State government repeals approval for Arundel Hills Country Club development
A long battle over a controversial development on a former golf club site will rage on despite the state government’s move to ensure its approval is quashed.
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A long battle over a controversial large-scale development on the Gold Coast will rage on despite the state government’s move to ensure its approval is quashed, with Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie signalling he is ready for the fight.
Mr Bleijie, in line with the LNP’s pre-election promise, gave Gold Coast City Council approval to revoke a Temporary Local Planning Instrument that paved the way for a large-scale development at the Arundel Hills Country Club.
The former Labor government had put in place the TLPI in a bid to forge ahead with developer 3Group’s plan to build at least 650 homes on the disused 67ha site - nearly double the number of homes the developer had originally pitched.
The community, and in turn the Gold Coast City Council, were steadfastly against the development.
Gold Coast City Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday to formally axe the TLPI.
But Mr Bleijie’s letter to the council chief executive, obtained by The Courier-Mail, reveals this will be far from the end of the fight.
“I am advised the two applications have been lodged with the council, both with respect to the land the subject of the TLPI,” he wrote.
“I have asked my department to monitor the status of these applications and provide me with information on my ministerial powers under the Planning Act, including the option to call in the development applications.”
It’s understood the developer, 3Group, could still appeal the Gold Coast City Council’s rejection of its applications in the Planning and Environment Court.
And in this scenario the developer would be able to lean on the argument the TLPI existed when it put forward its applications.
Mr Bleijie’s mention of call in powers is understood to signal the minister will be prepared to exert other options available to kill the development if needed.
Housing Minister Sam O’Connor said the LNP had made a clear commitment to put protect the green space and put the future of Arundel Hills back in the hands of the council and community.
“Our government is committed to delivering one million more homes by 2044,” he said.
“Unlike Labor, we’re going to achieve this by working with councils instead of going to war with them.”
Opposition housing spokeswoman Meaghan Scanlon, who put in place the TLPI in September, said the LNP’s decision to axe the TLPI “sends a shocking message to anyone who wants to invest in housing supply in Queensland”.
“It’s bizarre that David Crisafulli has appointed a bloke who campaigned against affordable housing in his own community to be his housing Minister,” she said.
EARLIER
Approval for a controversial large-scale development on the Gold Coast is set to be repealed, Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie has confirmed.
The LNP had promised, during the recent state election campaign, to “totally revisit” the former Labor government’s decision to approve a large-scale development at the Arundel Hills Country Club if elected.
Mr Bleijie, speaking at a meeting of the LNP faithful in Rockhampton, revealed he had written to Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate on Friday night giving him permission to revoke the Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI).
Gold Coast City Council is expected to meet on Tuesday to formally revoke the TLPI.
Former Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon in September used a TLPI to green light plans for the former golf club, paving the way for at least 650 homes to be built on the disused 67ha site - nearly double the number of homes the developer had originally pitched for the $150m project.
Gold Coast City Council slammed the move by the former government.
Mr Bleijie confirmed he had authorised the council to revoke the TLPI.
He confirmed he would also look at the state government’s “calling in” powers over local government decisions on developments.
His comments came during an LNP State Council motion, ultimately opposed by members, for the state government to override existing town plans that didn’t provide for mixed-density housing supply.
Mr Bleijie spoke against the motion.
“We want to reset the planning partnership with local government,” he said.
“We want to co-operate and collaborate with local government and not do what the Labor government has done to local government for 10 years.
“We will build more houses, we will have a million new homes before 2044, we’ll do it in collaboration with local government.”
Ms Scanlon at the time said she had stepped in after council rejected a housing estate proposed for the site “which fell short of the government’s minimum expectations to fully use this land for more affordable housing”.
“My decision on the Arundel TLPI means we can seize an opportunity to unlock land we have available to deliver hundreds more homes close to infrastructure and services,” she said.
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