A landmark legal victory for local residents has struck a blow against unchecked development on the Gold Coast, exposing what many see as a culture of overreach, backdoor approvals, and city planning hijacked by profit
A landmark legal victory for local residents has struck a blow against unchecked development on the Gold Coast, exposing what many see as a culture of overreach, backdoor approvals, and city planning hijacked by profit. The decision, handed down on June 9, 2025 by the Planning and Environment Court of Queensland, overturned the Gold Coast City Council’s approval of a proposed 10-storey apartment complex in Bilinga, near Pacific Parade. The Court ruled that the development — by LGDC McInnesville Pty Ltd, significantly breached the City Plan by exceeding height limits and failing to respect local character, design standards, or amenity.
The project had aimed to take advantage of a controversial clause that allows developers to build up to 50% higher than zoning limits under section 3.3.2.1(9) of the City Plan — if eight specific design and community outcomes are met. In this case, the Court found the project failed on multiple fronts, including:
The Court ultimately ruled the development incompatible with the neighbourhood’s character, overturning the Council’s approval and handing a victory to the residents — and a warning to developers.
One of the city’s most vocal anti-development advocates and Tom Tate's biggest headache, Karen Rowles, hailed the ruling as a turning point.
“Southern Gold Coast residents have taken the Gold Coast City Council and a developer to court… AND WON!!!” she wrote in a social media post that quickly spread across Palm Beach and surrounding suburbs.
“This is a massive victory that points the finger directly at Tate and our Gold Coast City Councillors who continue to recklessly and irresponsibly ignore the city plan, in order to appease the developers’ appetite for a 50% uplift in the height of their towers.”
Rowles, a longtime critic of Mayor Tom Tate, said it’s time the Council started being afraid of its own people.
“Maybe now, Tate, Mark Hammel and other councillors will be afraid of local residents and neighbouring property owners taking council and the developer to court — and WINNING.”
Rowles says she’ll now write to GCCC CEO Tim Baker demanding transparency on how much ratepayer money was spent defending a case against Gold Coast residents — one the Council ultimately lost.
The ruling comes as residents across the Gold Coast express growing frustration with the relentless rise of luxury apartment towers, particularly in Main Beach, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Miami, Palm Beach, and increasingly south of Burleigh Heads. While developers claim these projects help address the housing crisis, critics say that logic doesn’t hold up.
The average minimum starting price for new apartments in beachside Gold Coast towers sits at $1 million — often for units under 100m², which is more expensive than some detached houses in other parts of the city.
These apartments aren’t being built for struggling families or first-home buyers. They’re marketed primarily to:
"These developments are not helping the housing crisis. They’re fuelling it," one resident wrote. The people most in need — low to middle-income earners — are being left completely behind.”
In response, some developers argue that downsizers purchasing luxury apartments “free up housing stock” by selling their family homes. While technically true, it’s a hollow argument.
The homes being "freed up" by these downsizers often carry price tags of $2 million or more — well beyond reach for 90% of Gold Coast residents, especially first-home buyers and renters struggling to break into the market.
The result? A supply chain that circulates property among the already-wealthy, while doing little to solve the core housing affordability issue for average locals.
The debate around overdevelopment is also playing out in the battle over Stage 4 of the Gold Coast Light Rail, which is set to extend south past Burleigh Heads.
While framed as a transport solution, many residents believe the rail line is being used to justify further high-density development in coastal neighbourhoods — often without the community's support.
“Locals didn’t ask for this. Developers did. This isn’t about transport — it’s about towers,” said one commenter on a community page.
Concerns about conflicts of interest are also simmering beneath the surface. With numerous politicians and councillors reportedly tied to the real estate and development industries, locals fear that decisions are being made not in the public’s interest — but behind closed doors. Approvals that bend or exceed zoning rules, like height uplifts and vague “community benefit” clauses, are frequently approved without public scrutiny, leaving residents feeling powerless and voiceless.
At The Gold Coast Torch, we’re not against progress at all. In fact, we’re for sustainable, transparent development that balances growth with liveability. Yes, the city needs more housing. Yes, some outdated buildings need to go, but not at any cost, and not by dodging the rules. Finn Lucci, the Founder of The Gold Coast Torch had this to say:
"There’s no denying that developers and builders play a vital role in shaping and improving our city. They build what we live in, work in, and grow around. But they need to stop pretending they’re 'for the people'. You're here to make money — and that’s okay. Just stop hiding behind community-friendly slogans. The same goes for real estate agents who say they 'care deeply' about locals while chasing top dollar for the seller and themselves. Just keep it real! As far as politics goes, it’s easy to criticise the Mayor, councillors, GCCC, and developers from the sidelines — public roles naturally come with scrutiny. Politics is often a lose-lose game: no matter what decision is made, someone’s going to be unhappy. In a city as diverse as ours, it’s simply impossible to please everyone." – Finn
Although, if the Council continues to side with big developers over residents, they may find themselves in similar situation to the Bilinga bungle.
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