Councillors split about approving a backpackers at Surfers Paradise Bowls Club

A plan for a backpackers hostel at the former Surfers Paradise Bowls Club has been rejected by a majority of councillors due to concerns about car parking and safety.

A plan for a backpackers hostel at the former Surfers Paradise Bowls Club has been rejected by a majority of councillors due to concerns about car parking and safety.

An officer’s report said council had received an application for 270 backpacker beds for a commercial tenancy left vacant ten years ago by the bowls club.

The short term accommodation would be across two levels – on the ground and first floor level within the Surfers Plaza Resort fronting the abandoned bowling greens.

The recommendation from officers was to approve the request but Councillor Peter Young, at a planning committee meeting on Thursday, put forward a motion opposing the recommendation.

He said his concerns were density, lack of car parking and safety. His motion was backed by all councillors apart from committee chair Mark Hammel.

Plans for backpacker accommodation at the old Surfers Paradise Bowls Club site on the Gold Coast.

Under the City Plan, the site could accommodate one bed per 13 square metres but the proposal was for one bed per six square metres, he said.

“There is a complete lack of car parking for staff and clientele. The average visitation is 19 days for these kinds of accommodation,” Cr Young said.

“It seems to me to be unlikely that every single person that uses this over a period of a year is going to come on a bus, on a plane, in a taxi on a bike and not have their own car.”

If council approved the hostel, it would be responsible for the safety of all occupants, Cr Young said.

“It concerns me greatly that any fire safety provisions would be completely the responsibility of a private certifier, unobserved by us, and we have got 270 lives there,” Cr Young said.

“I don’t think that we can dismiss from our minds the fact that occasionally fires do happen and certainly in these kinds of accommodation.”

The applicant, Alfonso Abril said councillors had overlooked fire safety regulations in buildings which would allow more than 500 beds in their 1300sq m of rooms.

“Regarding the car park, it is worth noting that backpackers typically do not possess cars and, as a result, 90 per cent of the hostels within the urban areas in Australia do not have car parks,” he said.

An example of the pods used for planned backpacker accommodation at the old Surfers Paradise Bowls Club site.

“We have three other hostels across Australia – in Sydney (92 beds), Adelaide (148 beds), and Surfers (100 beds) – and none of them have a single car park. By mandating unnecessary car parks, the council is setting a precedent that will impact the future of all the short term accommodation. That precedent can affect the entire industry for good.”

Mr Abril had met with senior Fire Department officers. The hostel would install a fire sprinkler system with a booster and a 10,000-litre reserve tank.

“Additionally, we will connect a fire alarm directly to the fire department, and we have implemented fire passive works to ensure comprehensive coverage of all penetrations with other areas of the building,” he said.

“Their decision carries substantial consequences for us – consequences that are highly serious. We have already incurred losses exceeding $900,000 to date, and we have dedicated over a year to planning this project. It is effortless for all parties involved to reject a project and bear no personal consequences.”

Former councillor Eddy Sarroff, who attended the meeting with residents, called on council to ensure a “full compliment of car parks” for any future commercial use.

Former councillor Eddy Sarroff (pictured right) concerned about the lack of car parking as plans are put forward for a backpacker hostel in Surfers Paradise.

“The committee’s decision highlighted again the dark history of the car parking in this complex,” he said.

The applicant was given consent to apply for the concept by the owners – the Body Corporate For Surfers Plaza Resort and Crestden Pty Ltd, a company owned by Mayor Tom Tate.

The Mayor who is on leave declined to comment.