Bargara residents say ‘no’ to foreshore development

Distressed residents of a beachside community near Bundaberg have condemned the council over possible plans to allow five and six-storey buildings in the largely unspoilt piece of paradise. VIDEO.

Bargara residents are worried their picturesque foreshore will become a concrete jungle if a Bundaberg Regional Council amendment for building heights goes ahead.

More than 20 men and women lined the foreshore on Wednesday morning to express their concerns about the issue and about the recent council public consultation on it.

The council is seeking feedback on proposed changes to building heights that would allow five storey buildings along the Bargara esplanade, and six storey buildings one street away from the major strip.

More than 20 Bargara residents lined the foreshore on Wednesday morning, July 13, 2022, where they discussed the issue and Bundaberg Regional Council’s public consultation time frames for amendments to building heights.

A fact sheet for the proposed planning scheme amendment states the council would welcome public feedback from June 24 to July 22, 2022, two weeks of which fell on school holidays.

Former planner and Bargara resident George Martin claimed that seeking public consultation during a school holiday period was a council tactic.

He said the public consultation was not given much publicity, and many residents had “no idea” council was seeking feedback.

“This is just what we expected from this council, a sneaky approach to getting long lasting amendment through the scheme which has ramifications for a long time to come,” Mr Martin said.

Mr Martin was one of many residents opposed to the six-storey Bargara Jewel development on the foreshore, which was poised to include a rooftop bar.

“Last time we were opposing a single proposal, this time, it’s about a vision for the future and it’s a vision of concrete jungle for Bargara, and that’s exactly why people have come here, to get away from those places,” he said.

Former planner and Bargara resident George Martin said seeking public consultation during a school holiday period was a tactic used by the council, and he wants to help save the foreshore.

The council’s fact sheet also stated it would allow development applications for buildings that exceed these heights.

“It is important to note that while council is proposing to strengthen building heights controls for development, particularly in coastal areas, the proposed changes do not prevent any person from lodging an application for development that exceeds the nominated building heights,” it read.

“Under the Queensland planning framework, council is not able to ‘prohibit’ development through its planning scheme.”

Reverend Jennifer Lynn, a surfing minister with the Uniting Church in Australia and founder of SurfChurch Bargara, said more high rises would impede access to the beachfront for social groups.

Bargara residents have spoken out against Bundaberg Regional Council for conducting public consultation during the school holidays for proposed changes to development heights along the foreshore.

“If we become a little Surfers Paradise and we’ve just got people coming in and out, I think the isolation effects for the community and members of the community will grow and we’ll have more older people being isolated, and we fear that the access and availability to those groups that are needed a lot here (will be compromised),” she said.

“If I think of the Sunshine Coast, that sense of community that we have here, it’s not there.

“The social impact on people needs to be considered.

“Our connection with everything else will be impacted and it’s not good for our sense of community cohesiveness.”

Resident Wayne Smith said the community did not want a repeat of what was proposed with the last accommodation development along the foreshore.

“We hammered away at the Bargara Jewel for months on end, and eventually we got that overturned and I think this is just an extension of that,” Mr Smith said.

“You can see on the document they’ve produced that gradually, it’ll be a street at a time and I don’t think it reflects the kind of development we want here.

“This has a uniqueness to it that the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast don’t have.”

Bargara residents say high rises ruin the beauty, calm and social cohesion of the community.

Turtle conservation and protection is also a priority for residents who believe more high rises could contribute to more artificial light which worsens impacts on turtle season. 

Disturbances and danger from land and sea predators is lowest under the cover of darkness for turtles, making them vulnerable to disturbance and disorientation from artificial lights, which can be from the collective glow of lights from a coastal community.

The NewsMail asked Bundaberg Regional Council (BRC) for a response on what they did to inform the community of the public feedback consultation.

BRC Group Manager for Development, Michael Ellery told the NewsMail Council went above the standards of what was required to inform the community about the public consultation.

“Through Council’s communications strategy for this proposed amendment, which was approved by the Planning Minister as legislatively required, Council has gone well beyond the minimum statutory requirement to inform the community, which outlines only the publication of a notice and information on Council’s website,” Mr Ellery said.

“Council published the public notice and website content as per normal practice and, in addition:

Published an article to Bundaberg Now on Friday 24 June which was also published to Facebook

Delivered letters to property owners in the high density residential zone at Bargara on 20 June

Emailed the UDIA, development industry and the Sea Turtle Alliance on 23 June.

Made the proposed amendment and supporting information available on Council’s development counter and through Council’s community engagement hub Our Bundaberg Region

“The proposed amendments and supporting materials are available on Council’s consultation website.

“Targeted consultation was delivered by members of Council’s strategic planning team who attended community meetings in Bargara (6 July) and Burnett Heads (12 July). A briefing was also provided to the UDIA Bundaberg branch on 13 July.”

Bundaberg council’s fact sheet on the amendment states that residents can provide feedback on the amendment of building heights in Bargara, but all feedback must state “the grounds of submission and the facts and circumstances relied on to support the grounds” if it is to be considered by council.

Bundaberg Regional Council’s public consultation for feedback from the community closes on July 22.

The council has been approached for a response.

Originally published as Bargara residents say ‘no’ to foreshore development