Gary Baildon: How council got it wrong with planning for high rise at Main Beach

The Gold Coast City Council has approved a 20-level tower on the beachfront at Main Beach. But Area councillor Gary Baildon believes council got it wrong. HAVE YOUR SAY VOTE IN POLL.

MAIN Beach residents are very concerned about this application as they believe it will be the catalyst for change to the Main Beach amenity and in particular the beachfront.

Grummit Planning were commissioned to prepare a report on the proposed development. The following are some major issues highlighted in the report along with my thoughts:

‘OPEN SLATHER’ FOR TOWER DEVELOPMENT

Councillor Gary Baildon during council debate.

* The site is located within the medium-density residential zone on the Gold Coast City Plan, this proposal exceeds the very highest density nominated in the planning scheme. Developments with such density should only be located within a high-density residential zone.

* Other conflicts with the City Plan include, but not limited to, density, design, site cover and setbacks.

* The City Plan is intended to protect adjoining properties, nearby beach goers and existing amenity of the area — of which all will experience significant impacts by the proposed development.

* The density for this development is more than 3.5 times the maximum nominated in the planning scheme for the site.

* Most other highrise buildings in the Main Beach area are on large blocks with significant setbacks accommodating gardens, tennis courts and pools.

TATE: WE WILL CHANGE THE CITY PLAN

The original 49-level tower proposed for the Main Beach beachfront.

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There is little point approving a City Plan and then approving developments that go against the very City Plan that we have approved.

Do we want a second-rate development or do we want to point to our buildings in the future and proudly say: “I voted for our City Plan. The plan to uphold the quality and excellence in design and liveability?”

We are creating canyons in our city, shutting out the very thing that we are known for — our sunshine!

Take away the sunshine and what do we have left?

The beachside strip, having a height unlimited designation, it does not allow for “anything goes”.

The City Plan provisions push strongly for a neighbourhood character of lower buildings and ones that are of medium density. The 20-storey height is also excessive and unsympathetic to the intended beachside character.

The use of the light rail overlay to thwart density overlays is, in my view, an incorrect interpretation of its status.

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The impact of light rail on development in the Main Beach area

If the light rail overlay trumps all other provisions, then why have a City Plan anywhere within cooee of the light rail corridor?

How wide is this light rail corridor anyway? It is not defined in the City Plan and appears to be applied inconsistently and when convenient to boost density to suit certain developments? For example, it includes only part of Main Beach and excludes Budds Beach.

If a 750-to-800m radius from the light rail tracks is the catchment area for sites where density can be significantly increased, that is above the densities specified on the overlay maps then ALL of Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Miami, Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach, Currumbin, Tugun, Bilinga, Kirra and Coolangatta — yes, all the coastal strip — right through to the beach will be up for grabs.

This application, if approved, has the hallmarks of a precedent that will have knock-on effects for much of the coastal strip.

Let’s hope that council does not shoot itself in the foot. If we allow this development to proceed we will be condemned by future generations.