PlanningAlerts

55 Comments

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1. I own and live in a property in Archer St, one block south of this application. My concerns related to the current intersection directly facing the application, entrance to the Gold Coast Airport.

   This intersection is currently of concern. There is existing congestion at this traffic-light intersection (entrance to Gold Coast Airport) and its short service road. Traffic flow down Golden Four Drive (Golden FD) in both directions is gridlocked at various times as cars wait on a red light to enter the Gold Coast Highway (GC highway) during the day, making exit off the highway to turn onto Golden FD, in either direction, dangerous and delayed. This is in part due to a lack of turn lanes on Golden FD into the service Rd and its traffic lights. Cars cue in the one lane both north and south on Golden FD to turn into the traffic light area. This dominos into reduced opportunity to turn from GC highway onto Golden FD on green lights.
   Traffic has also backlogged onto the GC Highway at times from the service entrance. Buses regularly turn off Golden FD at this intersection and can reduce vision and block the intersection completely at times due to change of traffic light to red and their inability to cross the intersection. This reduces both vision and opportunity to turn from the GC Highway onto Golden Four Drive in both directions.
   My concerns are:
   1. The safety for motorists around this congestion
   2. The added car numbers as a result of the completed application if this existing problem is exacerbated by an increase in traffic due to the development.
   3. The increased traffic burden on the safety of pedestrians, including students, crossing from beachside access the GCH and University with the current road situation. Cars can backlog across the existing Pedestrian crossing at times.
   4. The increased traffic resulting from the opening of the new Rydges complex at the Airport. Given that two existing car rentals are within 100 metres of this application, increased traffic flow on this intersection is inevitable.
   5. There is currently lower volume of flow into and out of the GC Airport during the current Covid crisis. The problems listed above have not abated on Golden FD.
   Many thanks for your consideration of the concerns listed above.
   Karen Coates

2. This is a totally inappropriate development in its current form, for multiple reasons; do not bend the rules, I live just around the corner from this proposed development, & have seen recently 2 developments in Pacific parade with virtually no green space, & they have been allowed to build right on to the property line at the rear
   (1) 12 stories is way higher than surrounding buildings, no more than 7 should be allowed
   (2) parking -street parking is time controlled, students will have cars, 173 units ( 223 beds )need over 100 parking spots, plus some for the proposed commercial areas; trades people etc
   There are no close shops, no close entertainment, minimal public transport, students will have cars, for shopping, entertainment & getting to their part time jobs
   (3) traffic - this proposed development is right on what is already a crowded intersection, don't make it worse

3. As a concerned nearby resident I have read the applicants entire submission and I am concerned over the safety element of using Golden Four Drive as one of the exit points of this accommodation complex.
   I transverse this exit from Golden Four Drive to the Gold Coast Highway nearly every day and most times have to wait in a service lane on the southern side so as not to block the through traffic , cars and buses on the northern side travelling south just have to sit in the middle of the road as they wait to turn right to the air port or highway.
   The opposite entry is worse turning off the highway as you can not see properly through the blocking cars awaiting to turn out of Golden Four Drive. You risk being hit on many occasions.
   The proposed exit from this application into Golden Four Drive will only add to the congestion and risk. As the proposed exit lines up directly with the lane to the Uni, through the lights you can see this being used as a direct short cut by the students and service vehicles, creating a serious risk to other road users as they cut through the intersection.
   Just recently there was a motor vehicle accident adjacent to the property, these can only increase as 400 odd extra transit this corner daily as they go back and forth to the Uni.
   The projected car ownership of student residents does not stack up in reality when comparing to the applicants other inner Brisbane city locations as lifestyles will be different .
   Street parking is time restricted, so where can any overflow legally park??

