Light rail draft plan for Nobby Beach sees high-rise development ruled out

Despite doomsday warnings from anti-light rail advocates, the tram is bringing protection for the communities we love, writes Ann Wason Moore.

I told you so.

While light rail has been a lightning rod for controversy on the Gold Coast, I’m not just backing up my support for this public transportation strategy – I’m doubling down.

And I have good reason.

For the past five months, I’ve been a member of the Nobby Beach and Miami North Community Reference Group as the council plans for the development of my local light rail station neighbourhood.

The CRG – made up of residents, business owners and stakeholders – has been meeting with council representatives to help build a framework to protect the culture and community of our neighbourhood as it grows.

Light rail from Broadbeach to Nobby Beach – how the trams will look on the Gold Coast Highway.

Over the last months, we’ve advised, argued and compromised, working with city planners to help decide where our suburb can house more residents and how to increase density without destroying the fabric of our beachside burb.

Ultimately, our feedback will be finalised in a Station Neighbourhood concept plan and inform a future City Plan amendment for city planners to bring before council and the state government.

Is it special treatment for a special place? Yep, and no apologies.

But Nobby Beach is not the only one. The City of Gold Coast has recognised that bringing the light rail through southern suburbs is a hot-button issue, so they’re bringing the microscope to planning for station neighbourhoods.

Protesters gather for the launch of anti-light rail group Save Our Southern Gold Coast at Tallebudgera Community Centre.

While the draft concept plan will soon be made public – with an opportunity for everyone to give their feedback on our feedback – here’s the headline news: no high-rises for Nobby’s.

Instead, increased density will be found in that elusive ‘missing middle’ – duplexes, triplexes and low to medium-rise apartment buildings.

HOW THE TRAMS WILL SAVE SOUTHERN GOLD COAST FROM GRIDLOCK

While many I’m sure would prefer not to increase density at all, I simply can’t support that as a mother. I want to see my children and their generation able to afford to live in the community where they grew up.

But I also want that community to still somehow resemble that same place.

Which is why, under the concept plan discussed by the group, the maximum building height – and not, by the way, on the beachfront – will be medium-rise or less.

Indeed, the message from both residents and planners at these meetings was clear: nobody wants another Broadbeach or Surfers.

Commuters hop on the light rail at Surfers Paradise. Picture Glenn Hampson

So despite all the doomsday warnings from anti-light rail advocates, the truth is that the tram is bringing protection for the communities we love. And that protection will one day, hopefully, be legislated.

Under the current City Plan, developers can apply for a relaxation on maximum allowed heights – we’ve already seen that happen. But not under the proposed concept plan. The max will be the max. Because that is what residents demand.

And speaking purely as a resident who loves her village, it has to be said that this is consultation done right.

While I have always supported light rail in my neighbourhood, the same could not be said for every Nobby Beach and Miami North CRG member.

There were – and probably still are – fears that this will change our suburb too much. Emotions certainly ran high in many meetings, but the difference between in-person and online commentary was like night and day. Like black and white. Like good and evil.

The plan for the various stages of the light rail.

All credit to every participant for always treating each other with respect and kindness. And all credit to the council for actively listening.

Every resident in these meetings felt heard. And, in many cases, that was literally all that was necessary – because sometimes simply having your concerns aired and acknowledged is enough. Sometimes.

But certainly the benefit of having full, detailed and contextualised conversations is immeasurable. In this time of change and conflict, we need more of this.

While it would have been wonderful if every resident could have attended, it also would have been unmanageable. So as a representative for my community in this CRG, I did my best to get it right not just for myself and my family but my neighbours as well.

And if I got it wrong … well, I’m pretty sure you’ll tell me so.