Developers warn council: Gold Coast facing housing crisis as city runs out of land
Council has been urged to take a controversial step to solve the city’s housing crisis as developers warn the Gold Coast has run out of land. FULL DETAILS >>>
Gold Coast
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The city’s greenfield sites are almost exhausted and “investigation” suburbs for high-density development have been scrapped after winning almost no support from residents.
Worse still, a special report can also reveal the Gold Coast City Council has stalled any plans for expansion into the massive open space available in the region’s north, including the canefields — prompting consultants to tell council not to “hold back” on building supertowers around the light rail.
The Bulletin has been contacted by concerned developers, some of them sending private emails to Mayor Tom Tate and councillors urging them to take action.
A developer told the Bulletin: “I have been contacted by buyer agents who have people who wish to buy land on the Gold Coast but are having great difficulty in finding any.
“This issue has of course been exacerbated by the COVID flight to the Coast by people from Melbourne and Sydney.
“The council needs to act to address this shortfall or there will indeed be a critical shortage of affordable housing for our children and future residents in the years ahead.”
Consultants reviewing changes to the City Plan warn the economy’s growth, stalled by COVID, relies on tourism and urban development.
“The city’s development has been characterised by the ribbon of high-rise along its beaches, and its strong greenfield growth in its north and west,” the consultants wrote in a report to council.
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“However, greenfield stocks are close to exhaustion, and in reality, typically only a small number of larger beachside projects are undertaken, so that its future residential supply is increasingly reliant on urban infill west of the landmark beachside high-rises.”
Consultants have cautioned council about “holding back” on building around light rail.
Councillors behind closed doors have discussed the status of 17 “investigation areas” across the city that would help meet population targets set by the state government.
Investigation areas at Carrara, Mudgeeraba, Gilston and Coomera were removed with only Upper Coomera and Ormeau given an early tick to provide a combined 1000 new dwellings.
Work is continuing at Oxenford, Parkwood and Ormeau but a council report reveals both the canelands and east Coomera/Yawalpah area have had their work “suspended”.
Asked if it was likely council would focus on development on the coastline around light rail, Mayor Tom Tate in a statement replied: “The City Plan review is underway so it is inappropriate to make comment.’’
Division 1 councillor Mark Hammel confirmed no time frame exists for development in the canefields, which he regards as a “poor strategic decision” by council.
“In my opinion, work undertaken now on canefields’ investigations and land-use planning would be better than being caught on the back foot in the future,” he said.
“I believe we have already seen some of these poor outcomes in certain sections of Pimpama, where the roads aren’t wide enough, there’s not enough room to park cars, not enough open green space, and no footpath and bikeway connectivity to basic community services.
“Lack of planning in our far north has also led to trunk infrastructure, such as major local roads, that was started 15 years ago and is still not completed. I don’t want to see that happen in the canelands or anywhere in the city again.”
Cr Hammel admitted caneland development required a billion-dollar infrastructure bill.
“We are essentially proposing building infrastructure on swamp land, so it will be hugely expensive,” he said.
Cr Hammel also remarked this was “an incredibly sensitive part of Southern Moreton Bay”.
Industrial development could encroach the cane area at Ormeau west of the M1 but large-scale residential estates were unlikely.
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates said the canelands investigation area was initially established to identify suitable land for a proposed “adrenaline precinct” within the city.
Three years ago council resolved that a future investigation would be “as the need arises” in consultation with the government.
“The cost of service infrastructure to the region would be substantial, notwithstanding additional facilities such as schools, hospitals, police stations,” Cr Gates said.
“The state government sets the urban footprint and council constantly works with the state to ensure that we have sufficient opportunity for growth within our city.”
Under the government’s Shaping SEQ plan, council is required to accommodate an extra 158,000 dwellings by 2041 as the population is forecast to increase by 350,000.
Division 2 councillor William Owen-Jones said Oxenford remained an “active” investigation area.
“However, a decision was made in May 2020, during the most recent budget deliberations, to pause the next stage of community consultation for six to 12 months whilst there was uncertainty about the impact of COVID on holding public meetings,” he said.
“Initial estimates were approximately 1300 dwellings maybe able to be located within the investigation area. That however is subject to further review of infrastructure and continued support from owners within the investigation area to move forward with planning changes.”
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