4. I would like to object to the development, reference MCU/2020/302.
   1.This development does not suit the character of Bilinga which has maintained its low key, beach lifestyle (i.e. quiet, safe and neighbourly).
   2.The development application provides accommodation for a large number of short-stay students. Not only will this be at odds with the predominantly stable residential area but it will create noise, traffic and parking problems. As it is, parking in the area is not easily available and if this development only has 28 car spaces for its 223 beds then the parking situation will become dire. There is currently a 4-hour parking limit in the area – where are all the cars going to park??
   3. Add to that the close proximity of the proposed development to the intersection of Golden Four Drive and the Gold Coast Highway, the intersection at the Gold Coast Airport. Currently there is often a build-up of traffic waiting for the lights in Golden Four Drive. This will only worsen with extra student cars, creating a situation even more dangerous than it already is.
   4.Bilinga is the entry point to the Gold Coast for many visitors arriving at the airport so we want their first impressions of the city to be a good one. Many visitors leave the airport and walk across to the beach - let us not have them seeing an area with parking problems, traffic chaos and possibly litter from the café.
   5. Recent developments in the area have been built with very little green space, with the buildings taking up a high percentage of the block. They certainly have not improved the aesthetics of the area and have been roundly criticised by locals. This development appears to be exactly the same. What happened to the Council’s plan for more green space in the city? What happened to its desire to increase residential satisfaction and psychological wellbeing?
   6. As well, the proposed height of this building is higher than any other buildings in the area. Once again this will detract from the beauty of Bilinga and impinge seriously on the quality of life of nearby residents, of which I am one.
   7. By all means approve a development on this site but make sure that the number of residents is appropriate for the traffic in the area and ensure that there is ample parking for those residents.
   Thanks for considering these concerns,
   Jan Cunningham.
   

5. I currently live in the immediate vicinity of this proposed development.

   I am writing to express opposition on the following grounds:

   -The proposal is for 173 units which could potentially accommodate 233 students- but features ONLY 24-28 car spaces. This relies grossly on the assumption that the students do not have cars. Anyone who lives in the area can attest to how hard it already is to park on Johnston Street, Golden Four Drive and any nearby streets. On weekends it is practically impossible. There are car rental businesses that utilise street parking, as well as residents with permits and multiple visitors to the beach area and airport precinct. Parking is limited to 4 hours (24/7) to those without a permit and is already contested/limited.
   The area is simply not suitable for such a large development with little parking options.

   -The intersection of Golden Four Drive with the Gold Coast Highway near Johnston Street is already heavily congested, particularly when there are border closures in place and cars are redirected to Stewart Road to access the M1. The added flow of both cars and pedestrians will increase congestion, waiting times and safety concerns to the residential area.

   -There are already eateries in the airport precinct and Airport Central, a nearby cafe on Golden Four Drive and a SLSC within a couple of blocks, therefore a hospitality venue in that particular intersection is not a unique proposition. The area is also serviced by an array of hospitality and entertainment venues in nearby areas within reasonable distance, such as Kirra, Tugun and Coolangatta; as such, another cafe is not needed. In saying this, there are insufficient large businesses in the vicinity for 233 students to find work without relying on commuting or driving- which further highlights how unlikely it will be that only 24-28 people will have cars or use parking facilities.

   -Building a high rise is completely disproportionate to all other buildings in the immediate location and detracts from the community feel that residents of Bilinga currently enjoy. Whilst the current building is not necessarily appealing from the outside, from the inside it is of solid construction and could potentially be of much more value if only its owners sought to renovate and embellish it, rather than destroy it for high density student accommodation. Even if the owner has no intentions of renovating the current building, they could at least consider a development that is of proportionate height and has reasonable parking facilities when compared to the occupancy ratio.

   -This development ultimately is proposed mainly to benefit property investors, as the accommodation is designed to attract short term residents who will temporarily reside there as students of SCU- potentially having no long term intention of interacting with the Bilinga community. Bilinga is not the next Surfers Paradise. There are no tourist attractions or entertainment facilities catered to international students. It is a residential area.

   -Demolishing the current building will displace all its current residents; most of whom have resided in the building for several years and are retired pensioners who love and actively contribute to the area. These residents will be dislocated amid a rental crisis and will most likely have to leave the area in favour of temporary students who could more easily find a short term rental elsewhere near the university. This sends a message that all that matters is revenue from international students, while average older Australians who are not well off are simply irrelevant.

   Thank you for your consideration and I hope the voices from the community are truly listened to.

6. This will be a total disaster if it goes ahead. The adjacent intersection for the Gold Coast Highway is already congested and dangerous. Also the amount of proposed is absolutely ridiculous. There is already a major shortage of street parks. Approving this proposal would extremely irresponsible and dangerous.

7. This does not fit in with the area at all, Bilinga is a quiet seaside town and the people choose to live there and bring up their families in this area for that reason.
   If we wanted to be in Surfers we would have purchased/rented there.
   There is already a lack of parking and traffic issues from the smaller buildings that are going up everywhere replacing the gorgeous old character homes.
   Bilinga/Tugun have been protected from such monstrosities because of the airport, this would set a precedence for a lot more of the same to follow and before you know the developers will buy up every family home in the area. I strongly object.

