Revealed: How the RSL’s plans for beachside art union units sparked war with residents

Residents are at war with the RSL about plans for art union high rise apartments to be built near the beachfront at Bilinga on the southern Gold Coast.

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RESIDENTS are at war with the RSL about plans for Art Union high-rise apartments to be built near the beachfront at Bilinga on the southern Gold Coast.

The RSL has lodged a development application with council for two four-storey, medium-rise apartment buildings on an old housing block at Golden Four Drive.

Planned RSL units at Bilinga on the Gold Coast.

A resident told the Bulletin: “Residents in Bilinga appreciate community and the simple, laid-back quality of life. There are many low-rise, single family houses and three-storey apartment buildings with gardens filled with mature vegetation and plenty of birds, even butterflies.

“This area has been part of the flight path for light aircraft into the Gold Coast which is why in the past it was designated a three-storey area.”

A submission to council from planners employed by a Bilinga body corporate committee said the proposal was an overdevelopment of the site, inconsistent with outcomes for building height, and the carparking and landscaping did not meet with City Plan requirements.

Residents claim their request to meet with RSL managers and Art Union organisers was met with “indifference”.

Existing site for planned RSL units at Bilinga on the Gold Coast.

“There has been no regard for the iconic nature or character of Bilinga, which is really sad. Once these boxy bunkers are built, the area is changed forever,” a resident said.

RSL Queensland general manager lotteries Tracey Bishop said the concerns of residents would be carefully considered during public consultation.

“We have been working closely with the Gold Coast City Council’s planning department at every stage of the planning process and have already made several changes to the original plans to address their concerns,” Ms Bishop said.

“We have delivered a plan that comprises fewer apartments and more carparking than council requires for the block. We will continue to be guided by council to ensure the development is consistent with the local zoning plan.”

Site for planned RSL units at Bilinga on the Gold Coast.

Ms Bishop said the RSL’s Our Golden Treasure prizes not only offered luxury beachside residence for winners but helped change of the lives of veterans with each ticket sold

The development application shows each building includes a shared ground-floor parking area and communal open space, four levels of residential units above and a private roof viewing deck. The project’s plans allow for 26 bedrooms.

Planners for the RSL in their application said the site was located within the medium-density residential zone which provided for a building height of three storeys or 15m.

The development proposes a maximum height of four storeys and 15m triggering an impact assessment but it was “consistent with the 50 per cent building height uplift test identified within the Strategic Framework of the City Plan”.

Shot of site for RSL units planned for Bilinga on the Gold Coast.

Planners said the development gained strong support from the SEQ Regional Plan by backing sustainable urban consolidation and growth, and fitted with a range of buildings at Bilinga.

“These buildings include large dwellings, duplexes and a mix of medium-rise apartment buildings ranging in height from three to seven storeys and have largely been designed to maximise ocean views and solar orientation,” the planners said in their submission.

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