HEAT ON HEDGES
‘Record’ opposition to a Hedges Ave highrise
IT’S all on in the battle for Hedges Ave, one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious addresses.
Mermaid Beach residents have flooded the Gold Coast City Council with more than 600 objections to a fivestorey duplex on the soughtafter street.
Prominent critic and resident Jack Ray, who has been leading the opposition, said: “There is real concern about this proposal because it is one of the first on a small 405sq m block. The whole community is driving it, not just me.”
MERMAID Beach residents have flooded Gold Coast City Council with more than 600 objections to a five-storey duplex on one of the city’s most sought-after addresses.
In November last year Alpha Beta Holdings, which is linked to Riaz Rezvanipour, applied to build the duplex on a 405sq m block on the corner of Hedges Ave and Ventura Rd despite the project exceeding the area’s three-storey height limit.
Developer Jack Ray, who owns a property next door, has organised community opposition about fears the development – if approved – would “open the floodgates” to similar buildings.
The proposal is yet to go before the council’s planning committee with a decision slated for later this month.
Mr Ray on Sunday said the response from residents had been “massive” with more than 600 objections to the project from households in the area.
“When you extrapolate that out, that is thousands of people,” he said. “It has got to be up there with the records for Mermaid Beach in terms of individual objections.”
The last project to receive more objections was Sunland’s The Mariner on the Spit.
Mr Ray said he had been taken aback by the strength of the opposition.
“There is real concern about this proposal because it is one of the first on a small 405sq m block,” he said.
“It is not so much concern from people on the beachfront but a lot of people from the side streets (as well) because this development, once approved, could basically be built on any 405sqm block in Mermaid Beach.
“The whole community has been driving it, it is not just me.”
Mr Ray said he was not concerned with “responsible” development or projects that fit the city plan.
“But this development so blatantly disregards both the setbacks and the height limit.”
He said despite overwhelming opposition – he has not spoken to a single person in favour of the plan – residents were taking nothing for granted.
“I would hope council would take the approach (of rejecting the plan) given that is the overwhelming community view,” he said.
“We have been given no feedback at this stage of council’s view and whether it is going to be recommended or rejected by the officers reporting to the planning committee.
“There is a community group that will be objecting (if the development is approved) to the Planning and Environment Court. That is fully funded and if it does get approved in its current form the solicitors have already been briefed to effect an appeal.”
Mr Ray said while the city plan contained provision for buildings in Mermaid Beach to go from three to four storeys, any development still had to meet strict criteria and not exceed 15 metres in height.
“It can’t be five storeys as this development is proposing and still comply,” he said.
The development site on the corner of Hedges Ave and Ventura Rd is owned by Ram Property Wealth Pty Ltd and Il Mio Regalo Pty Ltd, linked to Mr Rezvanipour and Guiseppe Finocchiaro respectively.
Mr Rezvanipour is the brother-in-law of Sunland managing director Sahba Abedian.