CONFLICTING SITE PLANS
THE State Government has approved a construction management plan for a 15-level tower at Burleigh Heads, despite its vicinity to a potential light rail station.
State Development officers last month green-lighted management plans for Pointcorp Burleigh Pty Ltd to develop its old Caltex service station site next to the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade.
The Opposition fears the Government is leaving itself open to hefty compensation payouts.
THE State Government has ticked off on a construction management plan for a 15-level apartment tower at Burleigh Heads, despite it being the site for a future light rail station.
Documents obtained by the Bulletin show State Development officers last month approved site management plans for Pointcorp Burleigh Pty Ltd.
It wants to develop the old Caltex service station site next to the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade. Emails also show the Gold Coast City Council is in the final stages of negotiating a development approval which does not consider the impact of the tram line on the site.
The State Opposition is convinced these sorts of approvals along the future Broadbeach to Burleigh light rail route will spark multimilliondollar compensation packages.
Burleigh MP Michael Hart said he had spoken to several developers who had acquired land either on or near the Gold Coast Highway and prepared expensive consultant reports for council to approve highrise projects from Burleigh to Palm Beach.
“All these people have put in DAs (development applications) before the Government has designated the (light rail) route. They may not be able to build later,” Mr Hart said.
“I tend to think the Government will have to pay them double for what they paid. It’s going to be millions of dollars (in compensation) for sure.”
A Cardno development plan for Pointcorp concluded “the development is not located in areas that compromise future transport corridors, including roads, public transport and active transport”.
Council planning committee chair Cameron Caldwell said officers could only assess an application according to the City Plan and zonal maps. A light rail overlay occurs only after the tram route is confirmed.
The Palaszczuk Government has pledged $351 million for Stage 3A in a bid to have trams running to Burleigh by 2023, but the project depends on more Commonwealth cash.
Pointcorp director Chris Vitale confirmed the Transport Department, as a referral agency, had approved construction plans for trucks using the site and the council was “diligently” completing its analysis of the DA.
“I’m in the business of developing properties and I have a development site I want to build, and currently the zoning laws allow me to do it,” Mr Vitale told the Bulletin. “I need to get a DA and press on. Yes, I look at the photograph on the DTMR website and it’s gone. It’s got a tram station on it. It’s quite amazing.”
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said TMR had been in negotiations with the owners of the Caltex site since June last year about securing land needed for the road to be widened for the light rail.
“Mr Hart and the Gold Coast LNP need to stop trying to undermine light rail. The alignment and construction area for the next stage has been formally gazetted as a corridor, which Mr Hart has either forgotten or is unaware of.”