The reasons for Meaghan Scanlon intervening in Arundel Hills Country Club site

Why Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon has sensationally intervened in the controversial Arundel Hills Club project. The inside story on the Gold Coast’s biggest development row.

The city’s biggest development row is the “call in” of the $150m Arundel Hills Club project. This is a shock shot by Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon. Will she end up in the bunker?

Councillors in January were applauded by residents when they backed an officer’s report recommending they refuse the application from developer 3 Group, to build 380 houses on the rundown golf course.

Almost 1200 residents objected, their concerns about liveability and removing green space.

Council planning committee chairman Mark Hammel described the nine-page refusal “as the strongest I’ve seen”, adding the removal of 75,000sq m of vegetation and four waterways would be “catastrophic” for existing fauna.

But he expected an appeal, or the developer would approach the Minister for a “call in”.

The Arundel Hills Country Club. Picture: Glenn Campbell.

Previous State intervention occurred with ginormous landmark projects Skyridge at Worongary and the $1.4 billion Jewel triple towers in Surfers Paradise, both which added 5000 dwellings.

So Ms Scanlon’s contacting him was a surprise. He like other stakeholders remain “in the dark” about how she will assess this project after she reviews submissions in the next 15 days.

In the public notification, she noted: “There is an acute shortage of land for housing supply in the Gold Coast and significant limitation on expansion areas.”

Lawyers for developers in the appeal in the Planning Court offer the same narrative.

“The proposed development addresses a significant emerging undersupply of dwellings in the Gold Coast and more generally in southeast Queensland,” they wrote.

The community would benefit from further housing on an infill site rather than greater cost of developing greenfield land, they said.

“The council has prioritised the protection of the amenity of a small number of residents in the area over the broader community benefits of the proposal,” lawyers wrote.

Plans which show a development proposal seeing a residential estate on the old golf course at the Arundel Hills Country Club.

Under the draft South East Regional Plan, the Gold Coast has been allocated an increase of 381,200 residents between 2021 and 2046 – the population will reach 1,015,000. An additional 158,100 dwellings will be needed taking the total to 429,500.

Feedback on social media on Facebook community pages shows the community is split.

As a former the Environment Minister, the Gaven MP has copped some scathing reviews by some residents suggesting her intervention will reduce green space in their suburb.

Others are focused on the housing crisis. “Very good decision, we need houses, just go out for one or two rental property inspections,” a resident wrote.

If Ms Scanlon is convinced to call it in, how will that play out?

A George Street contact says: “She will not let it go the way it is. She will change the way they (the developers) want it. It’s our way or no way.”

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon speaks in Queensland Parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Glenn Campbell.

Expect an affordable housing component, retaining quality bushland and improving it. High rise is a possibility on the hard stand areas. The developer could choose to walk away.

Could this land on the green for the Gaven MP? Her environment critics would have to be won back, no easy task and Labor needs them on board in the lead-up to the October poll.

But think about it - she would have exposed the LNP Opposition for just supporting estate residents, and having no solution to the bigger picture of providing affordable housing.

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