Cairns real estate: Yorkeys Knob Residents Association alarm at plans for wellness centre

Chinese developers have received no less than seven extensions of time from Cairns Regional Council as they push for the green light on a controversial proposal.

YORKEYS Knob Residents Association president Adrian Gover claims Cairns Regional Council is “bending over backwards” for Chinese developers who are keen to build a 64-room wellness centre.

Mr Gover said the beach community’s opposition to the project was as strident as ever.

Chinese-owned New Land Cairns Pty Ltd applied last May to build on a bushland site in Buckley St but residents were quickly up in arms, with more than 140 submissions sent to council.

Yorkeys Knob residents are fighting a development application before Cairns Regional Council to build short term accommodation on Buckley St. Lyndell Bourke, Adrian Gover, Marja-Leena Malinen, Peter Tuke, Nicola Strange, Andrew Hamilton, Katya Sheen, 5, David Sheen and Dr. Michael Powell are among those opposed to the proposed wellness centre. Picture: Brendan Radke

Council has now given the developer seven extensions of time.

In mid-November, council told New Land, whose directors are Yong Liang and Hongwei Xin, it intended to refuse the DA.

But a fortnight later, it agreed to a request from the developer to extend the decision period to March 25 next year.

“It is quite extraordinary, council is really bending over backward for this developer,” Mr Gover said.

Yorkeys Knob residents are fighting a development application before Cairns Regional Council to build short term accommodation on a hillside block of land at the corner of Buckley Street and Dowsett Close. Picture: Brendan Radke

“This proposal has never stacked up,” he said.

It encompasses 64 rooms, two restaurants, a day spa, two restaurants, gym and therapy amenities exclusively for guests.

Developer New Land Cairns has received six extensions from Cairns Regional Council as it persists in trying to get approval for a Wellness Centre at 46-50 Buckley St, Yorkeys Knob. Picture: supplied.

Cairns Regional Council interim general manager planning and environment Martin Garred said after the council issued a notice of intention to refuse the development application, the applicant requested extra time to respond to the notice.

“Both parties - council and the applicant - agreed to extend the decision timeframes until March 25, 2022, to allow for more information to be gathered,” he said.

The developer did not respond to a request for comment.

Originally published as Cairns real estate: Yorkeys Knob Residents Association alarm at plans for wellness centre