Court approves high rise building project in Airlie Beach

A controversial high rise building application has been approved by a court despite Whitsundays community members fighting the project off for years saying they don’t want their coastal town transformed into the Gold Coast.

A court has approved a high-rise building application after years of opposition from Whitsundays residents who say they do not want their town to “lose its character” and transform into the Gold Coast.

Save Our Foreshore (SOF), a community group fighting to stop the Port of Airlie luxury resort project, is upset that the Planning and Environment court found the project was in “public interest”.

The $80m luxury resort project at 22 Coconut Grove, Airlie Beach submitted to council by Meridien has been a source of controversy for the past two years, with council approving the project on November 24, 2021 despite complaints sent by the community.

The project of a 12-storey resort in Port of Airlie has been the subject of controversy in the past two years. Picture: Contributed

Meridien intends to build a 12-storey high rise that would have a conference and function centre, retail and dining components, as well as a nine-storey tower and roof terrace.

The developers submitted that the project could greatly enhance economic prospects in the region creating 600 jobs, and $3.6 million a year in tourism.

But thousands of Whitsunday community members opposed the project, sending letters claiming they didn’t want Airlie Beach to be transformed into another Gold Coast.

SOF also said the 12 storey high-rise resort would not comply with the town’s planning scheme in relation to building heights, with the zone allowing only five-storey high buildings.

The group organised a protest in 2021 following WRC’s approval and appealed for the decision to be reconsidered by the Planning and Environment Court.

Save Our Foreshore members previously campaigned to stop a high-rise development proposed for the foreshore near the Airlie Beach Lagoon. Picture: Supplied

The court found the economic benefits to the town outweighed the cons of breaking the town’s planning scheme as the project responded to a “significant community need”.

SOF president Suzette Pelt said tourism operators as well as the community would be negatively impacted by high rise buildings in Airlie Beach as it would lose its quality of being a “village resort” that tourists come for.

“Why even bother with a town plan if this is what can happen?” she said.

“We see this decision as one that will in reality hold the Whitsundays back.”

After three sessions of discussions held in April this year, Judge Michael Rackemann approved the project on September 1, with the judgment stating the development was in the “public interest”.

Whitsunday community members including Save Our Foreshore president Suzette Pelt gathered at the Port of Airlie on Tuesday, November 30, 2021 to protest the council's approval of a 12-storey luxury resort complex. Picture: Supplied

The court outlined that development projects were only “generally” required to respect the maximum building heights, meaning that it was acceptable to not comply if there was a good reason.

“It sits on relatively low, flat, reclaimed land near the coast and is therefore not sited intrusively in the landscape as are some of the hillside dwellings,” the report stated.

“The public interest would not be served by refusing this development,”

Ms Pelt said the decision was “profoundly disappointing” and the community had not finished trying to appeal the decision.