Gold Coast City Plan: Fears for Labrador over proposed changes to council planning scheme

Council powerbrokers will meet to discuss “insane” high rise plans for a Gold Coast suburb included in the proposed revamp of the City Plan

A GOLD Coast State MP is staging an urgent meeting with city council powerbrokers to discuss “insane” high-rise plans for Labrador.

Bonney MP Sam O’Connor plans to meet with a senior staffer in the mayoral office today after first voicing his concerns to planning committee chairman Cameron Caldwell.

“Cameron was open, he was very receptive (to my suggestions),” Mr O’Connor said. “Obviously it will come down to the officers taking on board the feedback. I’m hopeful they will.”

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Sam O'Connor. Photo by Richard Gosling.

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Several hundred residents have posted comments on his official Facebook page after the MP outlined height changes for the oldest Broadwater suburbs under a revised City Plan.

A council report has revealed about 80 per cent of new dwellings would be created in existing urban areas, with the rest in undeveloped “expansion areas” in the city’s far north.

The revision of the City Plan, due to take effect from 2020, means the Broadwater will be a development hot spot but Palm Beach spared of any major changes.

Mr O’Connor plans to make a submission on the first round of consultation due to end on October 25, aware that Labrador would lack a low-density area placing heritage homes at risk.

“The lowest height increase is 12m, the second lowest 16m and there’s 26m, which is insane,” he said.

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Labrador in the 1980s.

From Frank Street to the water the height increases from 53m to 67m except at the old KFC-Sunland site where it would be 110m, Mr O’Connor said.

Chirn Park will undergo big changes with most of that area going up to 26m from Jimmieson Ave and Fourth Ave-Walter St down to Fisher Ave.

“This proposal really concerns me. It destroys the suburban part of Labrador, proudly one of the oldest parts of the Gold Coast with some beautiful houses and a great community vibe by the Broadwater.

“I support development, we all live in the product of it, but it has to be the right development in the right area. It can’t be at the expense of character and community.

“If Labrador needs density it should be focused towards the water and along key transport corridors like it is on other parts of the Gold Coast. It shouldn’t creep into our suburban area.”

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Artist impression of Sunland's One Marine tower high-rise development at Marine Parade, Labrador — residents support high rise in built-up areas. Picture: Sunland Group.

Mr O’Connor agreed with council’s plan to change the current three building height categories to seven to provide diversity but argues consideration must be given to particular suburbs.

A resident in a response to the MP wrote: “This makes my blood boil. Labrador and Chirn Park are one of the last areas that actually have some character.”

Other residents agreed with saving heritage homes but supported older blocks in Frank Street being renovated.