A court has set aside Gold Coast council approval for a 14-storey apartment tower in Kirra, after neighbours appealed. Judge Nicole Kefford found the design added to the appearance of bulk and was overbearing on neighbouring properties. She also said the 317 bedrooms proposed for the site were far above the density set under the city's planning rules. The developer's original nine-storey approval for the site remains in place.
Plans for a six-storey apartment block on Mercer Road in Armadale have drawn strong objections from nearby residents. Under Labor's new deemed-to-comply planning rules, which took effect in April, developments that meet set standards can be approved without objections or appeals. Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny says the existing system failed to deliver enough homes, while Stonnington Mayor Melina Sehr says councils have lost meaningful influence. The Coalition, led by Jess Wilson, has pledged to scrap the activity centres policy and return appeal rights to residents before the state election.
A woman and a child have been found dead outside a 30-storey apartment tower in Box Hill, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Police found the woman's body on the footpath on Prospect Street at about 6.20pm on Thursday, with the child unresponsive nearby. Both could not be revived and died at the scene. Detectives are investigating the circumstances, and the area has been cordoned off. Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. It is unclear whether the pair lived in the complex.
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Wollongong City Council has strongly objected to plans for five residential and retail buildings on the former North Wollongong Bunnings site, saying the height and density are excessive. Of 70 submissions received during a three-week public exhibition, 65 were objections. The proposal includes buildings up to 36 storeys and 1260 apartments, 190 of them affordable. Residents and the action group Wrong for the Gong raised concerns about overshadowing, traffic, flooding and strain on local infrastructure. The developer has until 7 December to respond before the state planning department makes recommendations to the Planning Minister.
