Surfers Paradise incident believed to be linked to Brisbane Airport arrest

Patrons were evacuated from bars, restaurants and hotels during the busy Saturday night trade after Queensland Police made an 'emergency declaration' in Surfers Paradise.

It is believed the second bomb scare was linked to the earlier Brisbane Airport incident yesterday, which also prompted a emergency warning when a man brandishing a knife claimed to have a bomb.

Eyewitnesses on the Gold Coast shared photos on social media of tanks from the Explosive Ordinance Response Team, or bomb squad, arriving at the Bruce Bishop car park, where it's understood the man detained at Brisbane Airport has his car parked.

The bomb squad have been photographed going from car-to-car through the area, looking for the vehicle in question, which was thought to possibly contain bomb-making materials.

The Public Safety and Preservation Act in Surfers Paradise was revoked at 1.45am (AEST) today, three hours after authorities first announced the evacuations and an exclusion zone surrounding the carpark.

Police swarmed the area around 8.30pm and began evacuating patrons from neighbouring establishments, including The Island Bar.

Addressing the media in Brisbane, Superintendent Tony Fleming confirmed earlier fears the man at the airport was carrying an explosive turned out to be false.

"When police were involved we became aware of a device and it's certainly then the officers' suspicion was elevated significantly that that could have been an explosive," Superintendent Fleming said.

"Subsequently, it's not an explosive."

The Australian man of Middle Eastern origin was shot in the torso with non-lethal beanbag rounds before being taken into custody by police.

"He's been examined by [paramedics], he has no significant injuries," he said.