Friday 28 December 2007

Mayor Byrne's Clifton Beach re-design

This is the view that is being created on the northern beaches.

Once, only a design of the inner city, now Clifton Beach is being subjected to 5 story high rise-residential apartments across their landscape, right alongside Residential 1 housing.

This is a view of Clifton Waters development. There are 5 levels. The ground level is a car park. The foreground is graded Residential 1 and you can just start to see a ground level home being built.

This apartment highrise is, by any judgement, incongruous with the surrounding area.

This is another example of one seriously incompetent and dangerous Cairns City Council to allow this type of environmental destruction.

This photo is of Clifton Views, however what views the eventual residents see is questionable. This development is located on the other side of Clifton Road to Clifton Waters (both being built by Glencorp) with construction just commencing.

There are around 25 complexes with 246 units going in on this site. Council have given dispensations given on proximity to Deadman's creek, only 10m. The building takes up about 90% of the land site.

36 comments:

Anonymous said...

So what's wrong with some unit development at Clifton Beach?
Or, is Clifton Beach to be the reserve of only the rich and famous.
Why can't people who can only afford apartments live at the northern beaches?
Are they to be relegated to Manunda as the State Labour Government has decreed for Manunda.
You're far to pretentious Mr Moore.

Anonymous said...

click on Clifton Views and the ad says date of completion - completed. Oh really. Check out the photos - isn't this false advertising. Oh and the Clifton Waters ad gives you a location map, don't recognise any of the names.

Anonymous said...

What's wrong with the unit developements at Clifton beach??? are u insane? Can't you read? The entire discussion on here has provided reasons why these type of developements are trashy, and crap.

For the final time, and pay attention Mayor's Bum Boy "Factman"... they are NOT affordable.. they are the same, if not more expensive than low set houses.. I mean... 360-400K each!!! You call this "affordable housing"...?? So.. Clifton is for the rich and famous only.??

What a dick.. can't even hold a rationale discussion...

Anonymous said...

Mr Clifton ...
Would this thread be running if the units were at Machans, Holloways, Yorkeys Knob or even Trinity Beach?
Of course not.
So, you've gotta go past some Generation Y apartments on the way to your 800m2 allotment, a stones throw from the beach.
Big deal.
There is a couple of kilometres between them and "your part of town".
And anyway, you will soon be able to exit to the highway via Palm Cove or Kewarra.
I say to you, if these places were so bad, they wouldn't sell, and the developers would all be bust by now.
But they do sell ...

Anonymous said...

Oh!Factman one could almost feel sorry for you because you just don't get it. People matter Mr Factman and it's people that make local communities and local communities that make this once unique and beautiful city. If the powers to be at Council bothered to put their community engagement policy into practice and get out and about they might learn a few things about the people and communities they are supposed to represent and understand what it is that upsets and frustrates an ever growing number of ordinary decent folk. Instead our Council vilifies those who speak out or raise concerns branding them as "whingers" or "anti-developers" anxious to protect their own little patch from the incoming hordes. It's as pathetic as the "spin" that developers are altruistic. The almighty dollar is all that matters to the big developers in this town who walk off into the sunset laughing all the way to the bank leaving residents and their local community to live and deal with the consequences. It's not development per se that people object to but development that is neither sensitive nor compatible with the identity and character of the locality. Development aided and abetted by Council's failure to adhere to or enforce its own planning scheme, policies and laws. The evidence is all around you Mr Factman and it has nothing to do with progress

Anonymous said...

TO FatCatMan aka Byrne's Bum Boy SCofield...

You ask would this discussion be running if the units were at Machans, Holloways, Yorkeys Knob or Trinity Beach.... well yes it would u silly overpaid lackey. You are so much up the Mayor's arse on this issue you can't see what the residents want... or don't want...

Regarding your other wild assunption that there will be linking roads between Clifton, Palm Cove, Kewarra etc... there won't be if the locals have anything to do with it.

Again you show your head in the sand attitude that it is the locals that own and decide .. not some silly official secretary like you.

Anonymous said...

