Judge makes decision on developer’s plans to build a 15-storey unit tower at Woody Point
A final decision has been made after an almost year-long battle for a developer’s controversial plan to build a 45m tall tower in a small seaside village north of Brisbane.
Moreton
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A Planning and Environment Court Judge has approved plans to build a 45m tall unit tower at a site overlooking the water at Woody Point.
Moreton Bay Regional Council approved Traders in Purple’s application to build the 158-unit tower and 13 two-bedroom townhouses at 2 & 8 Gayundah Esplanade in December last year – despite receiving more than 100 objections from residents and the development being more than double the height recommended in the planning scheme.
Following the approval a group of residents formed the Woody Point Action Group and lodged an appeal against the development with the Planning and Environment Court.
Residents were concerned about the height, impact on amenity and traffic.
They are also fighting to save a 120-year-old fig tree from being knocked down to make way for the development.
Yesterday a Queensland Planning and Environment Court judge upheld the council’s decision – approving the application.
Traders in Purple spokesman Charles Daoud said they welcomed the judge’s decision.
“A great deal of work went into the application to significantly improve a design from five years ago and this was recognised by all of the independent experts and the judge,” Mr Daoud said.
“It is disappointing that the project has been delayed by almost a year.
“While we acknowledge the sincerely held beliefs of the handful of local residents that appealed the decision, those beliefs were in conflict with the intentions of the planning scheme and this was recognised by the judge.”
Woody Point Action Group president Derek Catterall, whose home backs onto the planned development, said it was always going to be a David and Goliath battle.
“It appears that on this occasion, large sums of money spent by council and the developer on senior barristers, solicitors, top town planners, visual amenity experts and architectural experts, won the day,” Mr Catterall said.
“We may have lost this battle, however we shall win the war.”
Mr Catterall said WPAG would continue to have meetings with the council to lobby them to deliver an appropriate new neighbourhood plan for Woody Point, which will hopefully prevent future overdevelopment.
“We will also continue to have meetings with our state member to lobby for changes to state planning legislation on a number of issues,” he said.
The site at Gayundah Esplanade, which was once home to the Palace Hotel – where the Bee Gees famously played their first paid gigs, has already been cleared.
Traders in Purple will start detailed design work immediately with construction to follow soon after.
The project is expected to create 150 full-time jobs during construction and support a further 250 indirect jobs.