City Council poised to approve massive development at Biggera Waters
A $1.5bn tower development which will transform a Gold Coast suburb has sparked a protest from residents fearing traffic safety concerns.
Council
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A six-tower residential development which will transform a Gold Coast suburb is sparking a protest from residents fearing traffic safety concerns.
The $1.5bn Lewis Land Harbour Cove project just north of their Harbour Town shopping precinct at Biggera Waters proposes towers from 11 levels to six on a 22,000 sqm site.
City officers are recommending approval with conditions on the development which triggered an impact assessment because the tallest tower at 39m is above the identified building height of 26m. It will provide for 511 dwellings.
Residents in surrounding units are not opposed to the development of the site – but their concern outlined in 250 objections is traffic and on-street parking and safety for pedestrians.
“Emergency service vehicles struggle to negotiate the tight spaces in the streets. Accidents occur where traffic is forced to travel on the wrong side of the road,” a resident wrote.
More than a dozen residents were in the gallery at the planning committee on Tuesday where they waved “no way’ signs as councillors debated an officer report.
A resident said the development would bring a significant amount of additional traffic and carparking along Harbourtown Drive and East Quay Drive.
“These roads are currently occupied at all times of the day and night by resident overflow from the existing buildings in the area,” the resident wrote.
A majority of councillors backed the officer’s recommendations but area councillor Shelley Curtis and Deputy Mayor Donna Gates voiced concerns about the traffic.
Officers are assessing traffic solutions before all councillors will vote on the application at a full council meeting on November 12.
Ms Curtis along with City planning chair Mark Hammel have hosted a town-hall meeting.
Ms Curtis said the officer’s 242-page report had responded in detail to many of the objectors’ concerns.
“However, I do want to take the opportunity to represent my community’s genuine concern for the impact of this development may have on the surrounding traffic network despite findings from an assessment to the contrary,” she said.
Residents were living with the consequence of the 2003 planning scheme which saw an “underprovision of necessary onsite carparking for existing apartments”.
“I invite anyone to drive along Oxley Drive after hours,” Ms Curtis told councillors.
Developers were required to provide a “staggering 90 car surplus” for this project.
The Biggera Waters resident group, in a statement, said: “The local road infrastructure was built to cope with the original City Plan, including traffic and pedestrian safety.
“The City Plan formula for off-street parking in medium and high rise towers is far too insufficient to cater for today’s use of apartments.”
Mr Hammel welcomed residents attending the gallery along with their input including raising the traffic and on-street parking issues.
They maintain the transport data is outdated having been recorded during Covid.
“There was quite a lot of debate in committee – about is there opportunities to claw back some of that lost on-street parking. In the end it was supported at committee, but we will have to see what the resolution at full council is,” Mr Hammel said.
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