New Palm Beach high rise: councillors divided about approval after three times the density

A proposed highrise apartment in a busy Gold Coast suburb has caused divide among Gold Coast city councillors.

COUNCIL officers have recommended approval of a new highrise apartment building at Palm Beach which is three times the density under the City Plan.

The recommended approval at a planning committee meeting caused robust debate with area councillor Daphne McDonald and Hinterland councillor Peter Young against the development.

Several councillors have questioned the proposal.

Mudgeeraba councillor Glenn Tozer questioned the strength and relevance of the City Plan, and argued it may need amending.

Helensvale-based councillor William Owen-Jones invited Cr McDonald to put forward a motion with possible solutions at the full council meeting on Tuesday.

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The nine-storey building is planned for a 745sq m housing block in 22nd Avenue and meets the height criteria under the City Plan of 29 metres.

An aerial shot of the proposed high rise.

No submissions were received for the code assessable application but Cr McDonald, who attended the planning meeting, again raised concerns about development in the suburb.

“I’m really concerned that these applications are coming in and we are assessing them,” she told the committee.

Officers confirmed the application “substantially exceeded” the residential density – it is one bedroom per 16.8sq m which compares to the requirement of one bedroom per 50sq m.

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But they explained the application met “performance outcomes” because it was within 250m of two neighbourhood centres, 400m from bus stops and 450m from the Palm Beach Primary School.

Officers in their report said that criteria and others “demonstrated there are sufficient public transport options and employment centres within the local area to cater for the proposed development intensity”.

Council has recommended the proposed building go ahead.

Cr Young told the meeting: “I couldn’t hear a single reason given that there’s an extraordinary case that this particular property should be agreeable to a higher density under the City Plan.”

Cr Tozer questioned whether the City Plan should be adjusted to reflect the views being put forward by the area representative.

“It seems like something needs to change, something needs to give,” he said.

But committee chair Cameron Caldwell said councillors needed to understand that “we are living in modern times” and consider the future of 700sq m sites only 100m from the beach.

He asked councillors whether “you want to be putting more people there to enjoy that lifestyle”.

Officers explained that after the City Plan was introduced, the State Government had changed planning laws which made it more difficult for the council to control densities as opposed to height in development applications.