Arundel Country Club: Councillors view golf course unit development as ‘catastrophic’ for wildlife
The future of development plans for a $150m residential estate at the rundown Arundel Hills golf course have been decided. HOW THEY VOTED
Gold Coast
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Development plans for a $150m residential estate at the rundown Arundel Hills golf course have been strongly rejected by city councillors, earning the applause of protesting residents.
Councillors at a planning committee meeting on Monday, after debating an officer’s report which recommended refusal, voted unanimously to reject the application.
Council planning committee chair Mark Hammel was applauded by residents in the gallery as he referred to the council officer report, describing the nine-page refusal “as the strongest I’ve seen”.
He said the planned residential development would see the removal of 75,000 sqm of vegetation and four waterways.
“The impact on existing fauna would be catastrophic,” he said.
Cr Hammel said the City acknowledged its refusal was likely to spark an appeal from the developer.
He was applauded again when he told residents that council would defend its position using “all the resources available to it”.
Cr Hermann Vorster thanked Cr Hammel “for his strong leadership” on the planning row.
The City had received 1163 objections, most of them from nearby residents, and individual accounts rather than a signing off on a pro-forma letter.
Only 119 submissions were made in support. About 30 residents, opposed to the project, were in the council chambers for the vote.
Arundel Hills Golf Course Community Reference group committee member Jason Young, outside the meeting, said residents were “ecstatic” with the councillor vote.
He thanked planning chair Cr Hammel and other councillors for structuring a strong case to back the community.
“As a community, we knew we were right to stand up against these developers and protect our green sport and recreation space,” he said.
Asked about the prospect of an appeal, Mr Young replied: “Keep your hands off. We can’t replace green space.”
The developer, Arundel Estate Developments Pty Ltd, had vowed to keep 7.97ha, or 59 per cent of the site’s existing koala habitat.
Zhongsheng Management, the company that previously owned and operated the golf club, was placed in external administration in May 2022.
The club had been left deserted and the facilities in disrepair with the site eventually sold. The developers in 2022 lodged a new master plan sparking widespread community debate.
Officers in their report said the development would see the clearing of 77,800sq m of general and medium priority vegetation including 1150 non-juvenile koala habitat trees.
“Submitters detailed the various environmental values of the site, including wildlife that use the site for habitat and movement, which would be severely impacted by the proposal,” officers wrote.
“The proposed residential density is significantly out of character with the established character of the existing residential neighbourhood,” officers added.
Officers said the subject site was a privately owned, non-operational golf course, previously the Arundel Hills Country Club, located within the sport and recreation zone.
“The proposal involves the removal of the sport and recreation function and values of the site, and the loss of sport and recreation zoned land within the City,” officers wrote.
City officers undertook a site inspection in April 2023 where they said it was evident the site represented an essential refuge for wildlife within the urban area with high numbers of eastern grey kangaroos, active bird nests, habitat trees, waterways and koala scats identified.
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