Strand development: Townsville council CEO to make final call on seven-storey hotel

The fate of a controversial seven-storey hotel proposed for Townsville’s Strand will now lie in the hands of an unelected council bureaucrat.

The fate of a controversial seven-storey hotel proposed for Townsville’s Strand will now lie in the hands of an unelected council bureaucrat.

Townsville City Council did not vote on a development application by S & S Group to build a seven-storey, 80-room hotel and restaurant at the corner of The Strand and Kennedy St at Wednesday’s meeting.

Councillors unanimously moved to have the application handled by council‘s chief executive officer Prins Ralston after it was revealed eight out of the 11 councillors had a conflict of interest.

An image of the hotel proposed for The Strand: Image: Cottee Parker Architects

The applicant — S & S Group led by Townsville-born director Paul Gedoun — is a related party to Gedoun Constructions Pty Ltd, which donated $5000 to Mayor Jenny Hill’s political campaign on April 26, 2016.

Dr Prins Ralston, CEO for Townsville City Council. Picture: Shae Beplate.

The 2016 donation is a declarable conflict of interest for all Team Jenny Hill councillors other than Cr Mooney and Cr Batkovic.

Cr Sue Blom also has a declarable conflict of interest on this matter.

An image of the hotel proposed for The Strand: Image: Cottee Parker Architects

A council spokeswoman said a report would now be prepared to refer the application to the CEO for consideration.

The glitzy hotel development will include a ground-floor restaurant, a function centre on the first level, and 80 hotel rooms on five levels above.

An image of the hotel proposed for The Strand: Image: Cottee Parker Architects

Officers have recommended the project be approved after 78 submissions were received, including nine objections.

Objectors raised concerns about the project exceeding the council’s preferred five-storey-height limit for the area and that it did not fit the character of the strip.

Originally published as Strand development: Townsville council CEO to make final call on seven-storey hotel