Clive Palmer’s next plan: homes on flood plain

Clive Palmer’s plan to build a mini-city on a Gold Coast flood plain is set to be characteristically controversial.

There has been no mention of ­dinosaurs or the expected price tag but Clive Palmer’s plan to build a mini-city on a Gold Coast flood plain is set to be characteristically controversial.

If approved, the project would transform the Avica resort on the Robina-Merrimac floodplain into Green Heart Gardens, a 75ha development boasting up to 5000 homes. It would be one of the biggest developments in the region.

The Palmer Colonial Golf Course would be halved to form Robina Transit, a residential area made up of 2500 units. A road would connect the development to the nearby Robina town centre and railway station.

The application, lodged with the Gold Coast City Council, says “there are sufficient grounds to justify Council’s support of the application despite any conflict with the planning scheme”.

It’s also argued that there is an opportunity to “establish an urban development at a significant scale and density which supports the Robina Town Centre … whilst remaining sympathetic to the adjoining flood plain” and that the application challenges the approach that such developments are considered “undesirable on golf courses”.

Gold Coast councillors are understood to have been made aware of the development via a routine email alert last week.

Citing council sources, the Gold Coast Bulletin hassuggested the application would likely gain preliminary approval but councillor Jan Grew told The Australian to speculate would be “very premature”. She had not read through development application yet and was “waiting with great interest” to be briefed at a meeting on Thursday.

Much of the Gold Coast was on a flood plain and Ms Grew said she needed more information before she could form an opinion. “There is always a concern when you are talking about a development on a flood plain,” Ms Grew said

Notice of the Gold Coast ­application came as it was revealed two of the Palmer companies caught up in the mining downturn — QNI Resources and QNI metals — had bled $55 million last year.

The proposed Robina Merrimac development is headed by Palmer Leisure Australia, which does not come under the Queensland Nickel Group of Companies.

Asked how much the development, which is significantly larger than the $1 billion Pacific View Estate proposed for Worongary, was expected to cost, a Gold Coast council spokeswoman said “you would need to speak to speak to the proponent”.

Calls to Mr Palmer went unanswered.

His media adviser Andrew Crook confirmed the development application had been lodged but said no further information was available.