said he was disappointed by the number of toolies.
"Whenever you see some bloke walking around … with a full tattoo sleeve, you just think, 'Come on mate, what are you doing here?'" he said.
"It was your year a few years ago, just get over it."
A 'more mature' group
Schoolies began as an informal event in the 1970s and volunteer groups and emergency authorities have since developed a formal network of support services, including a designated schoolies-only party on the beach.
"I understand why people have that idea of what schoolies is because without that framework it probably would be a lot more of a difficult time," volunteer Jodie Smith said.
"We're so lucky on the Gold Coast to have that framework around, because prior to that it feels like it would have just been a free-for-all."
Volunteer Barry Rienecker said most of the schoolies had been friendly.
"A bit quieter than some of the years in the past, but kids seem to be … better behaved every year," he said.
"I'm not sure whether they're more responsible or they're knowing more about drugs and alcohol, or because they're simply older when they get here.
"It's not the 17-year-olds and younger, it's 17 and 18-year-olds, so they're more mature."
