Main Beach Association
Sue Donovan | More Locals

June 2022
Article by Sue Donovan 

Bad news, good news—again!
As you walk or drive through the previously pleasant streets of Main Beach, you are confronted by construction activity that  becomes more disruptive by the day. In many cases builders’ occupation of footpaths and roads forces residents and visitors alike to make significant detours to reach their destinations. And this will continue for at least the next two years, even if several approved Das (development applications) fail to proceed.

On the other side of the coin, apart from the for DAs for La Mer and the Lark site being rejected, an appeal in the Supreme Court by the developers of Ovation was lost. Thankfully, non compliance with the subtropical, green and leafy character of Main Beach was cited in each of the decisions going against developers. It would appear that there are no new DAs for Main Beach currently before Council, so we can only hope that this is the end of ‘parsley on a pig’ developments being approved in Main Beach.

Spit Master Plan
The Main Beach Association is working closely with the Gold Coast Waterways Authority on a number of projects, particularly the Wayfinding (signage) project being run by the Department of State Development. We are making sure that the topics of interest to locals and visitors are given appropriate coverage. Other topics currently under investigation are the water quality of Bum’s Bay, and the future of the Federation Walk Coastal Reserve. It is the view of the Main Beach Association that the path from the Surf Club to the Seaway must be safe and accessible to all, especially since the State Government has approved large amounts of funding  for the irrigation of the planned littoral rainforest. (This is creation rather than rejuvenation, given that until recent times The Spit was an area of sand dunes, devoid of vegetation.)

Land Valuations and Rates
As everyone knows, land values in Main Beach have increased substantially since the previous valuation four years ago. Properties have therefore had their land valuations increased between 30 to almost 100 per cent, which is not unreasonable given the recent boom. Owners in a building whose valuation has increased by 50% can therefore expect a rate increase of up to 17%.

However, there is one important exception—owners of properties whose values have fallen, or barely increased due to flawed Council planning decisions. The body corporates of several of these badly affected buildings have now appealed their recent land valuations, arguing that the lack of setbacks plus the destruction of their views, light, and privacy, have severely reduced their property value and saleability. To make matters worse, the potential for redeveloping their own site has been destroyed. Ironically, one of the objecting body corporates (whose land valuation had increased nearly by 100 %) has actually quoted Council’s own words in their appeal!

Land valuations are carried out by the State Government, not the Council. The deadline for appeals was within 60 days of the valuation being issued. The deadline for appeals was within 60 days of the valuation being issued.

Stop Press
A highly controversial Besser block wall was constructed this week, blocking the beach frontage path in front of the Van Lieshout development on the corner of Main Beach Parade and Woodroffe Avenue. The ownership of this pathway is problematic, with part of it in private ownership and part in public ownership, aligning with all the other properties along the beachfront. For many years Council has tried to acquire this anomalous piece of land, a crucial part of the planned extension of the Oceanway. (To see a copy of the title, which explains the complexity of the issue, go to the Main Beach Association Facebook page where many horrified people have commented.) Councillor Taylor was quoted in the Bulletin on Friday 17 June saying Council was in communication with Mr Van Lieshout, who has had part of the wall removed ‘so that people could still see the view’. That misses the point—access to the proposed Oceanway path is still blocked!

Hoons
There would not be many Main Beach residents who are not infuriated by the weekend hooning that occurs—so much so that Friday night has been rechristened Hoon Night. The noise is so unpleasant that some residents have actually sold their units or houses to escape it. It appears that these anti social blokes (don’t think there are many female hoons, but I could be wrong) congregate in the Southport Surf Club carpark before racing with excessive speed and noise up The Spit. Some use the carpark at Pelican Beach before converting Waterways Drive, Macarthur  Parade and Seaworld Drive into their own personal speedway. In response to a complaint from an MBA member, Councillor Darren Taylor provided a comprehensive list of actions residents could take to reduce or stop the disruption. Click here for link to Cr Darren Taylor’s response to one of our Main Beach residents.

It’s that time of year again!
Without wishing to blow our own trumpet, I think most people would agree that the Main Beach Association provides excellent support for the residents of our lovely suburb. Whether it is advising worried residents on how to commission a dilapidation report, to helping them decide whether it is worthwhile opposing a particular development application, the MBA is always ready to help. Our Association is proud of its good relationship with Council, both councillors and officers. Thanks to a healthy membership—made even healthier by the extraordinary level of construction disruption being experienced by most residents—we are able to commission expert reports from town p, engineers and the like for lobbying Council on issues such as  traffic management, the City Plan, particularly the impact of the Light Rail Overlay. We also receive great support from our State MP, John Paul Langbroek. This means that when a resident has problem, we know who to approach to try to solve the problem.

We also have very good connections in the media, so that if there is a story that needs to be told, we can be confident that it will get a good run in the Bulletin or on local  radio and TV.

You will find all the Bulletin stories about Main Beach on both our Facebook page and our website: mainbeachgc.com.au

So whether you are an existing member, a lapsed member, or somebody who hasn’t quite got around to joining, please show your support by renewing or beginning your membership for the coming financial year. We have lots of ideas, expertise and energy, but we do need a strong membership. This link will take you to the membership form on our website. Cheques are perfectly acceptable!

Regards,
Sue

Crickey I almost forgot: Do you wanna help us spread the villager word? Sign up to become an ambassador and you’ll get a special URL to share the Villager vibe, and sign up your friends.

We’ll send you the special deals and advantages and any goodies that come our way. Word-of-mouth from the Villagers like you has easily been our biggest growth factor, so go on and join a few more of your friends, up to our Villager Vibe.

There nothing better than great company
Thanks heaps
Steve