You hit the nail on the head Soodee. We also see the Cairns Plan not being adhered to at just about every Council Meeting. The Developer starts the discussion with Council some months before putting in a Development Application. There is always some tooing and froing and then the DA goes to Council for a Material Change of Use. A notice appears and the man on the street has the right to make a submission within 14 days. The MCU usually goes ahead without any discussion at the Council Meeting. The Developer then has the right to go back for Negotiated Decision if some of the conditions are not to his liking. In a lot of cases council roll over and the Developer gets what he wants. Only if you have made a submission do you the ratepayer get the opportunity to go to the Planning and Environment Court to have this overturned or modified.
At the last Council Meeting, Mr Hedley was given the green light to go ahead with a Material Change of Use for units behind Paradise Palms. In the Cairns Plan it is zoned Res 1 and Rural. One of the arguments used was "it was needed to sustain the viablility of the golf course" or words to that effect. Am I to assume that if Council did not give the Hedley consortium the MCU to build all these units, then the Golf Course would be chopped up for blocks of land? So maybe we go back a step. The Hedley Consortium buys up Paradise Palms land from the defunct Daikyo at a fire sale price. Their first step is to turn the front enterance into res 1 housing, in spite of the residents there believing that the land was their "open space". They then shave a bit off the golfcourse for unit development, and improvements to the clubhouse, again to make the whole proposition viable. And so it goes on, inch by inch, step by step. I have diffuculty believing that this was not the intention all along. Is the next step to reduce it to 9 holes to remain viable. Or do we have an assurance that the Golf Course will always remain as "sport & Recreation"

Anonymous said...

I think that Mr Factman misses the point the locals are trying to make. Which goes to prove that he really is one of KB's bum boys.
I, like most of the other commenters here are not anti developement or anti progress. For a town like Cairns to survive, we need to grow and develope. All we as residents of Cairns are asking for, is a bit of a say as to how the town grows and developes. These blocks of units that are being built around Cairns can only be described as ugly. then in 5 to 10 years time they will be slums. Factman mentions that they must be popular and what people want because people are buying them. Well ... with all the new residents moving to Cairns every day, they need somewhere to live, and, if this is all that is available, then they don't really have much choice do they. The units that get bought by investors, quite often dont get seen by the investor before they pay for it. Quite often it is purchased off a glossy brochure sent to them by a real estate agent. If there was an alternative to these monoliths, you would probably find that the alternative would see first.

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't the State Govt get off its fat arse and provide some low cost rental accommodation then?
Why is it left up to developers and investors to house those that spend their money on smokes, booze and the TAB?
And why oh why, did the State Govt lock up all the land at East Trinity.
Now Cairns is stuck with extended ribbon development, stretching services and inhibiting more open space development.
Yes, it's all the Labour State Govt's fault.
Leave Kevin Byrne alone.
When he speaks up he gets slapped down.
On another matter I see Dennis Quick has announced his retirement.
I wish you well Dennis, you were a man who really cared for Cairns, and a pleasure to work with.
Take care.

Anonymous said...

How sad it is that people like FACTMAN is happy that Generation Yers can only afford to buy a pokey mousehole of a concrete box rammed up against hundreds of others, for their homes. FACTMAN doesnt seem to give a damn, that Generation Yers will have to work all their lives to pay off these abominable concrete boxes. There wont be any stay at home partners in Generation Y either. Both members of a couple will have to work all their lives to keep the Cairns multi-millionaires rich.
We need to tighten up the capital gains tax for a start.

Anonymous said...

Ah Factman, these altruistic developers who bought up the land, particularly all the Caravan Parks which used to permently house a lot of the low income people in Cairns are such martyrs. Mr Hedley is already up in the Tablelands acquiring large blocks of land at cheap prices to build more accomodation, I guess, for these needy people. A lot of people were out bid at the land auction, the "you and me's" who could not compete with the Hedley juggernaut. You take a look at any of the land that is released around Cairns, developers buy up the blocks and build their houses on them and then market the land and house package. How does the ordinary person get a chance to get a look in.

Anonymous said...

