SAY NO TO HIGH RISE ON THE COAST
ALL SUNSHINE COAST COMMUNITIES ARE AT RISK FROM THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE COAST’S PLANNING SCHEME
The Mayor is supporting the building of high rise hotel and apartment towers on the beach at Yaroomba.
To achieve the Mayor’s desire for high rise, Council is proposing to amend the Sunshine Coast planning scheme. In particular, to change the Strategic Framework, which is the part that:
“sets the policy direction for the planning scheme and forms the basis for ensuring that appropriate development occurs within the planning scheme area for the life of the planning scheme.”1
CHANGES TO THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AFFECT EVERY CORNER OF THE SUNSHINE COAST.
We need to ensure that Council understands that the community does not want more high rise than is currently permitted in the SC Planning Scheme that came into effect in May 2014.
The effect of these changes would be to allow high rise and intensive development right across the region. The site at Yaroomba is just the first cab off the rank.
The Mayor has talked about the Stockland block fronting the beach at Bokarina as another potential site.
That means any vacant land or any land that becomes vacant could have high rise and intensive development stuck on it.
WHAT ACTION IS REQUIRED?
We need to fight this campaign together. Your voice is critical to the success of this campaign. All councillors must be left in no doubt about their community’s views.
Our best strategy is to stop Councillors from voting to make any such major amendments to the newly signed-off Sunshine Coast planning scheme in the first place. The Council has said that any changes to the planning scheme will be subject to community consultation, but it will be much harder to change the minds of Councillors, once they have put any such major amendments into the public arena for comment.
Please write to the Mayor and all Councillors, to make it clear you do not want any major changes to the planning scheme that would allow more intensive and high rise developments on the Sunshine Coast than the planning scheme currently allows for.
Most Councillors hold sessions or clinics to meet with local people – usually advertised in the local paper. Go along and
* Tell them to stop having secret meetings – we want to know what is being discussed and how councillors are voting;
* ask what amendments are being considered and how they might affect the division;
* tell them no major changes should be made to the newly signed plan; and
* tell them no high rise other than what the plan currently allows.
UPDATE
Council met on 1 October 2014 and voted to defer discussion of the amendments to allow land tenure and other legal matters that had just come to their attention to be considered.
The meeting to discuss the proposed amendment(s) to the newly signed off SC Plan is now scheduled for sometime in February 2015.
Sekisui House has run a community information process that:
* is a CONcept only
* includes a 12 storey hotel, aged care, serviced apartments and multiple 7 storey residential apartments
* asked people to complete a very biased survey
* is misleading in stating that the 10-12 storey high rise towers would not affect turtles and could not be seen from the beach!!!!!!!!!
Development Watch members used helium balloons to demonstrate the height of the main buildings and how the buildings could be seen from various vantage points. See our facebook page for details
The media coverage has been extensive, although it has to date largely focused on the immediate impact for the Yaroomba site if the Mayor’s desired changes to the plan are implemented.
The reality is that all Sunshine Coast communities would be vulnerable to having very high rise towers on any vacant land if the proposed changes are approved by Council
We encourage everyone on the Coast to contact the Mayor and all Councillors and tell them NOT TO CHANGE THE PLAN and NOT TO HOLD THEIR MEETING IN SECRET.
Sekisui development information
SEKISUI HOUSE (SH) – PROPOSED HIGH RISE AT YAROOMBA BEACH
The site that SH owns and is proposing to build on is on the beach side of David Low Way, opposite the Palmer Coolum Resort. Click to download the map 600KB
What SH is proposing, based on media reports following a visit to Japan by the Premier, is:
- * A high rise hotel up to 12 storeys
- * 2300 apartments, including high rise
- * 300 townhouses
- * Over 30,000m2 of retail and entertainment space.
| The Australian | SCD-1 | SCD-2 | SCD-3 | SCD-4 |
The intensity of this proposed development means high rise towers, around 40% increase in Coolum’s population and horrendous traffic problems amongst other things.
In the meantime Council was considering the draft planning scheme, released late in 2012 and the response from the community. The planning scheme was finalised early in 2014 and gazetted in May 2014. What does the recently gazetted planning scheme for the Sunshine Coast allow?
The height overlay is an extract from a map in Planning Scheme 2014 that clearly shows that future development applications must address an 8.5 metre height limit. The area that Sekisui could free up and use for any future application for a high-density, high-rise development is highlighted. Click here to download the height overlay PDF
The Palmer Resort Plan shows the location of resort land on the east of David Low Way. In addition to this land, Palmer interests (Closeridge P/L) own the parabolic dune at the north of the site. Click here to download Palmer Resort Plan
The beach club drawing shows the six approved four-storey buildings near the old beach club site. The land that is part of the Palmer Resort is outlined. These buildings are the only four-storey buildings approved on the eastern side of DLW.
