Protesters say council shuns code
HUNDREDS of protesters gathered at Greenmount Beach at the weekend to oppose development at the southern end of the Gold Coast.
The 27-storey Komune highrise on Marine Pde was the main issue for residents who said Gold Coast City Council “blatantly ignored” the city’s town plan, which caps height restrictions in that area to 10 storeys.
Councillors Daphne McDonald and Peter Young, who voted against the development, attended the rally on Saturday, as did former champion surfer Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew.
Palm Beach resident Susan Wilson said the hundreds of southern Gold Coast locals who turned out were against “shocking overdevelopment”.
“Our kids are going to be living in a cement jungle. There’s no green behind the gold,” she said. “If they (council) had their way, there wouldn’t even be trees left.”
Ms Wilson said the area was “busy enough” without more development.
“The traffic is already horrendous (and) there’s enough buildings already,” she said.
“(Development) might create short-term jobs but at what expense? The environment.
“There’s going to be nothing. Our kids won’t even know what koalas are.”
Environmental group leaders delivered speeches about the council’s plan for the Komune development, which were met with boos and defamatory comments about Mayor Tom Tate and area Councillor Gail O’Neill.