Airlie Beach resort complex denied at Whitsunday Regional Council meeting

The decision has been twice delayed and now developers behind a divisive $80m luxury resort proposed for the Airlie Beach foreshore have been sent back to the drawing board.

Developers of the divisive $80m luxury resort proposed for the Airlie Beach foreshore have been sent back to the drawing board after Whitsunday councillors voted to refuse their development application.

The development’s height has been central to the community’s concern since the project’s introduction.

The earmarked site slopes up to a central level area before a near-vertical cliff face at the rear.

The updated proposal at 39 metres, 11 levels was a significant decrease when compared to their original 53.1m, 16 level building.

Developer One Whitsunday also offered a second idea in which one side of the building would be taller than the other.

They believe construction would take two years and generate 166 jobs and $56m of economic benefit.

A development application for a massive resort complex on Shingley Drive was refused by the Whitsunday Regional Council. Photo: One Whitsunday Developments Pty Ltd.

Once in operation, it would generate 125 jobs and $12m of annual economic benefit to the region.

Whitsunday council’s director of development services Neil McGaffin recommended the project be approved.

Councillors had chosen to delay their decision at the April 27 and May 11 ordinary council meetings.

At the May 25 meeting, Councillor Jan Clifford said she could not support the development on the grounds “that it does not fit into our town plan”.

She also imagined the complex size would create “serious issues with traffic in that area”.

Mrs Clifford stressed she was not anti-development but wanted it done right and in an appropriate location.

The earmarked site slopes up to a central level area before a near-vertical cliff face at the rear of the site. Photo: One Whitsunday Developments Pty Ltd.

Councillor Al Grundy said a report prepared by Urban Sync, a company which looks into planning, “really hit home”.

“One of the points they raised which I think is really critical for us in this discussion is the community expectation and the planning intent,” Cr Grundy said.

“Such a diversion from the planning intent could surely never have been envisioned by the community.

“Unless there is an overwhelming level of support for the project that emerges out of the public notification proposal, the proposal must be refused by the council.”

Acting Mayor Mike Bunker said many of the more than 1000 submissions against the proposal were from the impact on view at the original height.

He said had it been on any other block of land, the council would have been better positioned to accept the development.

“At the end of the day, I think that the bulk of the building is not in sync with that particular area,” Mr Bunker said.

“I think had there been another road network in there it would have been a different story and just the location of it.”

Plans for the resort include swim-up terraces. Photo: One Whitsunday Developments Pty Ltd.

Councillor Gary Simpson said he struggled to understand the concern over amenity and visual impact.

“As far as the visual impact and the amenity and that, I don’t know what the public want. Do they want to go back to the 1980s?” Cr Simpson said.

“We’ve got a marina out on the bay that never used to be there and some people say it’s iconic.

“We’ve got a situation where you can’t get a room in Airlie Beach or Cannonvale for the night so we really need to look at this and hopefully they’ll come back with something inside the guidelines.”

Councillors voted 6-0 to deny the flat 11 storey proposal and 5-1 to refuse the plan to build one side higher than the other.

Originally published as Airlie Beach resort complex denied at Whitsunday Regional Council meeting