North Lakes Golf Club developer wants more input from community before submitting plans
RESIDENTS concerned over the sale of a golf club north of Brisbane are living in a state of limbo, with the developer yet to lodge an application with the council.
Moreton
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Residents concerned over the sale of the North Lakes Resort Golf Club are living in a state of limbo with the developer still yet to lodge an application with the council.
Club owner Adam Simpson announced in July that the course would close at the end of 2019 because of ongoing financial losses.
He planned to sell the property to Village Retirement Group (VRG) which would develop 11ha over two sites of the golf courseinto a retirement village and aged care facility.
More than two months on, residents are still waiting for the developer to submit an application to the council.
“This is causing an underlying angst and uncertainty among many residents,” Save North Lakes Gold Course group president AndrewCathcart said.
A spokesman for VRG said they were currently working on detail for the 57ha of proposed open space.
He said VRG was planning further community consultation regarding that open space before the end of the year, and prior to submitting a development application.
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Mr Cathcart said SNLGC has a range of town planning experts on standby to help prepare the basis of its objection to any application.
“We have also engaged and received prospect advice from leading land and environment experts, Hopgood Ganim,” Mr Cathcart said.
He said landlords who own investment properties in North Lakes have been notified of the potential sale, subsequently increasing the number of people on the objectors list.
“We continue to have bipartisan support from all levels of state and federal government as they recognise the concerns of potentially losing the green open space within North Lakes to unit developments. It is something the suburb will never recover from.”
VRG’s application to Moreton Bay Regional Council must contain a Variation Request to override the intent of the current land use (being a golf course) stated in the Mango Hill Infrastructure Development Control Plan.
“Under the Planning Act 2016, an applicant may apply to vary the effect of the local planning instrument,” a council spokesman said.
“This new legislation states that a planning scheme cannot prohibit a land use, and on this basis council must accept a development application if lodged.”
State Labor MP for Bancroft Chris Whiting said the government did not have a role in the assessment, except as it relatedto relevant State infrastructure.
“I am informed that urban uses on the golf course land will require an amendment to the relevant parts of the Structure Plan, Precinct Plan and Sector Plan, assessed by the council,” he said.
SNLGC is holding a fundraising dinner on October 13 and a golf day on December 7. Visit savenorthlakesgolfcourse for details.
To register an interest in the retirement village, visit thevillage.com.au.
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