Apartment block planned for construction on Izatt Close in Edge Hill gets council’s approval
A 22-unit Edge Hill apartment block has been green-lit by the Cairns Regional Council as councillors urged “buyer beware” in response to neighbourhood resistance.
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Neighbourhood pushback has not stopped the progression of a development application that will put a 22-unit apartment block at the end of an Edge Hill cul-de-sac.
Cairns Regional Council ushered the Izatt Cl project through its planning and environment committee meeting on Wednesday, with minor amendments.
The applicant, GBH Property Unit Trust, now has the green light to erect the four-storey apartment block that will result in the demolition of two existing dwellings, combination of two lots and construction and establishment of a 14.8m-high structure that will include 12 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom units.
Despite several councillors acknowledging the development had provoked local resistance, the motion was approved unanimously with those same councillors pointing to the fact the area had been zoned for medium density and buyers should beware.
Division 7 councillor Max O'Halloran said the development so far had been “very controversial”.
“The unfortunate thing is this particular area has been an old development area since … at least (2005) and is probably our highest density for anything we have in Cairns,” Cr O'Halloran said.
“It’s hard to defeat when it’s a designated area for development, but it has caused a lot of angst to the people in Izatt Cl, some residents have been living there a long time and our heart goes out to them, but unfortunately … if you’re not aware of where you live and what’s around you … when it does bite, it hurts.”
Cr O'Halloran successfully moved an amendment to the plans that changed the location of on-site commercial bins to a location away from neighbouring windows.
“How they placed the two commercial bins outside the neighbours’ bedroom … I think that would be unfair … I thought that was a bit rude,” he said.
Division 9 councillor Brett Olds said he was “on the fence” about this agenda item prior to the meeting but voted in favour.
“If this was put up in Division 9 you’d get a much different vote (from me) … but if this is medium density … at this stage it’s buyer beware,” Cr Olds said.
Edge Hill realtor and principal of Professionals Edge Hill Billy Gartner, who was present at the meeting, said this was a good outcome.
“We desperately need accommodation,” Mr Gartner said.
“(At Professionals) we’ve known one day (8 Izatt Cl) was going to be developed … we identified it as multi-unit land in 2005 when we sold it to (the owner).
“We had preliminary meetings with the council to maximise the potential for that site.”
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Originally published as Apartment block planned for construction on Izatt Close in Edge Hill gets council’s approval
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