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Council the culprit in golf course fiasco says developer
GOLD Coast developer The Ingles Group has blamed the Gold Coast City Council for delays in completion of a golf course at one of its estates.
Despite having nearly completed the housing component of its $300 million Tee Trees estate at Arundel, the group says council inaction and personnel turnover have led to a seven year delay in the construction of the planned 18-hole golf course.
The entire process has left Ingles Group managing director Graeme Ingles very disappointed and frustrated with the council.
“I understand the residents’ frustrations and can assure them that we feel just as frustrated,” he said.
“It has been a very slow and painful experience dealing with the council over the golf course.”
The Ingles Group bought the 108-hectare site at Arundel in the mid 1990s. The property, with its central location was an ideal development site and, as the area's premier development, Tee Trees quickly proved popular with Gold Coast families.
However, Mr Ingles said while the golf course was approved as part of the development’s masterplan a decade ago, since then the group had been trapped in a multitude of hurdles as it tried to negotiate final operational approval for the course from council.
“We haven’t been able to gain a workable operational approval because they keep imposing extra conditions and keep requiring us to compile further reports on the project.
Mr Ingles said the company had received council approval for an amended layout of the course in November 2006.
However, before operational works can commence the group had to supply council with 12 further reports ranging from an amended tree clearing report to amended engineering drawings.
The reports include:
- An Amended Tree Clearing Report,
- An Amended Fauna Management Plan,
- “Compensatory Measure – Design And Install Fauna Nest Boxes,
- “Compensatory Measure – Design And Install Artificial Eagle Nest Site
- Revegetation/Rehabilitation Management Plan,
- Threatened Species Management Strategy/Monitoring Plan,
- Amended Acid Sulphate Investigation/Management Plan,
- Earthworks Strategy Management Plan,
- Detailed Groundwater Assessment,
- Dewatering Management Plan,
- Detailed Lake Operation And Water Quality Management Plan And
- An Amended Report On Engineering/Earthworks Drawings.
Mr Ingles said the Ingles Group was intending to lodge the required reports by May and expected to start work in July, subject to council approvals.
He said that despite the problems with the golf course approval process, the 700 home Tee Trees estate had been one of the Ingles Group’s most successful developments in its 26 year history.
“The last thing we would want to do is leave residents of such a successful development with a sour taste in their mouths,’’ said Mr Ingles.
“We remain committed to building this golf course as soon as we get final council approval.”