THAT’S A TALL ORDER, DAWN

‘DO NOTHING’ DEVELOPERS IN SIGHTS

SOUTHPORT Councillor Dawn Crichlow has called for a halt to development application approvals for major high-rises along the coastal strip, saying there were more than enough in the pipeline to meet demand.

But the plan has sparked a furious response from the business community and Cr Crichlow’s Gold Coast City Council colleagues.

More than 23,000 development applications have been approved by the council during the past five years but many are yet to rise from the ground.

“I am against all of what is happening across the Gold Coast (the spread of towers to western suburbs) – high-rises should be kept to Surfers Paradise, Southport and Broadbeach,” said Cr Crichlow.

“Until all the approvals in these areas have begun construction we should not be approving any more high-rises. Let’s get started on them. I want these approvals built and until then we should not be supporting any more.”

But this stance has outraged Mayor Tom Tate who said such a policy would have a devastating impact on the city’s economy.

“Anyone suggesting that we should decide when a project should happen is naive and does not understand how market supply and demand forces work,” he said.

“It would end up with us spending time fighting it out in court.

“Our current rental vacancy rate is 1.5 per cent, meaning we actually need product to keep downward pressure on rental costs for young families and the people who are most vulnerable,” said Mr Tate.

“This sort of message would breed uncertainty for investors, quash confidence and remove investment from the city so we would have less jobs.”

Several supertowers and major residential projects have been approved in recent years but are yet to begin construction, including the 103-storey Orion Towers at Surfers Paradise, Southport’s 108-storey Imperial Square and Mudgeeraba’s Pacific View Estate.

These projects alone are worth more than $3 billion. Industry figures say some projects can take years to eventuate because of changing market conditions and access to finance

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) was also critical of the proposal, saying it would put the council in an untenable position.

“The council shouldn’t resist stuff because they may find new projects being proposed would be more satisfying for the city and suit the needs of the current markets rather than those which have already been ticked off,” the REIQ’s John Newlands said.

The Gold Coast Bulletin last month revealed the number of development applications received by the council has jumped 63 per cent from 2012

But figures revealing that 98.5 per cent of projects approved did not go before councillors has also sparked concern from city hall veteran Daphne McDonald.

Cr Crichlow’s position has been supported by a prominent lobby group.

Main Beach Association president David Hutley said city hall should ‘slow things down’. “I am inclined to agree with (Cr Crichlow) ... it is fine to approve these things but the question is: Are the builders actually going to put them into effect,” he said.