8. Traffic and Parking are huge problems on the coast and in this area, this will add to the problem. On site Parking is inadequate for this development.

9. Just stop, enough is enough, we don’t want overdevelopment in Bilinga. Everyday I see a new apartment block coming or an old house being ripped down

10. This proposed building is not visually appealing at all and does not fit in with our community. It only has 24 car spaces which is absolutely ridiculous!!!! This building proposal can not go through. I will be dangerous and disruptive for our community!!!

11. This development proposal seems absolutely impractical for the area and not welcomed by the local community. The proposed parking allocation is very inadequate and will create impositions on existing nearby residents and students residing in the building.
    It is also placed directly in front of a very busy and dangerous intersection and would only add to the difficulty of travelling through this area.

12. Against this proposal. Not against development, but it needs to be in keeping with the area. Bilinga is a special place with a quiet seaside appeal. By adding such a huge building, over the limits of the current restrictions, will not enhance the ambience of our area. The impact of the building will not only affect the aesthetics of Bilinga/Kirra in a negative way, but will, due to its location and size, attract even more traffic to an already dangerous and congested intersection. The pedestrian crossing at this intersection is already problematic due to drivers needing to watch for traffic in so many directions. Add the proposed number of students from this accommodation and it is potentially even more dangerous. There is a high likelihood that students will not use the crossing and instead cross directly in front of their building, resulting in the potential for motor vehicle accidents and pedestrian injuries.

13. In relation to the development proposed for 99 Golden Four Drive Bilinga, my main concern is that there is potential for an increase in car accidents at what is already a dangerous intersection. In the two years that I have lived in Johnson street l have witnessed a number of collisions at that very intersection. Unfortunately there are many drivers that don’t seem to know how to navigate such a busy intersection and I fear that this will become an even bigger problem as more traffic is introduced to the area.
    As for the proposed height of the development, I am confused as to how an eleven storey building could be erected in an area that only allows for a eight storey limit?
    It would be hypocritical of me to suggest that there should be no more development in this area as I live in a new apartment block myself, but I do believe that any new developments should compliment those existing and not stand alone as this one certainly would.

14. Parking and traffic is already a major issue at this location. Parking will become a real problem.
    Surely when a development is proposed parking must be addressed by the developer?

15. Not in Bilinga it is becoming over crowded and the parking and traffic is a nightmare. I grew up in this vicinity and often visit this area for the beaches and picnics you cannot get parking anywhere now it will be worse.

16. We don't have facilities for students to take public transport. They will most certainly need a car and with limited parking this will cause chaos. Too many units on this modest patch. This isn't surfers paradise and proud of it.

    Take this building plans away.

17. Objection to current design plans for MC/2020/302. This project has inadequate parking for the number of residents. It should be 1:1 minimum plus visitors. As a local I find there is already inadequate parking in both Bilinga and Tugun so this will add to conjestion and inaccessibility to the area. Secondly, there is inadequate green space for resident recreation (no green space) and not enough facilities for that many people i.e one small games room and theatre. What are all the students supposed to do? All go to the waterfront to get out to study? Please reconsider these design plans to accomodate more parking, green space and facilities in fewer levels (less people).

18. So at a time when borders between NSW and QLD have been closed ad hoc.

    In a time when Government puts International students in front of Australians to return home

    In a time when universities only want to look after themselves and not the community they reside.

    In a time when developers find a chance to make a buck regardless of their legacy to local communities.

    In a time when transport and infrastructure is inadequate for town planning

    Why build a student accomodation tower when international students should not be travelling , when stage 4 of the light rail is still to be assessed and when the local community is against this development due to several very good reasons

    The irony is that it is ugly, the people residing in it will not be Aussies , let alone Bilinga homeless and get this , we the tax payer will end up paying for the privilege of having a rainbow coloured dud building in our back yard.

    Build it in Lismore NSW where there are no high rises and where this educational centre originated

    Ridiculous timing to stress out the mental health of the Bilinga , Kirra, Coolangatta and Tugun communities impacted by this development application

19. I live nearby this development.

    There is already major pressure on parking in our area and inadequate public transport options. This building clearly does not provide sufficient parking for its residents which will add substantial pressure on off street parking.