Well .. Factman has just told us who's office he is working for, and why he is all for everything that the current council is going for.
What he doesnt seem to understand is that, as a council, and Mayor, you are supposed to represent the rate payers of Cairns. Not threaten them with legal action if they choose to publicly dissagree with them. Go to the rate payers and consult with them on issues such as houseing, clearing of land, filling creeks and waterways etc. As I have said in the past, and a lot of other commentors have also mentioned, we are not against progress and developement, we are just against the way that it is happening. As rate payers, we are you boss, and the Mayors boss. While growing up, I was always taught to show respect for the person who writes your pay cheque. Obviously my parents had different values than yours. If Mr Byrne would get off his high horse and listen to the people of Cairns, he would probably find that he would have a lot more support in everything he does. But, as he thinks that he is above everyone else and his opinion is all that matters, of course he will have opposition.
As for the comment about those who spend all their money on smokes, booze and the TAB, well... I work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and take one weekend off once a month. I dont drink or gamble, enjoy having a ciggie when I wake up in the morning, and pay $16000 a year toward your wages. I would not qualify for government housing. Even people who are on a pension, ligitimatly, do not qualify for qovernment housing.
I agree the state government needs to build more housing. Lots more housing. In Cairns alone they could use at least another 100 homes and flats. But, that is another debate. The state election isnt in March next year, the local one is. Maybe after the council election is over, Mike Moore may be interested in continuing his blog to start on the state government as he has done to Kev and yourself.

Anonymous said...

If you people really want to do SOMETHING, take real ACTION, you've got to hit these developer weasels in the pocketbook!

Mr. Udo Jattke has an Achilles heel, his "wild animal park" in Kuranda.

http://www.cairnswildlifesafarireserve.com.au/

It's time to start organising a boycott of this brutal business, where non-native animals are clearly being abused by their confinement here.

Many Cairns Blog readers are tourism workers - it's just easy to pass the word about the immoral owners of the CAIRNS WILDLIFE SAFARI, and the Jattke family.

Hell, the animals at the wildlife park are getting better lodgings than the fools who will be living in the Clifton Beach Ghettos, by Glenwood.

Anonymous said...

l see factman mentions dennis quick is leaving CCC to become a private consultant engineer
l wonder who he will be consulting for???
Cairns city council maybe??
good way to increase your pay packet

Anonymous said...

Anonymous says ... l wonder who he will be consulting for???
Please explain ...

Anonymous said...

Paul - Edmoanton, "Go to the rate payers and consult with them on issues such as housing, clearing of land, filling creeks and waterways etc." says Paul from Edmonton.

Paul ... Council does and consults often.
And generally the results are:
50% say yes, and 50% say no.
That's where it gets hard.
What to do? Leadership is needed.
Ex. Army Majors and experienced ex. Mayors can provide that leadership.
There are many hard decisions to be made and these decisions need to be made quickly, and with sound judgement.
If not Cairns will suffer.
Be very careful how you vote next Cairns Regional Council election.

Anonymous said...

Well then factman .. if this is the case .. why is it that everything goes the way of the developer. Not the other way around.
I agree with you. On issues where the community is split 50/50, then we nee sound judgement. But like I said, if this is the case, why is it the way of the developer??????? ...
But, you didnt comment on the legal action comment. You seem to choose your comments. You cant tell me, or anyone else, that when it comes to leadership, the ugly box buildings with hundreds of units crammed into a small block of land is the best for the community. Or the natural water way that is replace with a concrete pipe is the best for the community. Or the hill side that gets de-treed is the best for the community.
You commented about the State Labor government tying up the land at East Trinity. My question to you is, "What is it that keeps the tourist coming to Cairns??"
Look at all the glossy brochures that fill this town up. They all depict bushland, rainforrest, frogs, birds, kangaroos. You take that away, and you only have another Gold Coast.
Like I have said factman, you will find most of us arent against developement and progress. Just the way this council goes about it. If this council was more open to the public instead of bullying it the way it does, you would probably find that you would have the support of the community. Until that changes, you will find you are running our of friends. As for next years council elections, I havent found much that I would want to vote for yet. There is one person that I am interested in meeting, and no it isnt Kev .. I have met him and didnt like him. After meeting this person, I will then be able to make a choice. But, at this stage, it doesnt look good for Cairns unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

So the Factman said...
“Ex. Army Majors and experienced ex. Mayors can provide that leadership.
There are many hard decisions to be made and these decisions need to be made quickly, and with sound judgement.
If not Cairns will suffer”

What a load of Bunkum! What this city does NOT need is any kind of serviceman of high rank who thinks we are all his subordinates, who must obey his every command. KB is not in the army now and we, the residents of Cairns are not enlisted either.

Most leaders are not ex-serviceman. They would be in the minority throughout the land and world and no doubt would all suffer the same arrogance and insufferability as the one we currently have.

