Commentator Takes on Sunland Proposal
 Kent Bayley of 4CRB 89.3FM gave a strident critique of the Sunland proposal for Mariners Cove on his We the People radio program which was broadcast on 4 July.
The title was The Great Land Grab and covered the seabed reclamation issue from technical, political and ethical viewpoints as well as outlining the potential impact on the community.
Kent raises the need for a masterplan for The Spit and points out the public frustration with the planning system and the perils of allowing high-rise development on The Spit.
You can hear or read his commentary by clicking on the links.
|
|
Proposed Development 12-16 Peak & 25-27 Woodroffe Avenues
 In the last newsletter we mentioned this proposed development between Woodroffe and Peak Avenues and provided a hotlink to council's pdonline for those who wished to look at the details of the application.
The hotlink did actually direct you to the front page of PDonline which then provided details about a carport extension...oops!
We have no issues with that carport extension but if you haven't found your way through PDonline here is another hotlink which should get you there.
If it doesn't get you all the way there don't blame us..try entering the application reference MCU201600838.
|
|
|
Membership Subscription Renewal
Thank you to all those existing members who have renewed your memberships to the Main Beach Association and for those who haven't please make a payment of $20 to The Main Beach Association Inc in accordance with the Membership Subscription form.
Existing members do not need to fill in the form as long as your electronic bank deposit clearly states your name/s. A receipt will be sent to your email address.
We also welcome new members who can join by payment of $25 ($20 for succeeding years) details of which need to be provided on the same Membership Subscription form.
|
|
|
A Petition for a Masterplan for The Spit
As I mentioned at the public forum we have prepared a petition to be sent to the Queensland Government asking for the creation of a community driven masterplan for The Spit.
You can sign the petition online. If you need assistance signing please contact us.
|
|
Dave's last words...for the newsletter that is
Thank you to all of you who came along to the public forum which was a very constructive exchange of ideas.
Our speakers set the framework for a vision for The Spit and gave different versions of what a masterplan could be, how the community might participate and what special ideas might be considered.
Your comments stimulated further discussion and even where there was general agreement on a topic it was interesting to see how that topic was tested and challenged in its detail.
This is the process that we wish to encourage with community involvement matched by professional and governmental participation in defining, testing, resolving and communicating a broad planning framework.
We need a masterplan to express a vision and to encourage responsible development within agreed community objectives and expectations.
Compliant development proposals can then be supported and the legacy of The Spit maintained for future generations.
It is also very important that we look after the present needs of our city which have been brought into sharp focus by Sunland's Mariners Cove current development application for two 44-storey residential towers. This development application has tested the integrity of the planning scheme and the patience of those in the community who previously believed in the transparency of the planning scheme.
The Main Beach Association has written to and met with GCCC, the Queensland Government and the Gold Coast Waterways Authority...the three parts of the bureaucracy that oversee the land and seabed leases for Mariners Cove whose concurrence is required for alteration of the lease conditions in order for the Sunland development to be eligible for approval.
These separate government departments have not addressed the consequences of Sunland's proposed 44-storey residential development built mainly over the Broadwater taking out marina berths and tourism businesses and using reclaimed land to achieve the increased density of development.
Nor has there been any public consultation regarding the extension of the Mariners Cove Marina further out into the Broadwater.
None has been prepared to address the big picture.
There are serious gaps between the separate jurisdictions that create this absurd anomaly.
A masterplan would be a useful mechanism to establish a foundation of planning integrity and responsibility that would bring the community, the complex bureaucracy and the development industry together. It would also be the ideal framework for resolving the traffic problem.
The planning scheme is just a set of rules for development on a site. A particular planning application (such as Mariners Cove) for a proposed development is assessed only against those rules. It is very complicated and written in language that most people would not easily understand.
A masterplan is more like a roadmap for the overall development of a large precinct (such as The Spit) and usually includes drawings depicting major land uses and access frameworks. It is easy to understand and is transparent for all to see.
Just like a roadmap you can see where you are, where you want to go and how to get there.
Please sign the petition to the Queensland Government asking them to prepare a community driven masterplan for The Spit.
David Hutley
President
The Main Beach Association Inc
|
|
|
|
