Beach height building fight

CLIFTON Beach residents are gearing up for their biggest battle in the sleepy seaside suburb in years.

Many are against plans for an eight-storey complex on the beachfront that could house 109 apartments.

The upmarket suburb is well regarded for its low density housing, mainly quality homes, while there are some apartment and holiday unit complexes which reach as high as four storeys.

People live there because it is quiet, there are few commercial ventures and a handful of holiday accommodation buildings.

About 2500 people live in the dormitory suburb which sits between the tourism enclave of Palm Cove and the bigger residential community of Kewarra Beach.

The applicants are to test Cairns Regional Council’s planning scheme.

The proposed Elements on Arlington project would be twice as tall as the four-storey (15m) height limit for the area.

The developers hope to circumvent the restriction by proving it “remains consistent with the higher order provisions” of the planning scheme.

No other buildings along Arlington Esplanade exceed the height limit and residents are demanding the proposal falls into line.

The developers argue that four storeys don’t make any venture on the site financially viable.

The eight storeys will block views as well as provide a visual distraction.

It’s most likely that regional councillors will knock back the application. Nick Dalton Deputy editor