    This building also does not conform to the local style and culture of the Coolangatta region. Ultimately it will detract from the area.

20. The car space to dwelling ratio seems well off considering that most shopping facilities would be out of reach within walking distance and require occupants to own a car. As a wheelchair bound near by resident who already finds it difficult to cross the road due to traffic safety and visibility, this will only add stress to people like myself.

21. I strongly oppose this application as a nearby resident of 20+ yrs. The intersection is already dangerous! The added pressure on parking is totally unacceptable!as i already struggle to find a park! To even consider this development is just plain CRAZY

22. I am opposed to this development. The area is overcrowded. There are too many cars on the road. There is no parking. Stop over development now.

23. I am opposed to this development

    The area is overcrowded.
    12 stories seems to be out of touch with the area, should be no more than 6 level.
    There is already huge pressure on parking in our area
    Not enough car parking is being provided by the building
    This is already a dangerous intersection

24. I oppose this development. It is not in keeping with the area, it is a gross overdevelopement for an area that is already overwhelmed with parked cars and traffic. There is not enough car spots allocated at the proposed development. The proposed building itself is an eye sore and not fitting for a neighborhood of homes and small to medium apartment buildings. This is an example of greed and is not suitable for this area. Please do not allow this to go through and set a precedent for this kind of high rise in a not yet ruined coastal town. I understand international students are important, but that should not dictate what Bilinga is to become.

25. I have concerns that this development is not in keeping with the community needs. There are only 24 car parks, the building height and scale is out of this world. The shadows will be just like surfers paradise. The site cover seems too big. The setbacks are tiny. There will be significant traffic congestion and traffic problems. Please don’t approve this development.

26. I am a local resident who lives in the immediate vicinity of this proposed development at 99 Golden Four Drive, Bilinga 4225. Reference MCU/2020/302

    I am writing to express my strong opposition to the proposed development as it is unfitting to our area.

    The proposed development has been submitted by the developers as "Student Accommodation". I wonder that by submitting the application as "Student Accommodation" if this sidesteps GCCC town planning minimum parking requirements which typically would be necessary for such a development that has 173 units?

    The developer has submitted plans for 173 units to accommodate up to 233 potential "students" but only has a total of 24 car spaces which includes one visitor car park and one cafe car park. That makes only 22 parking spaces for students!

    I am sure that 233 students would have more than one guest visiting at the same time who would take up that one allocated visitor space!

    To imply or even suggest that students do not have a vehicle is sheer nonsense.

    Bilinga is not and is nothing like Southbank in Brisbane which is central to everything as it is in Brisbane City. Southbank should not be used as an example of what should be considered for Bilinga.

    This is the Southern Gold Coast which is close to nothing! Many students travel outside the Southern GC to the likes of Surfers Paradise to socialise and party.

    Without sufficient parking within the complex may potentially have up to 233 extra vehicles spilling onto our already saturated and congested side streets, where we residents will suffer the consequences.

    Parking on the local side streets is supposed to be limited to 4 hours, however, this is hardly policed by the GCCC and is already saturated with vehicles from buildings.

    Bilinga is simply not suitable for such a large dense development without having suitable onsite parking. Our streets are too narrow and it poses a danger to all using them including pedestrians trying to cross.

    It is also noted that China is boycotting Australia and our Universities which would impact student accommodation. So what will stop this development from being used simply as a hotel which then has more cars from holidaying visitors?

    I am happy for a sensible development at that location whereby one or two units per floor that have sufficient parking of no less than two spaces per unit would reflect our community better.

    Alternately have the developer allocate 3 entire floors solely for parking and the room number revised down to 60 rooms in total. Or turn it into a luxury boutique development in which some savvy developers are doing around the area.

    Building student accommodation/hotel detracts from the community as this development is like a can of sardines.

    Ultimately this proposal only benefits the developer and potential investors yet creates chaos for nearby residents.

    I believe there is ample accommodation around the Southern Gold Coast for students and if the accommodation was so scarce, the Southern Cross University has sufficient land surrounding the university to build student accommodation!

27. This proposal is not appropriate for this area. It is too high, the parking is completely inadequate. It is far too high density given the proposed number of units. This is very much against the character of the local area. I am very opposed to this development proposal.