Anonymous said...

Factman
you go on about east trinity and the blame game of state gov.
would byrne & entsch build affordable on their land at east trinity?
And what about you, have you got land there?
You seem to have sour grapes about it.
What's Babinda going to do for a mayor with quick resigning?

Anonymous said...

Ex Servicemen as leaders??? ... Let me see. The countries that come to mind that have and had ex servicemen as leaders usually ended up being dictatorships. Yeah. That is what we need. More of what we have had. Just as well Little Johny introduced the gun laws. Immagine what Cairns would be like with KB and GS toting semi automatic assault rifles. At least then, they wouldnt have to get the council solicitors to send out threatening letters to people who dissagree with them.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Byrne might consider getting a new spin doctor.

IMHO, Factman is becoming a liability:

Ex. Army Majors and experienced ex. Mayors can provide that leadership.

There are many hard decisions to be made and these decisions need to be made quickly, and with sound judgement....

Be very careful how you vote....


The popular appeal of martial law is wearing thin. It's a global trend, I think.

I doubt Cairns is exempt.

What's more, we still count votes by hand in Queensland Local Elections and don't use bodgy electronic voting (when I lasted checked!)

But there is a plus side if the Mayor is unfortunate enough to lose in March.

An "experienced ex-Mayor", who can make decisions lightning quick, might be just the man in Afghanistan or Gaza, where he could expect a warm reception from the locals :-)

Perhaps he could take 'Factman' with him?

Anonymous said...

Well what a little hornet’s nest we have here, slums being defended by Gary the slime ball and lots of shit slinging! For those of us who are in the unfortunate position of having the spineless Bonneau as our councillor, there’s some good news. He’s finally decided he’s going to run for division 9 and not 10. (Cairns Post Saturday) Thank goodness but why he doesn’t just piss-off altogether we don’t know. As for the current division 9 councillor?? Who are they??? Oh that’s right they’re the ones who allowed Hedley to destroy the hillside behind Paradise Palms aren’t they!! Quick gone Bonneau moving, are the rats leaving the sinking ship?

Oh, on another note, it seems as though KB is starting to believe his own press but you know that Gary, you write it for him!!
As the best
Enough Rope.

Anonymous said...

OH ... Factman .... If you think that ex army majors would be good as the next mayor, I have just thought of the best candidate for you. Maybe Mike Moore might be able to get his contact details for you so you can contact him and have him in Byrnes' team. Good old Bruce Ruxton. Maybe KB could also trawl around the RSL on a saturday night and enlist a few old boys from there too. It could be like "Dads Army" from the BBC. Get back to me on this one Factman. I might even support them as a council if you can get it together before march.

Anonymous said...

Here's hoping Bonneau does the right thing and moves into his new district. We don't need or want his kind in Clifton Beach - and then maybe someone will buy the shitbox he lives in and clean it up.

Anonymous said...

Flying foxes - more victims of the high rise mentality?? I was in the city the other night and heard the screech of hundreds of flying foxes in the trees around the Cairns City Library and across the road.
The Cairns Central Swamp was once the day roost of a large colony of these ecologically important creatures. At evening, our skies would be almost black as a large cloud of them flew back to their night roost near Mt. Sheridan.
Today of course, only the thinnest trickle of flying foxes return from the fast disappearing Cairns Central Swamp.
It appears some of them have fled to the inner city as a response to high rise construction near the central swamp. What's the bet that Big Kev and his Council will soon start exterminating them?

Anonymous said...

I had a look at the Clifton Waters advertisement. $2,591.00 for monthly repayments??? Sheeeeesh, just what working people can afford that hey??? Hey FACTMAN???
Get off your lies. This development will be sold to Japanese, Chinese or Malaysian investors.

Anonymous said...

"$2,591.00 for monthly repayments???"
Yep ... that's about what a mine worker or a private sub-contractor gets a week.
Mum takes a couple of years off work to look after their baby while dad is away, FIFO.
These apartments are filling a void in the market.
And what's a more pleasant suburb to live in than Clifton Beach?
But hey, this is Cairns, don't create some exclusivity just to Clifton Beach.
The rest of us other suburbs with large apartment blocks will say ... get used to it.

