This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE developer of the proposed $150 million redevelopment of the former Arundel Hills Country Club is asking for council support for its low density housing project, following community criticism.
After the sale of the former Arundel Hills Country Club was settled last week, the new owners revealed their masterplan for the site, Arundel Estates.
The plans would see the 67-hectare—now derelict—golf course transformed into 27% low-density detached housing, with 68% reserved for parks, recreation, wetlands and public open space.
And the remaining seven-hectares to be gifted to A.B Paterson College to establish new sport and recreation facilities.
“Currently, this site has 67ha of privately owned flood-free land that is locked away from the public, but which can readily provide housing for the central Gold Coast,” said Steven Kleytman, CEO of 3Group and developer of Arundel Estate Development.
“It’s a travesty that this land, which is no longer viable as a golf course, should continue to lay dormant while the city is bursting at the seams amid the worst housing shortage in living memory.”
The proposed housing component would deliver an additional 380 lots for detached dwellings that could accommodate up to 1,200 residents.
“The remainder will be for public use, with the majority of the site planned as an environmental reserve that also will extend the city’s koala mapping area,” added Kleytman.
A group of local residents have other ideas, with the Arundel Hills Community Reference Group and its more than 400 members looking to fight the proposal.
The group’s reservations include concerns about the loss of habitat for koala, kangaroo and bird populations but also extend to increased strain on roads and schools.
The group have also garnered the support of LNP MP for Bonney, Sam O’Connor.
“I’m against (the proposal) in its current form. I think it is completely inappropriate, it is not a good fit for the area and the scale of it is way too large.”
“Ultimately, we would like to see the area become a golf course again.”
Meanwhile Arundel Estate is arguing the site will be an “environmentally focused and sensitively integrated residential community”, with its future use to include an environmental reserve targeting a restoration of koala habitat.
“When the golf course was developed decades ago, it removed large areas of koala habitat and disrupted potential movement corridors from state significant habitat adjoining Arundel Hills to the north,” added Kleytman.
“The proposal by Arundel Estates will effectively deliver much of this site back to the environment while delivering housing across a small portion of the site. The remaining 73 per cent will become public land and land gifted to A.B. Paterson College, for use as sporting fields which represents a “net gain” for the community.”
The Gold Coast City Council is currently assessing the master plans for the development.
“This site is no longer viable as a golf course and it is too valuable to the community to lay dormant. Ultimately, our proposal for the site will create more than 40ha of public open space that will largely be devoted to environmental uses at no cost to taxpayers,” said Kleytman.
“The housing component will proceed without any material impact on native habitat by taking advantage of the existing landscape which includes corridors of eucalyptus trees alongside the fairways and the water bodies scattered throughout the site.”