28. I strongly oppose this proposed development and the change of use application. This proposed development does not offer anything near the required number of car parks. 200+ students requires a park for every student. In addition SCU is in financial distress and has just fired hundreds of staff, eliminated a significant portion of its courses, and moved most teaching online so that is can scale up classes to make teaching with so few academics possible. Given the lack of a viable business model, it’s likely SCU will not last as a University, as demonstrated by the number of staff they fired last year. There is no demand for student housing that this project would meet.A rooming house without students is just a rooming house.

29. As a very concerned local, it is vital that I add my opposition to this development. There are so many reasons for this:

    1. The intersections surrounding this building are already very dangerous and could, in no world, accomodate the influx of traffic this building will create.

    2. The inadequate parking that this building will offer is not okay. This is not a central location where you can get by without a car. Public transport is not good down this way and students will need cars to get around. This will add hundreds of cars to the surrounding roads that are already congested. This would be incredibly dangerous for pedestrians and locals trying to get around.

    3. The incredible height of this building is completely inappropriate for this section of the coast. This is not Surfers Paradise and we do not want horrible shadows over our neighbourhood.

    Approval of this development would be incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. Do not put money before our safety and well-being.

30. I would like to lodge my objection to the proposed development at 99 Golden Four Drive Bilinga.
    While I have only been a resident in the local area for 3 years, during that time I have already noticed a regular pattern of change with the older beach residences being demolished for multi storey dwellings.
    This new development takes things another step further to make it even more out of character with the local building landscape.
    The inadequate parking on site will only lead to added congestion in surrounding streets however with 4 hour parking limits in place in the area, is the council going to make some form of special allowance that other locals aren’t afforded.
    While I don’t live in the immediate vicinity of the propsed development, I regularly drive and walk past it. Golden Four Drive is already a busy road and the the added pressure from an influx of vehicles from this address will be a recipe for disaster.
    Progress and change is inevitable, however any new developments approved in our special part of the Gold Coast need to be in keeping with what we already have.
    Please consider a scaled down version.

31. I would like to lodge my objection to this proposed development i own a unit directly next door to this property, the reasons are as follows, far to high how can this bypass the 23meters for the area, there are limited parking spots on golden four drive and in particular at these traffic lights congestion is already a major issue, this type of development is not suited to this area

32. Totally inappropriate development application for the area.
    GCCC please Do Not use the proposed light rail to justify the lack of parking allocation when this application is considered.
    Please provide evidence that infrastructure issues ie. upgrade of sewerage, storm water, water supply and demand is being addressed and actioned by council before this application is even looked at.

33. This application does not fit in with the character of Bilinga and is totally inappropriate. The insufficient parking is problematic and a totally absurd request. Nobody wants another Surfers Paradise of the South. The Light Rail will not go further than Burleigh. I don't know a single person in the south that supports it and there are 100's of people willing to stand in the way. Don't make the mistake of using the LR overlay to destroy suburbs and communities in the south.

34. We are nearby Archer St residents who already have problems getting onto the highway from Golden Four drive due to an overcrowded on ramp and too many cars in Golden Four Drive trying to get onto the highway . The development of 11 stories is higher than most other developments in the area and only has 24 car parks. How can over 170 units in the development find enough parking without taking up all the on street parking in the area. There are too many units, too few car parks and too high a level especially near an airport. There usually is a restriction of 8 stories near an airport but somehow this development flaunts this commonsense rule. We arevery concerned with the overdevelopment of the area which does not cater for the increase in traffic and parking.

35. I am a nearby resident, very concerned about the proposed development.
    My concerns are the impact it will have on the already dangerous intersection on Golden Four Drive/Johnstone Street/Gold Coast Highway. Cars buses pedestrians and now students. More parking at the proposed complex for visitors and workers a must.
    Secondly the height of the complex. 7 storeys at the most.
    Please re look at this development before approval.

36. This does not fit in with the area at all, Bilinga is a quiet seaside town and the people choose to live there and bring up their families in this area for that reason.
    If we wanted to be in Surfers we would have purchased/rented there.
    There is already a lack of parking and traffic issues from the smaller buildings that are going up everywhere replacing the gorgeous old character homes.
    Bilinga/Tugun have been protected from such monstrosities because of the airport, this would set a precedence for a lot more of the same to follow and before you know the developers will buy up every family home in the area. I strongly object.

37. I am a Tugun resident who objects to the height and the proposed change of use. It is too densely packed, it does not fit with the community at all - socially or environmentally. I do not support this proposal in any way.

