Palm Beach gets another tower but Bundall blocked

COUNCIL’S planning committee has backed plans for another tower at Palm Beach but blocked massive height increases in the Bundall commercial precinct as confusion about height continues.

The future development of Bundall's commercial area remains uncertain given height restrictions.

COUNCIL is to approve a nine-level tower at Palm Beach but reject larger towers in the Bundall commercial precinct as confusion continues about height limits across the Gold Coast.

A majority of councillors at a planning committee meeting today backed a recommendation by officers to approve a 90-bedroom unit block on The Esplanade almost three times the density at Palm Beach under the City Plan.

But at the same meeting councillors rejected an application to vary the City Plan which would have allowed the 17-storey limit at Bundall in a commercial precinct increased to 30 storeys.

Artist impressions of Cromwell Property Group's planned redevelopment of the Gold Coast Corporate Centre at Bundall. Source: Gold Coast City Council

All councillors will vote on the developments at next Tuesday’s full council meeting which could spark another protest from southern Coast residents concerned about development as light rail heads south.

“It’s all a bit strange. It’s a bit ridiculous,” a council insider told The Bulletin after the meeting.

Veteran Palm Beach councillor Daphne McDonald brought forward the code assessable application for debate in the chamber where she listed several concerns include noise levels during construction.

The new Palm Beach tower is on a 1229sqm block in a medium density zone surrounded by houses and some older buildings up to eight storeys.

Resident and businesswoman Domenica De Pasquale, who has been involved in smaller scale residential developments, left the council chamber stunned by the decision.

“I’m overwhelmed that the City Plan is not being adhered to. The fact that they can develop 60 per cent of the site when the coverage is meant to be 50 per cent,” she said.

“The setbacks from the front are 1.69 metres when all other recent properties are currently six metres from that boundary. Why do they even consider it (the City Plan).”

More designs on what could occur at Bundall. Source: Gold Coast City Council

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Councillors later rejected an application which would have created a Corporate Centre Development Code around the prominent office tower west of the Chevron Island bridge.

Planning committee chair Cameron Caldwell, Robina-based councillor Hermann Vorster and veteran Surfers Paradise councillor Gary Baildon were opposed to the application.

When councillors put forward a resolution to oppose an officer’s recommendation to approve the special development area, only Helensvale’s William Owen-Jones and Mudgeeraba’s Glenn Tozer opposed.

Three residential towers and a shopping centre have been proposed as a $1 billion facelift for the site neighbouring council’s own corporate offices, just across from its Evandale headquarters.

Council planning committee chair Cameron Caldwell during a meeting. Picture: Richard Gosling

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Cr Baildon admitted he was concerned about traffic congestion, Cr Vorster urged to “err on the side of caution” and Cr Caldwell maintained that mapped-out building heights under the City Plan should be adhered to.

Cr Tozer said the applicant had done the right thing by going to public notification and there was only one objection, which was from a tenant.

“It appears to me that the public is supportive of this development close to the cultural precinct and in a commercial area,” he said.

Cr Caldwell outside council said the developer could still achieve “quite a bit of density” but with lower height rather than having a 92m high tower.

“They would need to reconfigure to fit within that envelope. We couldn’t see at the moment why we would give preliminary approval that would override the City Plan,” he said.