Picturesque golf course to become mini city under Clive Palmer’s plan for high-density Gold Coast living

CLIVE Palmer wants to build up to eight 30-storey towers on the Robina-Merrimac floodplain in one of the biggest applications ever put to council.

The Greg Norman Junior Masters will be held at Palmer Colonial Golf Course this weekend. Photo of competitor representing Palmer Colonial Anna Stanton with Clive Palmer.

BILLIONAIRE Clive Palmer wants to build up to eight, 30-storey towers at his golf course and resort sites on Robina-Merrimac floodplain in one of the biggest planning applications ever put to council.

The Bulletin can exclusively reveal the former Avica resort on Gooding Drive will be transformed into Green Heart Gardens, a 75ha project which will have up to 5000 residential dwellings, high-rises, a chapel and new roads connecting Gooding Drive to Robina Parkway.

But more controversially, the Palmer Colonial golf course on Paradise Springs Ave will be split in half, with nine of its 18 holes cleared and redeveloped to create Robina Transit.

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Clive Palmer has applied to council for permission to halve the number of holes at his Colonial golf club to put in high-density accommodation.

The project, only a few kilometres from Robina Station, will contain 2500 residential dwellings. It will also feature three-to-30 storey residential buildings and would be a “compact, high-density residential neighbourhood” with the possibility of linking into the future Robina light rail.

The projects dwarf the $1 billion Pacific View Estate earmarked for Worongary which will have 3500 dwellings with room for 10,000 people.

Councillors know little of the plans, have not been involved in negotiations and only became aware of the details when the Bulletin searched for and obtained planning documents.

The plans and other related documents signed by Mr Palmer were lodged with the council last week.

The Avica resort on Gooding Drive will be transformed into Green Heart Gardens, a 75ha project which will have up to 5000 residential dwellings, if Clive Palmer receives planning permission.

The Colonial development would include a range of buildings with three five-level podiums as well as eight-to-30 storey ­towers.

Council sources say there is strong likelihood the projects will be recommended for approval in coming months.

Area councillor Jan Grew said she was aware of the proposal and that it would go through a rigorous assessment.

Property searches show Mr Palmer bought the Avica site in 2013 for $7.9 million while the Colonial, and its neighbouring course Robina Woods cost him $7 million.