Palm Cove development resurgence leaves residents worried

Housing estates and construction of up-market new apartments have this tight-knit beach community feeling increasingly uneasy that the character of the popular destination is under threat.

HOUSING estates and construction of up-market new apartment buildings have the tight-knit community at Palm Cove feeling increasingly uneasy – but their fury was ignited when the bulldozers moved into the Cedar Road development.

Clearing of the 2.11ha site began recently for a project approved four years ago and although it’s called an 18-lot subdivision, that’s a misnomer.

Residents are fearful an eight-storey edifice will be built – and their concerns are not unfounded.

Residents on the northern beaches are concerned about work going ahead on a large development at 33-41 Cedar Road. Picture: Brendan Radke

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The original development application states on page 45 of a 272-page document that there will indeed be an eight storey resort development.

It states the land will hold a “development of an integrated multi-unit residential and tourist accommodation complex comprising a total of 17 residential villa units, 42 residential apartments and 120 motel suites”.

It’s on an original parcel of 3.56ha of land sold for just $174,000 in May 1981 and now conservatively valued at $3m and owned by Palm Cove Nominees – that’s Joseph Del Vecchio, who lives in swanky Bellevue Hill in Sydney.

The company sought the green light from Cairns Regional Council to go ahead with landscaping works in February, prompting a fresh slew of protests from residents.

Resident Marc Alexander said the development was shortsighted.

“Palm Cove is iconic for an awful lot of people, people come here year in and year out with their families and we are slowly ruining what is a wonderful, magnificent place that people love,” Mr Alexander said.

Northern beaches resident Marc Alexander is concerned the large development will he feels will damage the quintessential village feel of Palm Cove. Picture: Brendan Radke

“While nobody should be afraid of incremental improvements, it has to be in sympathy with what is here so that the character of Palm Cove continues.

“What we don’t want to see is a mauling effect of the whole beach area, so it becomes just a place that was once really nice,” he said.

“We are risking a lot. The average Australian is not going to be able to come here and enjoy it and that is going to be a sad loss not only for the character of Palm Cove and the people who came here, lived here and had families here, but for future generations to enjoy,” he said.

Graham Roberts arrived in Palm Cove in 1976 and quotes former Mulgrave Shire Mayor Tom Pyne: “no building should be higher than a coconut tree”.

“When I came here it was fishing shacks, nothing flash, cane fields and mango farms. It’s a lovely spot, and relaxed.

“There’s not much you can do about development, I really just don’t want it to go high.”

Graham Roberts, pictured with Kristine Fisher, moved to Palm Cove in the 1970s and has seen much development in the area, but is concerned about the scale of development. Picture: Brendan Radke

Palm Cove is home to housing estates including moderately-priced Paradise Point on the western side of the highway, and Kerdic Homes’ Argentea and Ocean’s Edge.

Land at Palm Cove is hard to come by and expensive.

Two large blocks at Upolu Esplanade have price tags of $1,550,000 and $1,050,000 respectively but a 449 sqm block at Hedley Homes’ Paradise Point Estate can be had for $235,000.

The Luxe apartments on Amphora Street are being built and there’s only one apartment left, with an asking price of $1.59m.

Nicholas Slayter of Belle Property is marketing the luxury Shara apartment complex at Palm Cove – the first oceanfront construction there for 10 years – and five of six elite apartments have been snapped up.

Work on the luxury Shara Apartments in Harpa Street at Palm Cove is underway with all but one apartment sold off the plan. Picture: supplied

Interestingly, the only undeveloped parcel of land left in Palm Cove is about 25ha between Palm Cove Boulevard and Veivers Road, and it is owned by Robert Prettejohn, who also owns Taylor Point at Trinity Beach.

Kerdic Homes Bruce Dickson said Argentea would feature 104 homes on 14ha and Ocean’s Edge would have 90 homes on 15ha.

He said the original developers had planned high density apartments.

“We could have built over 500 apartments at Argentea and the same at Ocean’s Edge,” he said.

“We’ve done development in character with Palm Cove.”

He said Kerdic would pay $5m in fees to council and called on council to use the money to buy the Cedar Rd site and turn it into parking.

“They can’t neglect Palm Cove, it is the jewel in the crown of Cairns tourism – council needs to buy that land before they start landscaping,” Mr Dickson said.

Resident Colin Hardiman said Palm Cove would soon resemble the Gold Coast.

Palm Cove Mary McIntyre said she was disgusted and saddened by the destruction of trees.

Representatives of Palm Cove Nominees did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.

WORK STARTS ON FAR NORTH’S NEWEST HOUSING ESTATE

PALM Cove residents are dismayed and disheartened by a flurry of development they fear will affect the personality of the seaside village – and nearby, residents are apprehensive as work on developer and builder John Richardson’s Deep Creek Estate at Kewarra kicks off.

Clearing at the end of Cottlesloe Drive started earlier this month, sparking concerns.

A spokesman for Kenfrost Homes declined to comment on the development.

Cairns Regional Council Division 9 councillor Brett Olds said the project, which will ultimately encompass 206 lots, had been approved in 2017

“This development has been a long time coming and the community has been kept up to speed more than most other development applications and have had some decent wins on this site,” Cr Olds said.

He said all four stages would be built simultaneously within about 15 months.

State 1 - 4 construction at Deep Creek Estate, Cottlesloe Drive, Kewarra Beach. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

Cr Olds said while people objected to tree-felling, pictures of the land in 1976 showed it was 75 per cent cane.

“Based on their current approvals, over 55 per cent of the site remains in its current form of trees and creek lines,” Cr Olds said.

Kenfrost is behind Endeavour Estate at Trinity Beach and a 10 year project at Mount Peter, a 201-lot housing estate across the road from Redlynch State College, the Redlynch Vistas estate, Rainforest Edge in Mount Sheridan, Half Moon Bay at Yorkeys Knob, and North Point at Smithfield.

Originally published as Palm Cove development resurgence leaves residents worried