Coles Varsity Lakes: New shopping centre opposed by residents and business owners

Business  owners fighting to stop a controversial shopping centre development in the heart of an already congested suburb are pleading for city leaders to reject the project they fear will tear the area apart.  FIND OUT WHY

BUSINESS owners fighting to stop a controversial shopping centre development in the heart of Varsity Lakes are pleading for city leaders to reject the project they fear will “tear the suburb apart”.

The Gold Coast City Council’s powerful planning ­committee unanimously gave the tick of approval to the ­complex, which is earmarked for an 8670sq m site on the corner of Bellevue Drive and Main Street.

Area councillor Hermann Vorster said councillors had applied “harsh” conditions on the project in a bid to address concerns.

But long-time small business owners say the complex should be blocked and have urged councillors to backflip on the approval.

Gordon Ward has owned the Varsity Lakes IGA for 11 years and urged councillors to change their minds.

“We are hoping they make the right call and deny the application because it does not comply with the City Plan,” he said. “It will split the suburb in half and take away a lot of business from traders at Market Square and will bring a lot of hurt to the area.”

Varsity Lakes residents have long feared further development in the area putting increasing pressure on the suburb’s narrow streets and putting parking at a further premium.

Among the strict conditions placed on the development are limiting trading hours and after-hours carpark access, CCTV and extra carparks.

Cr Vorster said councillors had worked hard to address the concerns of the Varsity residents.

Cr Hermann Vorster. Picture: Jerad Williams

“This was a contentious development application and, while the protesters did not secure a rejection at committee, what it did secure was the harshest conditions of approval this city has ever wrought on a supermarket,” he said.

“There are big prohibitions on after-hours traffic, big obligations on safety and requirements that the development improve the suburb’s parking woes and not compound them.

“I was happy to support the application at committee but I will keep an open mind until the next council meeting October 21.”

The shopping centre will have a 3236 sqm Coles, a 153 sqm Liquorland bottle shop and two specialty shops.

It will have 169 parking spaces, plus four click and collection spots.

Coles bought the site for $7.2 million back in July 2021.

It will replace an existing three-storey commercial building which was once the home surfwear company Billabong International.

'TEARING OUR SUBURB APART': FEARS OVER SHOPPING CENTRE'S FUTURE

One of Queensland’s biggest companies has joined the battle to stop a controversial shopping centre development residents and small business owners fear will tear their suburb apart.

The Gold Coast City Council is days away from deciding whether to approve plans by Coles to build a giant complex in the heart of Varsity Lakes.

Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), which owns the nearby Robina Town Centre, is among the 100 people and organisations objecting to the project, warning it will only damage the heavily congested suburb further and push existing small business traders out of operation entirely.

QIC argued in its submission that the Coles project did not comply with the City Plan and would only encourage more traffic to come into the already congested streets.

“The proposed full line supermarket is not needed because the food and grocery needs of residents, students and workers … can be met by existing nearby facilities,” QIC said.

An independent traffic study commissioned by local business found the proposal would have “significant” impacts on the area, with the number of cars on the road increasing by up to 67 per cent at peak afternoon times.

The new retail complex is earmarked for a 8670 sqm site on the corner of Bellevue Drive and Main Street.

It will replace an existing three-storey commercial building which was once the home surfwear company Billabong International.

Varsity Lakes residents have long feared further development in the area putting increasing pressure on the suburb’s narrow streets.

Long-time Varsity Lakes local David Maddern, who is leading resident opposition to the project, said the scale of the shopping centre was not appropriate for the area and it would make the suburb’s narrow streets more congested.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is traffic and parking and this development will only compound the existing problem past breaking point,” he said.

“Many people believe this will fracture the existing central business district and we are urging council to take this issue seriously.

“I don’t think we need another shopping centre given we have many supermarkets within a 4km radius, so it seems bizarre that they think this is worthwhile doing.”

Gordon Ward has owned the Varsity Lakes IGA for 11 years and said the new development would force him out of business if it was approved.

“We are very concerned about our business as well as the bottle shop next year and the surrounding food outlets which would be heavily impacted and we do not believe we would be able to survive,” he said.

“These are some of the area’s foundational businesses and they would lose out by the CBD essentially moving to the Coles precinct.”

Area councillor Hermann Vorster said he had met with locals about their concerns and had an open mind ahead of council’s decision on the project.

“I understand there is a significant amount of public interest in the council decision which is why I have kept an open door and open mind throughout the process,” he said.

“I’ve met with opponents of the project and the proponents and they have answered a lot of questions about what this could mean for Varsity Lakes.

“The community can rest easy that I have a firm grip on their concerns and if there is anything else I should be aware of, I am happy to take their phone calls.”

The shopping centre will have a 3236 sqm Coles, a 153 sqm Liquorland bottle shop and two specialty shops.

It will have 169 parking spaces, plus four click and collection spots.

Coles bought the site for $7.2 million back in July 2021.

A spokeswoman for Coles said: “A new supermarket will bring a significant investment to the Varsity Lakes community through an improved convenience shopping offer and by creating just over 200 new retail and construction jobs.”

“The proposed development is still in application phase, and we will have more information on the development later in the year,” she said.

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