The approval of a 12-level tower at Palm Beach gives clues about what will happen next on the Coast
Despite almost 1000 people objecting, the City is about to approve a 12-level tower at Palm Beach. What does this mean for the Gold Coast skyline?
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Despite almost 1000 people objecting, the City is about to approve a 12-level tower at Palm Beach. What does this mean for the Gold Coast skyline? Finally, we have some real answers. The debate in the planning committee earlier this week
provided them.
This was sparked by new Palm Beach councillor Josh Martin questioning City planning officers, their straight bat replies and then context given by committee chair Mark Hammel.
We already knew Palm Beach under the City Plan has a “mapped” building height of 29m.
Go above it – as with this application – and instead of being ticked off, it becomes impact assessable, meaning residents can lodge submissions in opposition.
We also know that developers can, under the current Plan, use the 50 per cent “uplift” test.
For non-planners this is like a cryptic crossword, a subjective set of criteria which includes the development satisfying benchmarks including “a reinforced local identity and sense of place”.
Another factor, which officers add weight, is the building doesn’t add to uniform height.
If a majority of councillors agree at full council, the developer adds a two level penthouse.
Council has received 13 “uplift” applications along the beachfront – all but one approved.
The committee was told former planning chair Cameron Caldwell, after community consultation, moved to reduce heights down to as low as 16m. This is on the coastal hot spot side for developers.
The state government refused because this would not provide more accommodation to meet population targets.
Consultation will kick off for the new City Plan. Meanwhile, the 50 per cent “uplift” remains.
Officers revealed there was a “handbrake” on heights – a 43.5m height limit at Palm Beach.
Residents who objected outlined this argument – the current City Plan has a section on “city shape” which places the tallest buildings at Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.
Towers would occur in Labrador, Main Beach, the Burleigh to Miami-Nobby headland and Coolangatta and Rainbow Bay. Palm Beach was not mentioned.
But officers explained this did not mean a “prohibition” existed on high rise in the suburb. Nor does planning case law support a ban on high-rise buildings at Palm Beach.
Burleigh LNP MP Michael Hart, who lives in a unit in Palm Beach and made a submission in protest, on his Facebook page vented about council’s planning committee approval.
“What a waste of time it is making a submission on planning matters to the GCCC,” he wrote.
But Cr Hammel admitted he had read all the submissions late at night before the meeting. The proforma ones carried as much weight as independent emails.
What is the road ahead for residents? It’s all about reframing the next City Plan.
They could argue for a lower “uplift” – say 25 per cent. Or place an approval condition of providing “affordable levels of units” if the uplift is given.
The war to get low cost housing and lower level buildings – it’s a battle beyond one building
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