Planning minister visits North Lakes to hear community concern over proposed golf course development
The fight to save a golf course north of Brisbane from development has received a boost with a visit from the Planning Minister.
Moreton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Moreton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE fight to save a golf course north of Brisbane from development was given a boost last week when State Planning Minister Cameron Dick stopped by to hear from residents.
The minister’s visit to North Lakes comes at a time when the Save North Lakes Golf Course (SNLGC) community group continues to build momentum against The Village Retirement Group’s (TVRG) proposal to build an aged care facility and retirement village on course.
RELATED COVERAGE
● North Lakes Golf Club to be sold, developed
● About 200 people protest the sale of North Lakes Resort Golf Club
● club owner says closure down to a lack of golfers
● Council won’t refuse application for development
●Developer wants more input from community
The group’s president Andrew Cathcart told North Lakes Times the community was as determined as ever to fight the development.
“It’s unbelievable, people are setting alarms to get up in the mornings and check all the signs protesting the development that have been placed all around North Lakes,” he said.
“The stakes are high for a lot of people.
“There’s an unprecedented level of stress on people. I still hear stories on how it’s affecting people, it almost has you in tears.
“You just don’t realise how far the impact of this is.”
Mr Dick met with SNLGC members at the request of ALP candidate for Petrie Corinne Mulholland to hear their concerns about the development.
$1 FOR 28 DAYS: SUBSCRIBE TO NORTH LAKES TIMES & THE COURIER MAIL
Ms Mulholland said it was reassuring to know the planning department would keep an eye on the proposal.
“It’s important to me that local residents have their concerns raised, but most importantly listened to at all levels of government and that’s why I have been working so hard to get Queensland’s Minister for Planning to come to North Lakes, visit the golf course and see first-hand why it’s so important to us to save our golf course,” she said.
“I was very pleased to be able to bring Queensland’s Planning Minister to visit the golf course, meet with local residents and understand their concerns first-hand. It’s reassuring to know state planning department will be keeping an eye on this proposal.
“To potentially rob a community of the very thing that attracted them to live in North Lakes in the first place would be a travesty — something I’m not prepared to sit back and watch happen.”
Ms Mulholland said she also arranged for Opposition Environment spokesman Tony Burke and Senator Chris Ketter to meet with residents last October.
Federal LNP Member for Petrie Luke Howarth meanwhile has also taken a stand against the development of the golf course.
“North Lakes residents know that I have always been opposed to the sale of the North Lakes Golf Course,” he said.
Mr Howarth attended the first community protest over the sale last July, wrote to Mr Dick that same month expressing his concern and has called on the council to reject any development on the course.
A TVRG spokesman said course owner Adam Simpson still intended to sell the property and TVRG intended to settle the contract.
“Patronage has actually gone down over the past few months,” he said.
Responding to Mr Dick’s visit to North Lakes, the spokesman said: “TVRG welcomes any state government interest in the project and is seeking meetings with other government representatives on how they can make their vision for the North Lakes common a reality.”
He added that TVRG had not had any meetings with the council since initial discussions in mid-2018.
Last week’s updated land valuations suggested the development was already having an impact on the value of land around the course.
Mr Cathcart said many properties around the course had lost between 8-15 per cent of their land value.
“Whether that’s a direct correlation of the sale, I can’t say, but the impact of this sale is not welcomed by anyone,” he said. “Not one person I’ve spoken to says this is a good proposal.”
North Lakes residents David and Margaret Orr said they moved to the area from Sydney because of the golf course and green space.
“Everyone said you’ve got to consider North Lakes. We like the nature and wildlife and David plays golf so it was the best solution.
“I wouldn’t trust TVRG to not build on the entire site in the future once they open that first door.”
‘Holy s***’: Qld man gets life-changing $60m call
A South East Queensland man has told how he was drifting off to sleep, daydreaming about how life-changing winning the lotto could be, when he received the incredible call to tell him he’d done just that.
Ex-Redcliffe footy star facing theft, armed robbery, NDIS fraud charges
A former Redcliffe Dolphins player accused of robbing a vape store while threatening he was armed, robbing a pizza delivery driver and ripping off the NDIS, has been granted bail after spending nearly four months behind bars on remand.