SOUTH-EAST Queensland is on track to eclipse Melbourne's suburban sprawl to become Australia's second-largest metropolitan area within 50 years.

Civic leaders say that based on the population projections, the Gold Coast will need an extra 8000 jobs every year to keep unemployment down and the city thriving.

The Business GC Economic Development Strategy 2010 has laid out a plan to create new jobs, highlighting how the Gold Coast was no longer considered just a holiday destination ... it was now a robust economy 'internationally recognised as a highly desirable location and a premium city in which to live, work and visit'.

"The Gold Coast is expected to become Australia's fifth-largest city within the next 20 years ... the rate of growth being experienced in SEQ suggests that the region is likely to surpass Melbourne as the second-largest metropolitan area in Australia after Sydney, within the next 50 years," said the report.

Business GC boss John Witheriff said the sheer infrastructure required for the huge population growth would generate 70 per cent of the 8000 new jobs needed annually.

He said house and infrastructure construction and supplying food and entertainment would create jobs easily.

Not so easily was the remaining 30 per cent, which would require proactive moves to attract business investment and exports like film, high-performance sport and environmental and knowledge-based industries.

Mr Witheriff said they were now working with schools and universities to produce a more skilled, knowledge-based workforce that would in turn lure big companies to set up here.

The city has been split into 10 key precincts to group similar businesses in the one hub.

It includes Southport as a medical, education, business and technology centre, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach for international tourism and business and Coolangatta as a medical, tourism and transport hub.