Council’s no vote on Palm Beach building give Mermaid residents an injection

CINEMA heavy weight and active Mermaid Beach resident Terry Jackman says it’s time councillors start voting down developments — or risk getting booted out.

Mermaid Beach Community Association President Alf Vockler is calling a meeting to discuss if resident go to court over developments in the area. Picture Mike Batterham

HEDGES Ave and cinema industry heavyweight Terry Jackman says his Mermaid Beach community should be encouraged councillors are starting to listen to ratepayers about overdevelopment.

His comments came after councillors voted down a proposed seven-storey unit complex in Palm Beach due to mounting public pressure around overdevelopment.

Councillors voted down this proposed 12 units complex 9 Nyrang Avenue, Palm Beach.

Yesterday, the Bulletin revealed Mermaid Beach residents were considering legal action over a proposed 22 storey building on Peerless which under the new City Plan has an unlimited height limit.

The City Plan has also been criticised by Cr Daphne McDonald, Cr Dawn Crichlow and Cr Pauline Young.

After the decision yesterday, planning chairman Cameron Caldwell said it was important when there was significant community interest in a development councillors took up the fight and don’t back down.

Members of the Mermaid Beach Community Association meeting in July, Alf Vockler. Terry Jackman and Councillor Paul Taylor. Picture Glenn Hampson

Mr Jackman said councillors could lose their seats at the next election if they didn’t take up the fight against overdevelopment being approved under the City Plan and South East Regional Plan.

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“The community is certainly concerned about developments,” Mr Jackman said. “At the last meeting of the Mermaid Beach Association there were 100 people and the meeting usually gets a dozen or 20.

“Councillors have to start listening to residents because if it keeps going like this it will cost them their seats at the next election.

“The Gold Coast City Council appears to be not interested in the residents’ lifestyle and they just whack up these developments anywhere.”

Mermaid Beach Community Association president Alf Vockler said he encouraged residents to complain and object to development proposals in their area.

“The only thing they take notice of is complaints and appeals when assessing applications,” he said.

“It is encouraging (they knocked back the development in Palm Beach). The more knocked back on the basis of community objections the better.”

Originally published as Council’s no vote on Palm Beach building give Mermaid residents an injection