Not just a piece of grass

Send them to PO Box 126, Cairns 4870 or email letters@cairnspost.com.au

IN RESPONSE to Mark Malone Edge Hill’s assertion (CP 1/9) that those opposed to a housing development and tourist park on Paradise Palms golf course and resort want to stop progress simply because they want a nice piece of grass next to them and that this privately owned land is not making money or contributing to the community.

As one who opposes the development I strongly object to my motivation being a nice piece of grass.

The land, as it was when Paradise Palms North Queensland bought it, is zoned sport and recreation. The residents around the golf course appreciate this and were willing to pay higher prices for their houses and body corporate fees for this privilege. They did not anticipate a building site or tourist park on their boundary which could take 20 years to complete.

The land including the clubhouse occupies 95.7ha and is more than 60 per cent of the green space on the Northern Beaches which is desperately needed by the current and future community for health and wellbeing.

There are currently over 920 residences which can only access the Captain Cook Highway at Discovery roundabout and Paradise Palms Drive and if the development goes ahead, a righthand turn from Paradise Palms Drive will be closed.

CONTROVERSIAL: The development of Paradise Palms golf course remains a hot topic of debate with readers.

The added traffic from the development will create mayhem on our roads.

The golf course is a habitat and sanctuary for flora and fauna and they will have nowhere left to live in safety.

With the current estates being built on the northern beaches there is no need for more housing developments.

The development application presented to the council was impact assessable which means that the community has been able to make submissions to Cairns Regional Council opposing the development. If the material use is changed to residential and tourism it only needs to comply with the building codes as set out by the council and any changes can go ahead without any input or opposition from the community.

Eileen McMurtrie, Kewarra Beach