City Plan next move: Why council again delays decision on high rise development and light rail

City Plan changes have been delayed again as council attempts to frame the right package on tower heights and light rail development. Here’s what’s going to happen next.

THE City Plan changes have been delayed again as council attempts to frame the right package on tower heights and light rail development.

Council is set to embark on another round of community consultation after officers suggested some more changes. The initial feedback began in September 2019.

Planning committee chair Cameron Caldwell before today’s meeting had set a strict timetable, telling officers he wanted the package of amendments, which must be sent to the State Government, to be completed before Christmas.

Council planning chair Cameron Caldwell addressing residents at a City Plan meeting at Labrador.

Councillors had originally considered a recommendation where officers would report back by December 3 but Councillor Pauline Young aware of the pressure on staff and need to get the package right received support form Councillor William Owen-Jones for a delay.

The recommendation ticked off by all councillors gives a February deadline and suggests a fourth round of public consultation may occur if the amendment package involves significant changes.

“This is killing us slowly in the public domain in terms of the development sector’s views and the community’s view about our ability to make decisions,” Cr Caldwell said.

The delay has occurred after officers tested proposed planning changes on 38 buildings approved across the city, looking at tower heights in low density suburbs, setbacks and above ground parking.

More than 200 members of Palm Beach community packed the Share and Care Centre for a meeting regarding future development and changes to the City Plan. Picture Glenn Hampson

At least a dozen “refinements” of the amendments package must be considered including

the need to get “further clarity of what was a tower” and the amount of commercial buildings in projects around the light rail corridor.

Cr Caldwell earlier during the meeting told councillors about his discussion with senior officers about the process having to be completed by the end of the year.

Council planning director Alisha Swain during the meeting responded about “the timing” of returning the package.

Ms Swain: Just on timing we are at the end of the year. So I want to be really clear, we are finalising a whole lot of work programs. We have got limited work resources.

Cr Caldwell: This becomes a priority.

Ms Swain: Understand that.

Cr Caldwell: We had the same discussion in December last year and it needs to be brought to a conclusion.

Ms Swain: Absolutely agree — we’ve only got two or three more committees after this. It would be my preference to work out the resourcing we’ve got, get the timeline to you because the last thing we want to do is rush this and don’t fix the issues that we’ve had and draft it right because then we will be in another position similar in the future as well.

Cr Caldwell: Just to give everyone an indication fairly — when I move a recommendation today I will be putting in timelines. Because we have to meet timelines and we must progress it, because that’s the community expectation, both in terms of the development sector and the broader community’s considerations. So we just have to get it done. It will be a short shopping list I think and go for it.

COUNCILLORS today will make crucial decisions about the future of City Plan changes.

Full council in late August in a unanimous vote deferred the controversial changes to allow officers to undertake further testing while the State Government was in election caretaker mode.

A report obtained by the Bulletin outlines those findings.

Gold Coast City Council planning chair Cameron Caldwell looks at proposed changes to the City Plan.

CITY PLAN PUT ON PAUSE AS OFFICER CHECK CHANGES

PALM BEACH SPARKS SECRET PLANNING REVIEW

Councillors at a planning committee to be chaired by Councillor Cameron Caldwell from 9am today will debate hundreds of pages provided in a presentation.

Officers tested the proposed planning changes on 38 buildings approved across the city.

Under the changes, which have most impact on the suburbs of Labrador, Southport and Biggera Waters, they found:

* 29% of the development scenarios would likely achieve compliance with the new provisions.

* 37% of the development scenarios would require redesign to achieve compliance.

* 34% of the development scenarios would be unlikely to achieve compliance.

Council sources suggest the fact that more than one-third of projects would not be approved under the changes shows the impact of the package.

Council planning director Alisha Swain in a letter to councillors has outlined to them the future options.

The latest Rider Levell Bucknall crane report shows activity on the Gold Coast increasing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture Glenn Hampson.

“As the City is still in the ‘consultation phase’ of the amendment package, there is an opportunity to make changes to those parts of the amendment package that are subject to submissions,” she said.

“Officers are yet to determine what changes could be undertaken without a fourth round of consultation. Changes to the amendment that are deemed ‘significantly different’ will require a fourth round of consultation.”

Officers are not recommending councillors vote on endorsing the current package, or make “non-significantly different changes to the package” to seek approval from the State Minister.

They have put up two other options which if agreed to will see a fourth round of consultation.

The impacts of this policy are significant, determining tower heights, setbacks, parking above and underground along with height in low density areas.

One of the major submitters, the Community Alliance ACE Association Inc, has staged a town hall meeting where 75 residents logged in to view a presentation on the City Plan.

President of ACE Community Alliance, John Hicks, speaks to the crowd at a City Plan meeting. Picture Glenn Hampson.

Key issues discussed were “city liveability under threat” and “the need for better management of growth and development by council”

Residents voiced strong concerns around the pausing of City Plan amendment packages.

At least 98% of participants voted in favour of calling on councillors to uphold the existing the City Plan and “end the excessive relaxations being granted in development approvals”.