Last minute sneaky-ness

Just a few hours before today's Planning and Environment meeting is to sit, a late minute decision has been dumped on Councillors to make, with little or no time to consult their respective constituents.

Council planners have given them the recommendation to allow for increased height at the proposed Smithfileld Town Centre.

"It is noted that the proposed amendments do not reflect the Far North Queensland 2031 Regional Plan," the report says. However Council's planners are yet again going against the will of the community and are recommending approval.

"It is recommended that Council endorse the changes made the Town Centres Amendment 2009 No.1 for the Smithfield Town Centre to enable the State agency review to commence."

You can download and read the late addition to today's meeting.

It should be pointed out that buildings will end up exceeding 12 metres, just like Clifton Waters apartment building, seen clearly from the Captain Cook Highway. This is because the CairnsPlan definition of 'storey'.

• 5.4 Administrative Definitions
  
  Storey
  The space within a building which is situated between one floor level and the floor
  level next above, or if there is no floor level above, the ceiling or roof above. A level
  used partly or solely for parking is included as a storey, other than basement or
  semi-basement parking which is excluded
  
  9.2 Acceptable Measures [and acceptable is the operative word] designates 12 metres or ( 4 storeys) and as we know and Council and developers know only too well, basements and semi-basements are excluded from the definition of storey.