38. I have seen first hand student accommodation in areas in Brisbane - units do become over crowded as they share rental costs then more than one car per unit crams nearby streets. This will be particularly noticeable when international students start returning. Building height levels should not be increased in this area and any development in these times must have a minimum 2 car spaces off street per apartment with a minimum 20 visitor car parks also off street. For Universities it is a great advantage to have students housed nearby but it should not compromise existing planning requirements. I regularly commute to SCU and do not support this development.

39. I absolutely oppose this development at 99 Golden four drive Bilinga - already we are seeing drastic changes to the footprint of this area and whilst I welcome some developments this one is completely out of keeping and way too big for this area. There must be an alternative to student housing not this. We do not want to become another Surfers Paradise and do not want building heights increased at all.

40. I was interested in purchasing an apartment across the road from 99 Golden Four Drive Bilinga until I read about the proposed development. If this development goes ahead it will not only severely adversely affect the amenity of the area but also potentially impact the value of nearby properties. The council must consider the following issues in their approval process
    1. The building height is way above the current code
    2. The density of apartments and bedrooms is way too high
    3. The proposed building takes up most of the land on the site
    4. There is no setback from the boundaries
    5. The tall and large building will cast unacceptable shadows on neighbours
    6. The podium design is not appropriate for the Bilinga streetscape
    7. The numbers of car spaces allocated (24) is grossly inadequate
    8. The impact on traffic will be disastrous
    I am surprised that the developer still wants to proceed given the uncertainty about overseas student numbers and the changing mode of delivery for university courses.

41. This is yet another unnecessary block of units.
    The height is grossly over anything similar in the vicinity. Parking is a major issue already on Golden Four Drive and surrounding streets so to not have parking for every unit is incomprehensible
    Leave some areas of the Coast as natural as possible. Green space is very important
    Traffic is an issue at all intersections already so an increase would make this unsafe and heavily congested at various times throughout the day
    I object very strongly to this development

42. I am totally opposed to this development, as are many other locals. The intersection there is already dangerous. The airport regulations are not being observed. The site is not appropriate for high density. There is insufficient infrastructure already in this area for the growing population.
    Overall there is extremely too much development occurring in this lower Gold Coast area. There are too many high rise developments, no separation between big properties - smaller houses and apartment blocks are dwarfed. It seems like anything goes. We bought into this area from a plan that was meant to be a four storey building, which should be the maximum and they should be scattered - not side by side. In our building the developers increased the block to five storeys after everyone had bought in - I see this as corrupt and wonder what is going on with Planning and Development?

43. This development application should not be approved. The development is unsuitable on many levels both within the community and also as a living environment for human beings.
    This area is zoned medium density. This development is NOT medium density.
    • 50% higher (34m) than the 23 m allowed under the plan
    • Significantly higher than other buildings in the area
    • Absolutely no useable green space provided for – site cover almost 100%
    • Building is too close to the boundaries and will cast shadows on all those around
    • Set right on a problematic intersection where traffic backs up frequently on Golden Four Drive
    • 24 car spaces for tenants and visitors – there will be many more tenants who have cars and even more visitors with cars – where will they all park? Parking in this vicinity is already a problem because of the University and the Airport.
    If it is student accommodation why isn’t it being built on the SCU campus?
    With the current issues of overseas students not being allowed into the country will this end up a ‘white elephant’? The rooms are unrentable to ‘regular ‘tourists’.
    As far as the amenity for those students who will rent the rooms goes - they are far too small given there is little ‘living’ space anywhere else. Where do 170 people go if they don’t want to be in their shoebox room?

44. I am against it , that is the best beach on the Gold Coast and it is so because of the lack of oversized development .
    Don’t ruin the south end of the Gold Coast completely .

