Arundel Hills Country Club development: Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon’s bombshell decision on project’s future
Gold Coast city leaders have revealed their surprise reaction to Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon’s decision on the future of a controversial Arundel development.
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City leaders have welcomed Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon’s decision to intervene on a controversial Arundel development, arguing it will deliver a better outcome.
Ms Scanlon on Wednesday made her call on whether to overrule the Gold Coast City Council’s rejection of the Arundel Hills Country Club redevelopment proposed by 3Group by.
Instead, the government will introduce a new a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) which will allow the site to be redeveloped for more high-density, low-cost housing.
The government is also considering joining any potential legal action with the developer in the Planning and Environment Court “to ensure state interests are represented, particularly as it relates to housing supply”.
Mayor Tom Tate urged 3 Group not to take any legal action and instead work with authorities on a solution.
“What I can say is this: our council is resolute in the making the best outcome for the community and the investor,” he said.
Mr Tate said planning chair Mark Hammel would ensure when negotiating on the TLPI that the traffic, open space and amount of housing was “kept in order”.
He said he was happy with the decision not to have a call-in which would “let the developer have an absolute go at it”.
“I expect the development application to be submitted to council through the development planning committee and we’ll deal with it. From there, it’s a relief, but the game is still afoot,” he said.
“I think consultation pathway is the way to go. The developer should have a look at the planning instrument and resubmit the application — that consultation between us and the developer is step one.
“To go straight to court, well council made the decision to say no – both sides will be spending a lot of money to the lawyers, and they are the only ones who win.”
The Mayor also acknowledged that Ms Scanlon had sided with council to a degree, by averting a rarely used power to call-in the project - already rejected by council - and inviting the City back into the planning room.
“There was no stick on site, she left it alone,” he said.
Ms Scanlon has confirmed the State Government would join the developer in an appeal, if the TLPI did not progress.
If the developer agrees to the TLPI, the council can reassesses the $150 million development but it must be a new application.
The State Government argues the TLPI will ensure greater housing diversity and affordability, including a minimum of 20 per cent of social and affordable housing on the site, increased dwelling density and deliver better environmental and recreation outcomes
The Government would effectively change the zoning — instead of sport and recreation, it would become housing allowing more development.
The TLPI will supplement the Gold Coast City Council Plan and ensure council involvement in future development of the site, the State Government said.
Cr Hammel said the decision meant the Minister wished to see a “dwelling outcome” and provision of more low cost housing.
“The State interest is about dwelling supply and dwelling affordability,” he said.
“This is the State Government using the powers they have, the powers the Minister has. It does allow opportunity for a negotiation,” he said.
“By allowing council to still be the development’s assessment agency, it means our officers who were part of the original assessment and have all that data and expertise, will be able to apply it to the Temporary Local Planning Instrument and continue to advocate on behalf of our residents which is vitally important.”
The TLPI could see the removal of sports and recreation zone for the area and allow for new building heights and increased densities, Cr Hammel said.
“We are not hundred per cent sure what we will have,” he said.
“The other thing the Minister has made very clear is she has an expectation around 20 per cent for social and affordable housing. A big part of this is on the applicant.
“They have to choose once they see the detail – before they choose to continue the appeal process through the courts or if they withdraw from that to lodge a new application to be assessed under the planning instrument.”
Arundel Hills Golf Course Community Reference Group committee member Jason Young in a Facebook update to members said the decision was “a little bit of good news” but “it still leaves things a little bit up in the air”.
“I’d like to thank everybody for their submissions, that obviously counted in a big way in influencing the Minister’s decision,” he said.
“It really did count. Moving forward, the ball is very much in the developer’s court at the moment. Whether they proceed or not to the Planning and Environment Court, we will probably know that in the next week.
“We are waiting for some advice from our solicitors what will happen if that occurs.”
Bonney MP Sam O’Connor slammed the move and said Ms Scanlon should “never have proposed calling it in” in the first place.
“This is the move of a desperate government who are trying to look like they are doing something to fix the housing crisis,” he said.
“The council should have been left alone to assess this based on the sports and recreation zoning they have on the land.
“They are perfectly up to the job and the Minister should not have proposed calling it in, let alone the further extraordinary step of setting up a TLPI.”
Minister’s bombshell Gold Coast country club development move
Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon will not overturn council’s rejection of the Arundel Hills Country Club development - but has opened the door for low-cost housing via the courts.
The State Government will still intervene in the Gold Coast’s most controversial development, by becoming part of a Planning Court appeal or providing a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI), the Bulletin can reveal.
If the developer agrees to the TLPI, the council can reassesses the $150 million development.
The State Government argues the TLPI will ensure greater housing diversity and affordability, including a minimum of 20 per cent of social and affordable housing on the site, increased dwelling density and deliver better environmental and recreation outcomes
The State Government would effectively change the zoning - instead of sport and recreation, it would become housing allowing more development.
The TLPI will supplement the Gold Coast City Council Plan and ensure council involvement in future development of the site, the State Government said.
Gaven MP Ms Scanlon, also the Local Government and Planning Minister, confirmed the State would join legal proceedings before the Planning and Environment Court to ensure its interests are represented, regarding housing supply.
This would be the first time a Planning Minister has utilised these powers under the Planning Act to intervene in proceedings to protect a state interest involved.
The State Government considers the current proposal for 368 homes on the 67-hectare disused golf course - already rejected by the council - is not an efficient or effective use of the prime site.
Ms Scanlon said her office received 2158 responses during a consultation period as she assessed using her rarely-used call in powers to overturn council’s rejections, and she thanked stakeholders for their input.
“The Gold Coast desperately needs new housing supply and as Minister I take that responsibility seriously,” Ms Scanlon said.
“Queensland is growing, housing pressures are being felt across the state and we need to unlock more homes, faster.
“We need more housing where people want to live – close to transport, schools and infrastructure.
Ms Scanlon’s decision effectively gives the developer two pathways — either proceed with the appeal or a TLPI where the State will continue to advise council on its needs.
Mayor Tom Tate last month warned the state government, on the eve of a Community Cabinet meeting, to not intervene in council matters by approving development of the city’s golf courses.
“Leave our golf courses alone. Don’t call it in and make it high-density living,” Mr Tate said.
“It’s not going to be affordable housing. They will be $1.4m-plus houses, at the very least.”
The local community association has been describing the call-in move by Ms Scanlon as a “ministerial overreach”.
Councillors in January rejected the development application, which officers said would remove 75,000sq m of vegetation and four waterways.
About 1200 residents had lodged objections and later joined in supporting council when the developer lodged an appeal
Ms Scanlon when announcing consultation on a potential call-in to overturn the council’s rejection, noted “there is an acute shortage of land for housing supply in the Gold Coast and significant limitation on expansion areas”.
Lawyers for developers 3 Group, in a Planning Court appeal to overturn the council’s decision to stop its low-density project, said it could provide affordable housing.
In the public notification, Ms Scanlon noted: “There is an acute shortage of land for housing supply in the Gold Coast and significant limitation on expansion areas.”
Lawyers for the developers in the appeal in the Planning Court made the same argument.
“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.
Developer 3Group declined to comment on Wednesday night on Ms Scanlon’s move.
It’s understood the Minister’s decision came as a surprise and the consortium is now considering its options.
No immediate decision about its next course of action will be made.
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.
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