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Country Club Decision deferred for a month |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 26 August 2005 |
Montville will have to wait another month before Maroochy Council votes
on the controversial Links Montville Country Club development.
Council was expected to vote on Links' $250 million development just
north of the town centre yesterday but has delayed the decision until
probably September 24. The vote has been deferred to give Council
staff more time to clarify details of the Voluntary Infrastructure
Agreement.
Links Montville CEO Garth Greenaway said the Voluntary Infrastructure Agreement was "an offer by the developer" and as such Links wanted to put in unequivocal terms the community infrastructure benefits that will flow from this project. "There are outstanding matters such as which agency will own and operate the Artists Incubator, the sewerage reticulation extension to the village area and the public 3km eco walk from the village to Kondalilla National Park," he said.
"This is a legal agreement and as it is an offer by the developer, they cannot be appealed. "As such, they are locked in concrete, so we must get it right and not rush the final agreement.
"We also propose to include substantial funding for improvement of external roads. In fact Cr Rogerson is twisting my arm to include substantial additional external road funding to bring forward in time, a passing lane on the Nambour- Mapleton hill at Mapleton." BRLUPA spokesperson, Cheryl Keith said she was concerned by the delay. "It was our understanding that the Town
Planning Department's report was in fact completed and ready for distribution to Councillors by last Friday morning. It is very disappointing that the possibility now exists for that initial report never to see the light of day, as we had every confidence in the Planning staff's ability and integrity to uphold Maroochy Plan 2000 and the intent of the SEQ Regional Plan, which could only have resulted in a refusal of the proposal." She said the Environmental Protection Agency had approved the proposed Links development "with such extensive conditions that it cannot go ahead in its current form".
She said they had not approved the 18 hole golf course, on the grounds that insufficient information was provided to demonstrate that there would not be detrimental impacts upon the water quality and aquatic fauna of Skenes Creek and Kondalilla Falls. She said this was despite Mr Greenaway saying in The Range News that Links had satisfied the EPA's concerns.
"Mr Greenaway has also omitted the fact that approval by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines likewise comes with strenuous conditions," a BRLUPA statement said. "In addition, the Department has reaffirmed the classification of half of the proposed development site as 'good quality agricultural land'.
This land is located predominantly on the same plateaus where the majority of housing is proposed." Ms Keith said this supported the State Planning Policy 1/92, which states that good quality agricultural land "should not be built on unless there is an overriding need for the development in terms of public benefit."
Ms Keith says that "Links have been unsuccessful in making this 'public benefit' the cornerstone of their marketing strategy. Objections to council have demonstrated conclusively that there is overwhelming community opposition to the development."
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Range News 2005 - ON 
