Palm Beach towers could be cut from 13 to four levels in new City Plan
Gold Coast Council will investigate slashing Palm Beach beachfront building heights from 13 to four floors, but residents will be waiting a long time for any changes.
Building heights on the beachfront at Palm Beach could be reduced back from 13 to four floors, under a proposed planning change to be investigated by council.
The stunning move was sparked during an update on the new City Plan where Councillor Josh Martin was backed by colleagues in getting council planners to consider policy options.
But southern Coast residents are being advised to lower their expectations — any planning reforms by the Gold Coast City Council will take at least three years to enforce.
Mr Martin had recommended officers explore a policy change option which would see the building height overlay map changed for Palm Beach.
South Palm Beach on the eastern side of the Gold Coast Highway is a medium density zone.
Former planning committee chair Cameron Caldwell had previously, as part of an planning amendments package, pushed for a four-level height limit.
“These changes were put to the former state government as part of an amendments package but were ultimately rejected by the state due to uncertainty as to how it would impact housing supply,” Mr Martin said.
The new City Plan would guide the next 10 years of growth in the City and it was important “to pursue the lowering of building heights in this beachside location”.
Mr Martin believes the timing is right with a new government to consider a fresh City Plan.
“It is not an overnight fix, as the new City Plan could take two to three years to put in place,” he said.
But amending the City Plan and relevant building height overlay mapping was the most effective tool at addressing heights rather than fight planning court battles.
This was because many of the projects had a “lawful pathway” to apply for higher levels.
“My amendment reaffirms to the community that council will be working on modelling of lowering heights in this specific area of Palm Beach,” Mr Martin said.
“However, I do need to temper expectations that this is early days, and the work needs to be done to ensure that growth targets are met under the state government’s SEQ planning.”
The City a week ago approved a 13-level tower in Jefferson Lane, setting a new height limit, and will soon consider changes to another project making Elle on Jefferson 12 levels.
The planning committee was told 18 tower developments have been lodged since 2020 in the central Palm Beach area.
They range from eight to 18 levels in height.
City planning chair Mark Hammel said the earliest for any potential change to take effect would be when the new City Plan was endorsed by council and the state.
The timing for that would be towards the end of 2027, he said.
While he supported Mr Martin in looking at growth options, the reality was the City must build 185,000 homes as the City reached one million residents by 2040, he said.
“To me, it’s about getting the balance right. If we talk about reducing building heights in some areas, we also need to have an honest conversation about where those homes will go
instead,” Mr Hammel said.
“Councillor Martin’s early policy position is covered in work already under way, and would not change the course of the work the City has already done on our new planning scheme to date.
“We are already looking closely — not just in Palm Beach, but across all suburbs.”
Additional housing would be built “based on the capacity of our sewer, stormwater and
transport networks”.
Mr Hammel said residents could have their say on height at future community consultation.
“Palm Beach residents may make it clear they don’t want increased height along Jefferson Lane, for example. If that’s the case, we’ll then need to take that feedback on board, but at the same time, ask where more height is acceptable,” he said.
“Is it in the Palm Beach centre zone? Elsewhere in the suburb? Because those houses will need to be built somewhere.
“I want to be clear on one point — we can’t carve out entire suburbs and say, ‘no growth here at all’. That’s not how we sustainably plan for the growth that is coming to our city or respond to a housing crisis.”
The Palm Beach planning debate so far:
• In December 2019, then City Plan chair Cameron Caldwell is backed by Mayor Tom Tate in when he proposed the new 16m height limit allowing for buildings of only four levels with developers no longer able to get a 50 per cent uplift in their designs.
• Under the changes, the eastern side of Jefferson Ln would change from medium density to low-medium density, almost halving the existing height limits.
• January 2020, Mr Caldwell at an intense town hall meeting on building heights, where residents were frustrated about no changes, was told: “You’ve slaughtered Palm Beach.”
• July 2024, the City is about to approve a 12-level tower despite 1000 objections — council had approved all but 13 projects with “uplifts” after the government refused to agree to the amendments because population targets would not be met.
• October 2025, council approves a 13-level tower at Jefferson Ln which sets new height limits in a medium density area. The centre retail zone has a height of 18 levels after the Planning and Environment Court defied the City and 1863 objectors by agreeing to it.
• November 2025, As council embarks on a new City Plan, Councillor Josh Martin asks for a policy rethink and supports lowering heights.
Originally published as Palm Beach towers could be cut from 13 to four levels in new City Plan
