Fine balance

The Gold Coast skyline is changing every day but the community must be brought along

THE southern Gold Coast was dubbed a “sleeping giant” which was waking in 2022 with more than $1bn of developments on the agenda. The city’s south was, for many decades, a far quieter area than the central Gold Coast “Glitter Strip” of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, which have both transformed dramatically in the past 50 years.

While there have always been towers in Coolangatta, the border region rose upward at a much slower pace.

But the times, they are achanging and the suburbs south of Currumbin are undergoing a renaissance.

Multiple towers are already rising on Greenmount Hill overlooking the world-famous Snapper Rocks surf break and more are to come.

Now, perhaps the biggest of these residential projects has been revealed – Arium Group’s triple tower Eden Ave Residences.

The first stage of the project, lodged with council in recent days, is 16-levels and will replace the existing Greenmount Beach Resort which has stood since 1980.

The other two towers, foreshadowed by Arium boss Sahba Abedian, will be lodged with the Gold Coast City Council at a later date.

This project, if approved by city leaders, will be one of the most substantial developments ever attempted in the city’s south and would dramatically change Greenmount Hill.

It would also be another small step towards addressing the serious and long-lasting residential accommodation deficit the city is experiencing.

But it is equally clear as well that many residents of the area are nervous about the changing face of their suburb and the scale of development.

Witness the many objections to the projects already under construction, as well as the loss of local landmarks like the D-Bah Cafe. While development is necessary, it is critical that the community’s views are considered and consulted as part of the process.

It is welcome that Arium has taken its time to design something which will stand out and be a new landmark but now it must work with the community and council.