Council developer deal: Public parkland given for construction offices near supertower site

A controversial council policy allowing developers to install construction camps in public parks will be reviewed after community backlash.

A CONTROVERISIAL council policy allowing developers to install construction camps in public parks will be reviewed after community backlash.

Main Beach residents were furious over council allowing builders to take over the suburb’s historic Cable Park and public parkland next to a popular nippers club for portable construction offices.

Construction has begun on the 39-storey Midwater and 23-storey Monaco towers in Main Beach Parade in the past fortnight.

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Councillor Darren Taylor — wants councillors to be updated on developers using parks. Picture: Jerad Williams.

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Area councillor Darren Taylor said he had commenced a review of the policy.

“I have met with council officers regarding the Monaco project and I told them I need to be made aware of this and have some input,” he said.

“We will review this policy moving forward as well as address the time frames for these people using parks and we need to know what is a realistic time-frame for it, as well as the whole process.

“There is a lot of development at the moment and we do not want all our parks to be used for site huts.”

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Artist impression of Main Beach's Midwater development which is under construction now.

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Cr Taylor said he believed handing over parks for more than one year was “too long”.

Cr Taylor admitted earlier this week he was not informed about workers on the Monaco tower being able to install and access the ATCO temporary offices set up close to Norfolk Pines near the Southport Surf Life Saving Club.

Community groups were also critical, with Main Beach Association president Sue Donovan saying she was “astounded” at the lack of transparency.

She said it “only reinforces the perception in the community that there is no limit to the favours granted to the development industry”.

It is just the latest controversy attached to the Monaco tower.

Developer Ignite projects broke ground on the tower this month after a difficult two-year process which saw a proposal for hi-tech “sky garages” dumped from plans after a campaign waged by anti-development activists and nearby residents.

Construction is expected to take two years, with the first units to open in late-2023.

Midwater developer Heran began construction of its tower this week on the back of strong sales.

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COUNCIL officers are allowing a developer to use public parkland next to a popular nippers club for portable construction offices, prompting a wave of complaints and councillor’s anger.

Area councillor Darren Taylor admits he was not informed about workers on the Monaco tower being able to install and access the ATCO temporary offices set up close to Norfolk Pines near the Southport Surf Life Saving Club - and he intends asking for a ‘please explain’.

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Resident Elle Bennett emailed Cr Taylor after spotting the construction camp site aware other developers had been given similar access to Cable Park for the Midwater development project several blocks south, as revealed in the Bulletin recently.

“Surely the council is not using more of the Main Beach public park land for developer use? This enclosure also includes three Norfolk Pines that all look to have had their lower branches cut off recently,” Ms Bennett told Cr Taylor.

The construction worker huts in the park near the Southport Surf Lifesaving Club at Main Beach on the Gold Coast.

Cr Taylor in his response said he had spoken to city officers in July regarding developers using the area and was informed no formal application had been received to use the land.

“This week I have received information an application was approved for McNab Builders to utilise the space in the park behind the Southport Nippers Club for the construction of Monaco. I understand occupancy has been approved for up to three years,” he said.

Cr Taylor acknowledged residents would be upset, and added such applications do not require input from the divisional councillors.

“I am meeting with the city officers responsible for these approvals to work to establish a better practices in relation to the utilisation of public space. This will ensure the community is informed prior to any infrastructure being placed on public land,” he said.

When contacted by the Bulletin, Cr Taylor was clearly upset and frustrated about not being consulted.

While he supported short-term permits for use of public parkland for events, he was opposed to granting three-year occupancy for developers.

“I will be asking councillors to see what can be put in place (as a solution),” he said.

Main Beach Association leader Sue Donovan was shocked to learn city officers had not informed Cr Taylor.

“Councillor Darren Taylor only learned of this appropriation of parkland after permission had been granted. Even worse, he discovered that council officers have the power to do these deals without any consultation with the divisional councillor,” Ms Donovan said.

“The Main Beach Association is astounded at this lack of transparency which only reinforces the perception in the community that there is no limit to the favours granted to the development industry.

“At the very least the local councillor must be involved in the decision process – and the details of any deals with developers be transparent and be made known to the public.

“At least the community could then make a judgment as to whether a developer is paying the full market price for leasing public land.”

Originally published as Council developer deal: Public parkland given for construction offices near supertower site