Local groups formed the Stop High Rise Action Group (SHRAG) and issued a press release and an artist's impression of the only proposal SH has released, (on our front page). Click here to see the SHRAG press release
The Premier commented in June 2014 that the SC Council was not doing enough development,Click here for the Daily’s article Council figures rebut the Premier's claim. Click here for the Daily’s article
The Mayor indicated his support for the SH Proposal, flagged amendments to the planning scheme and SH indicated that a development application would not be lodged til 2015. Click here for the Daily’s article O'Pray lifts lid on height fears with Sekisui plan.
Cr O’Pray went public with his concerns about the development proposal and disclosed that Council had been meeting, behind closed doors, with SH. Click here Cr O’Pray lifts lid on Sekisui.
The community was outraged and the Daily reported this. Click here to goto SCD artilce, Residents draw the line. Cr O’Pray asked community groups and residents to let him know what they thought an acceptable height limit would be for the SH site. Development Watch responded that it should be no higher than what was included in the planning scheme recently gazetted Click here to see DW’s response to Cr O’Pray.
It then became public that Council was plotting to change the planning scheme apparently to accommodate the SH proposed development. There was Outrage from the community. Council reportedly employing a consultant to amend the words in the strategic intent of the planning scheme to allow high rise and intensive development – totally contrary to the current wording. Changes to the strategic intent would affect the whole coast not just Yaroomba. Click here for the Daily’s article, How high will they go?
The Premier has weighed in saying we should engage and that high rise is appropriate. Click here for the Daily’s article Premier, Mayor ramp up campaign for Coast towers
Fiona Simpson MP has also issued a statement suggesting SH should put their plans on the table Click here for Fiona’s statement.
DW has been arguing that we should attract tourists who want a different experience to that available on the Gold Coast. The latest report from Tourism Australia as reported in the Daily, now shows that the Sunshine Coast has outperformed the Gold Coast further supporting our argument. Click here for the Daily’s article Why tourists are choosing Sunshine before Gold Coast.
ACTION YOU CAN TAKE
Come to the protest rally/photo shoot planned for Tickle Park, Coolum Beach SATURDAY 22nd NOVEMBER 10:30am.
Write to Council expressing your views – here’s a letter you can download and add your own issues. Click here to download – Proforma letter to the Mayor.
Write to Cr O’Pray telling him the appropriate height is limited to what is approved in the current planning scheme. Jason’s email address is:
jason.opray@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
Write to your local councillor and tell him/her to vote against a high rise and intensive development at Yaroomba.
25 Sept. Breaking News
We've just discovered that the Council is holding a special meeting to consider amendments to the planning scheme - apparently to allow Sekisui House to develop high rise hotels and apartments on the beach in Yaroomba and it seems, Bokarina.
More action you can take
1. Protest at the Council Meeting: The meeting will be in the Council chambers (cnr Currie and Bury Sts) Nambour next TUESDAY 30th Sept. The meeting starts at 9am but protesters need to be there around 8.30 am as Councillors arrive to make sure they understand that the community does not want this. We want to make it clear to Councillors that the meeting should be open to the public. We want to hear the discussion.
2.Communicate this information to all your friends and family on the Sunshine Coast
3. Write to the Mayor and Councillors:
Write to all councillors making it clear that you do NOT want the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme amended to allow high rise development.
The changes to the planning scheme will affect the whole of the Sunshine Coast not just Yaroomba.
We need to preserve the natural environment that we value and enjoy and that tourists, who do not want a Gold Coast style experience, also rate highly and value.
The reasons are: - the community made their views clear in the consultation leading up to the current Planning Scheme gazetted in May 2014. We do NOT want high rise.
- Councillors should respect the views of their community
- recent tourism reports confirm that tourists love the natural environment that exists here on the coast
- there is no need to replicate the intense development (like the Gold Coast) to attract tourists
- we are already attracting more new visitors than the Gold Coast. We should be encouraging tourists who want what we have, and not try to compete with other South East Qld tourist centres.
- the community doesn't want high rise
- as the Head of Australian Tourism pointed out, a five star resort can be low rise and fit into its enviromnent
- and we support a low rise, low impact development
- I don't want high rise
- Council and Sekisui seem to be on their own promoting high rise at Yaroomba
- other developers don't think it's a good idea!
Please vote against these amendments
Email addresses for local councillors are:
| Christian.Dickson@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
Greg.Rogerson@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
| Ted.Hungerford@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
Jenny.Mckay@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
| Peter.Cox@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
Stephen.Robinson@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
| Jason.0pray@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
Tim.Dwyer@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
| Chris.Thompson@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
Rick.Baberowski@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au |
Messages for the Mayor should be have “Attention Mayor Jamieson” in the subject line and be emailed to mail@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