45. Objection to current design plans for MC/2020/302.
    The development , decorated with the corporate branding of the adjacent Southern Cross University seeks to dominate the landscape. Another giant billboard, 'look at me - look at me!!" The design is for a building totally at odds with the residential, village feeling of the adjacent residential neighbourhood.
    The current code permits a height of 23M
    • At 34.5m it is almost 50% taller than this.
    The area is zoned medium density.
    • How can 233 people living on a site that is 1000sqM be medium density occupancy.
    • The design has 195 toilets, and 193 showers. What does this mean for the existing neighbourhood infrastructure - water, sewers, power supply?
    • If this is OK, then what about a second identical companion building being erected next door, and if that isn’t OK then why is this OK.
    There is provision for 24 resident and 1 visitor carpark with a further single carpark onsite for café patrons. This presumes that the vast majority of residents won’t have a vehicle, or visitors. This scenario is unlikely now and for some many years to come.
    • 1 park per 10 residents – and only 1 visitor at a time able to park.
    This can only increase the pressure on local streets already where parking resources are already overstretched, by the demand from both the airport and the university, resulting in cars being parked randomly on footpaths and nature strips, across driveways and too close to corners. This presents an ongoing hazard to all road users (vehicles and pedestrians).
    The building’s living spaces range between 20 and 23sqM per person, with about a further 1sqM per person available in common areas. This is a total living space less than 2 carparks each. I would think that it is hardly adequate for young adults many of whom have only modest incomes, who need spaces to ’hang out’ without having to spend money.
    If the demand is for student accommodation, why is this being built with 6 lanes of traffic (4 of them high speed) for the students to cross to get to campus and the facilities that are available there. Far better for the accommodation to be on or immediately adjacent to the campus. That way, if the building design proves to be inadequate for the students’ needs (parking, dining, leisure and ‘hang out’ spaces’) then these can be supplemented by the university facilities without detrimental impact on the neighbouring residents. There is also space to build appropriate infrastructure to meet the power, water and sanitation needs, should this not be already available on the university site.
    This development should not proceed in its current form.

46. How can this be legal. What do we need all these apartments for with no parking.

    Object strongly

47. I would like to object to the development, reference MCU/2020/302.
    1.This development does not suit the character of Bilinga (and Tugun) which has maintained its low key, beach lifestyle (i.e. quiet, safe and neighbourly).
    2.The development application provides accommodation for a large number of short-stay students. Not only will this be at odds with the predominantly stable residential area but it will create noise, traffic and parking problems. As it is, parking in the area is not easily available and if this development only has 28 car spaces for its 223 beds then the parking situation will become dire. There is currently a 4-hour parking limit in the area – where are all the cars going to park??
    3. Add to that the close proximity of the proposed development to the intersection of Golden Four Drive and the Gold Coast Highway, the intersection at the Gold Coast Airport. Currently there is often a build-up of traffic waiting for the lights in Golden Four Drive. This will only worsen with extra student cars, creating a situation even more dangerous than it already is.
    4.Bilinga/Tugun is the entry point to the Gold Coast for many visitors arriving at the airport so we want their first impressions of the city to be a good one. Many visitors leave the airport and walk across to the beach - let us not have them seeing an area with parking problems, traffic chaos and possibly litter from the café.
    5. Recent developments in the area have been built with very little green space, with the buildings taking up a high percentage of the block. They certainly have not improved the aesthetics of the area and have been roundly criticised by locals. This development appears to be exactly the same. What happened to the Council’s plan for more green space in the city? What happened to its desire to increase residential satisfaction and psychological wellbeing?
    6. As well, the proposed height of this building is higher than any other buildings in the area. Once again this will detract from the beauty of Bilinga and Tugun and impinge seriously on the quality of life of nearby residents, of which I am one.
    Thanks for considering these concerns, J Bergamin

48. I would like to object to the development, reference MCU/2020/302.
    1.This development does not suit the character of Bilinga (and Tugun) which has maintained its low key, beach lifestyle (i.e. quiet, safe and neighbourly).
    2.The development application provides accommodation for a large number of short-stay students. Not only will this be at odds with the predominantly stable residential area but it will create noise, traffic and parking problems. As it is, parking in the area is not easily available and if this development only has 28 car spaces for its 223 beds then the parking situation will become dire. There is currently a 4-hour parking limit in the area – where are all the cars going to park??
    3. Add to that the close proximity of the proposed development to the intersection of Golden Four Drive and the Gold Coast Highway, the intersection at the Gold Coast Airport. Currently there is often a build-up of traffic waiting for the lights in Golden Four Drive. This will only worsen with extra student cars, creating a situation even more dangerous than it already is.
    4.Bilinga/Tugun is the entry point to the Gold Coast for many visitors arriving at the airport so we want their first impressions of the city to be a good one. Many visitors leave the airport and walk across to the beach - let us not have them seeing an area with parking problems, traffic chaos and possibly litter from the café.
    5. Recent developments in the area have been built with very little green space, with the buildings taking up a high percentage of the block. They certainly have not improved the aesthetics of the area and have been roundly criticised by locals. This development appears to be exactly the same. What happened to the Council’s plan for more green space in the city? What happened to its desire to increase residential satisfaction and psychological wellbeing?
    6. As well, the proposed height of this building is higher than any other buildings in the area. Once again this will detract from the beauty of Bilinga and Tugun and impinge seriously on the quality of life of nearby residents, of which I am one.
    Thanks for considering these concerns,

