Gold Coast protest: Anger over plans for development in southern part of the city
Residents are furious about plans for a southern Gold Coast development, but Bulletin readers have their own thoughts. WHAT DO YOU THINK? - VOTE IN OUR POLL
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RESIDENTS are furious about plans for a southern Gold Coast development - but Bulletin readers have their own thoughts.
Organisers estimated about 100 property owners gathered at a park at 100 Pacific Parade, just after 9.30am on Monday.
Resident Michael Sexton had sent out a flyer on behalf of the “Resident Groups at Bilinga and north Kirra” about a development application before council for a 12-storey high rise just 100m from both Gold Coast Airport and the beach.
He said former city architect Philip Follent, at the meeting, outlined how the project failed to meet eight planning tests.
Residents at the protest unanimously supported a motion opposing the Bilinga project, and backed property owners concerned about the The Pavilion development at Kirra.
Almost 200 objections had been lodged with council which residents suggest signify “growing unrest” by Bilinga, Tugun, Currumbin and Kirra property owners.
Bulletin readers voted down the middle when asked if there is too much development on the southern Gold Coast.
Others chimed in with their thoughts.
"Disgraceful... The RSL have helped to DESTROY Palm Beach with their 3 ugly developments at North Palm Beach on the GC Highway. These 3 developments virtually have no setbacks and almost touch each other. Now the Council are letting developers destroy Bilinga all because of the Light Rail Overlay," Ben wrote.
010 added: "Ignore the NIMBY's. Just get it done. Tate re-elected for a third term by the majority. Simple as that."
Gavin wrote: "At the end of the day our airport is in the wrong place and needs to be moved now more than ever."
Developer GC1ST has teamed up with Southern Cross University and plans to build the student accommodation complex on Bilinga’s Golden Four Drive.
The tower, which will replace a two-storey building, is to feature 173 units, 223 bedrooms and communal areas for study, dining and relaxation.
Mr Sexton confirmed the protest was not just about the tower project but the height, bulk and density of buildings being approved by the council on the southern end.
“There has been a Bilinga control plan in place which was basically for seven storeys,” Mr Sexton told the Bulletin.
In the flyer, Mr Sexton said the community was not opposed to development “but knows when it is being tricked”.
“Being beside the airport Bilinga is not the place for high density, high rise. Our parking and traffic congestion are already stretched,” he wrote.
The flyer warns “our councillors and the GCCC planning committee are betraying residents’ faith”.
January: Council decides fate of RSL Art Union ‘monolith’
APPROVAL has been given for the RSL Art Union to build a multi-unit development in Bilinga that features two five-story buildings side-by-side each with five units.
A Gold Coast City Council spokesperson said the development application, for 227-229 Golden Four Drive, had been approved.
The application was first lodged with council in June and dozens of people opposed the development on the basis that it was “out of character with the neighbourhood” and at five storeys was a “monolith”.
An RSL Art Union property spokesperson said the Gold Coast City Council had advised that the properties were “100 per cent compliant from a zoning and planning perspective and no further public consultation is required with formal council sign off now in place”.
“DA approval is based on construction of two sites with 12 bedrooms each, which is under the maximum density requirements for the area,” she said.
“We have been complying with all planning and zoning requirements and well within these.”
EARLIER: Revisions to project
RSL Art Union’s multi-unit development across two blocks in Bilinga has been revised.
The development application for 227-229 Golden Four Drive was first lodged with the Gold Coast City Council in June 2020 for two five-storey units side-by-side.
Each will have a communal living area and pool on the ground floor, with two two-bedroom apartments on the first and second floors. The third storey was proposed to house a five-bedroom apartment and above this was a rooftop area. Parking would be in the basement.
Described by locals as “unsightly” and as a “five-storey monolith pushed up against east boundary”, the original development application included eight two-bedroom apartments and two five-bedroom units.
It’s understood the height of the building has been scaled down and that one of the bedrooms has been removed from the five-bedroom apartments on the third floor. There are still 10 apartments with 24 bedrooms.
Dozens of objections against the height and scale of the project were received initially, including one by neighbour and prominent orthopaedic surgeon Michael Graze. He said he was not opposed to progress or development but said the building was “out of character with the neighbourhood” and at five storeys was too high.
Mr Graze added that despite multiple efforts and the offer to pay for all of the costs to re-home or save the “amazing garden and trees at 227-229” the vegetation was destroyed.
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“Sadly, 50-year-old palms, frangipanis with numerous stag horns, mango trees and much more were instead destroyed unnecessarily,” he said.
He said the RSL brand was being “damaged by developer’s greed”.
“Two town houses with pool on beachside will sell more tickets than ugly monolith. Their (RSL Art Union) reputation now: they remove all nature, build as big and ugly a monolith as possible with no care for surrounds,” Mr Graze said.
RSL Queensland general manager, lotteries, Tracey Bishop said the RSL Art Union continued to work closely with the Gold Coast City Council’s planning department.
“Local resident feedback received as part of the public consultation phase of the development approval has been carefully considered in the planning design stages of the application process,” she said.
“Changes already made reflecting this community feedback include delivering a plan that comprises fewer apartments, and providing additional carparking above normal planning requirements.
“We continue to be guided by Council to ensure the development is consistent with the local zoning plan.”
Originally published as Gold Coast protest: Anger over plans for development in southern part of the city
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