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr Factman, if you are indeed who most people believe you to be, then as Manager of Community Relations you have done a most magnificent job in epitomizing the leadership qualities of our present Council. There could be no better confirmation of why this Council no longer deserves the support of the Cairns community. Not because Council makes mistakes, we all make mistakes and not because of incompetency but because of the utter contempt it holds for the people it serves.

Anonymous said...

Hey Factman,

Our Mayor is not an ex-Major, he is a Major (Rtd). He is entitled to use the rank, well earned and honourably served, if he so wishes. The FACT is that the Queens Commission is conferred for life, and can only be revoked by order of the Sovereign.

As to him being an ex-Mayor, now Mayor.... that title is conferred by the People, and can be revoked by the People. Whether he is deserving of retaining that title will be decided on the Ides of March

Anonymous said...

Factmans comments above are further proof of the small box that he and the mayor and other Unity team members live in. What a knob though? In another comment he defends these high-density apartment saying they are affordable for all, now is caught out with what they actually cost, and is proud that high-income mine workers can afford them. Factman, keep up your comments you tool. You are doing more damage to your mate Byrnesy's reputation than money can buy. Ha ha.

Anonymous said...

Factman I think you need to re-read the Cairns Plan, particularly the secton on Description and Intent for the Cairns Beaches District and the paragraph that says "Clifton Beach is intended to remain primarily as an area for conventional residential living. Several areas in the central part of the suburb are identified for tourist accommodation and medium density residential living, consistent with the established pattern of uses and planning intent."
Intent is probably the operative word here as well. I was one who made a lot of assumptions. I read into the "intent" that the tourist and Medium Density would be the likes of Agincourt. I also thought it might mean having Cabins built in the two Caravan Parks. I also at that time believed that our Councillor truly was one of the people. Oh how wrong can one be and I know "to assume makes an ass out of you and me." But there you are, I am a simple soul with no hidden agenda's. Had I known that Mr Hedley and another Developer were going to change the "intent" and buy up the Caravan Parks to turn into ghetto's then I probably would've been a lot more proactive than I was.

Anonymous said...

Factman ... $641 per week for an appartment. If you think this is affordable, maybe you should get a job with the rest of us for a while. Although the recorded average wage is what you say a miner earns per week, not many people actually earn that amount of money. I know a few miners, and they dont even earn that sort of money. I think that Kev and his bum boy factman need to walk into Coles, Woolies, and a few of the shops in the centre of town, and just ask a few of the workers how much money they actually earn. They will probabely tell you they are earning the real average wage of only $400 to $500 a week. Which wouldnt even cover the mortgage payment, let alone the rates, insurance, body corporate fees, electricity, food and the rest of the living expences. This just goes to show that the people who have the control of Cairns really do live in their own little world and should be told to move on.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the new Regional Council should look at introducing a defined urban foot print to the Cairns Plan. The Douglas Shire has one. Before anyone (especially factman) starts ranting and raving at me, I would like to acknowledge that The Douglas Plan is not perfect. Port Douglas has been over supplied with appalling new developments too (Coconut Grove for example), and still we have a shortage of affordable housing. Most of these new developments are purchased as investment properties, they are most certainly not affordable to the average hospitality worker here. Affordable housing is a nation wide problem and needs to be addressed with consideration given to many factors, including the "drivers" of the construction industry.

Anonymous said...

Lets get a few things right:
1) Clifton Viwes and Clifton Waters are an eye-sore; Typical of recent developments in Cairns Beaches- they look cheap; they have no views of the beach and are crammed together so closely- you will be able to hear your neighbour very easily- its like Hong Kong.
2) The Developers, do not have a good reputation in looking after their clients in after sales service- do yourselves a favour and find another investment area

Sick of wingers said...

It really sounds like the majority of you would rather have community housing right next door, be thankfull that it won't be that that you have to look at every day.

Alot of people are working on that site and it is only going to put the value up on your own property not bring it down, I have seen the houses surrounding the site in question and they are nothing special.

Why buy property next to a vacant lot in the first place surely your not all too slow to see that Cairns is getting bigger and that its only a matter of time before it gets developed on??

As for all the greenies, would you rather the land be cleared for a few houses or for apartments to house more people?????

Get over it and find something with good reason to winge about!!!!!!!

KitchenSlut said...

I'm sick of wingers too!

Prop forwards? Half backs? Fine by me! But Wingers?

No way! Avoid buying any property next to a Winger you will only lose!