49. I wish to lodge an objection to this proposed development at 99 Golden Four Drive. The scale and bulk of the development are vastly out of proportion with the area and surrounding structures. There is inadequate parking and transport infrastructure to properly accomodate it. There are current parking issues and this type of development would only increase the problem. The height levels set an inappropriate for the area and set a negative precedent.

50. I would like to object to the development, reference MCU/2020/302.
    1.This development does not suit the character of Bilinga which has maintained its low key, beach lifestyle including smaller scale residential buildings.
    2.The development application provides accommodation for a large number of short-stay students. Not only will this be at odds with the predominantly stable residential area but it will create noise, traffic and parking problems as thiis development only has 28 car spaces for its 223 beds.
    3. The proposed development is close to the intersection of Golden Four Drive and the Gold Coast Highway, access to the Gold Coast Airport, an already busy intersection.
    4.The proposed height of this building is higher than any other buildings in the area making it stand out on the landscape and detracting from the lower level buildings it would sit amongst.

51. This development application should not be approved. The development is unsuitable on many levels both within the community and also as a living environment for human beings.
    This area is zoned medium density. This development is NOT medium density.
    • 50% higher (34m) than the 23 m allowed under the plan
    • Significantly higher than other buildings in the area
    • Absolutely no useable green space provided for – site cover almost 100%
    • Building is too close to the boundaries and will cast shadows on all those around
    • Set right on a problematic intersection where traffic backs up frequently on Golden Four Drive
    • 24 car spaces for tenants and visitors – there will be many more tenants who have cars and even more visitors with cars – where will they all park? Parking in this vicinity is already a problem because of the University and the Airport.
    If it is student accommodation why isn’t it being built on the SCU campus?

    24 car spaces is outrageous and totally unsuitable.

52. This development application should not be approved. The development is unsuitable on many levels both within the community and also as a living environment for human beings.
    This area is zoned medium density. This is a high density development
    • 50% higher (34m) than the 23 m allowed under the plan
    • Significantly larger than other buildings in its location
    • Absolutely no useable green space provided for – site cover almost 100%
    • The building will shadow the southern properties almost all of daylight hours. Creating problems for residents
    • Access to the development will be an ongoing issue creating a dangerous exit and entry point close to an already busy intersection
    • 24 car spaces for tenants, visitors and an operating cafe is not adequate – where will they all park? Parking in this vicinity is already a problem because of the University and the Airport.
    If specifically designed as ‘student Accommodation’ why is it not being built on SCU site.
    The visual impact from this design is not cohesive with exciting developments already approved in this area.

53. In relation to the development proposed for 99 Golden Four Drive Bilinga, my main concern is that there is potential for an increase in car accidents at what is already a dangerous intersection. In the two years that I have lived in Johnson street l have witnessed a number of collisions at that very intersection. Unfortunately there are many drivers that don’t seem to know how to navigate such a busy intersection and I fear that this will become an even bigger problem as more traffic is introduced to the area.
    As for the proposed height of the development, I am confused as to how an eleven storey building could be erected in an area that only allows for a eight storey limit?
    It would be hypocritical of me to suggest that there should be no more development in this area as I live in a new apartment block myself, but I do believe that any new developments should compliment those existing and not stand alone as this one certainly would.

54. This is not a suitable development for Bilinga. Firstly, It does not fit the neighbourhood aesthetically. We are a coastal town with small apartment buildings and family
    Homes. Secondly, the amount of proposed parking spots compared to the amount of accomodation within this development is not sufficient. Especially given that the roads within that surrounding area have a 4 hour parking limit.
    Finally, there is the issue of congestion surrounding the area and nearest intersection. We already have issues within this area, this development would put a significant amount of strain onto an already insufficient intersection.
    No thank you... surely there’s a more suitable area for such a large development???

55. This planned development at Bilinga is not appropriate and poorly planned. To erect a small village of 200+ persons on this site without parking and traffic congestion considerations doesn't pass the pub test. Let alone the detrimental impact on local residents environmental enjoyment.

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