Whilst we are organising a Petition and we would like you to sign it, individual letters and submissions carry more weight in the process of objecting to a Developer's plans.

Such letters and submissions will not be received by Council until after the Development Application has been lodged. Strictly speaking, emotional issues will not carry any weight. The more that your submission can be related back to the Cairns Plan and Planning issues the better.

When Council receives an individual submission from you, you will then have the advantage of automatically receiving all updates from Council as things happen.

You can write your own submission from scratch or you can use the Council submission form which is available to assist in lodging your submission when the time comes. You can download and use the PDF version of the Council's submission form here:- Submission Against or For a Development Proposal.pdf

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS MAY HELP YOU COMPLETE AN INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION.

SOCIAL ASPECTS:

• What are the reasons you chose to buy or rent a property in a Paradise Palms precinct?
• Did you buy/rent your property on the understanding that the Resort and Golf Course at Paradise Palms was a major asset for Cairns Plan and FNQ Tourism and that it would be protected as the asset it is?  
• Do you believe that a change in land use and the development proposed will reduce the value of your property?
• How do you feel about the type of development being proposed in your back yard- 450 houses, a ‘high-end tourist resort similar to Coconut Tourist resort?
• Is security a factor that is important to you?
• Do you value the current resources available within the resort and golf course?
• If the development goes ahead would you expect compensation for the loss of value of your property and a buffer zone to separate your property from the houses and tourist resort?
• Do you think the Government would build a new school on the site Darren Halpin is allocating for that purpose?
• Do you think a Private School would be built?

COMMERCIAL ASPECTS 

• With all the current residential developments in the Northern Beaches do you foresee that the golf course development could stall the whole area become neglected and overgrown? 
• Do you believe that the resort and golf course could be managed successfully as a going concern as it was in the past if the management was changed?
• Do you think poor management is no justification for considering a change of land use?
• Do you think that a magnificent asset that was developed at great cost in the 1980’s and cannot be replaced should be lost to the local community, Australian and World?
• Do you think Paradise Palms is a major tourism attraction for Cairns?

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS

• Do you value the diversity of trees, plants and green space provided by having a green space property of this size in the area?
• Do you notice the loss of green space in the Northern Beaches since you moved into the area?
• What impact will a proposed school, 450 houses, a tourist park and thousands of visitors a year have on road usage and availability of utilities?
• Where will the wild life go now?
• How will the creeks cope with the changes to an urban environment? 
• Will there be more flooding?

Most property owners in the area were influenced in their choice of location by the existence of a world class leisure facility and green space

The Developer owner has categorically stated that the Course will shut in April this year. Once shut and maintenance is stopped, within a couple of months it will start to look like the old 7th Hole does now, completely overgrown and neglected. 

He has also said that he will apply for a Development Approval to build a mix of residential and semi-commercial properties on the site.

The entire population of local property owners really needs to act now! Join the Association, sign a Petition, write your own letter, make sure that everyone knows and understands the consequences. If you don’t act, there’s not much use complaining after the worst happens.

We encourage you to join the ranks of our Members.

A Membership Application Form and the Petition are on this web site.

Contact us by email at: 

info@saveparadisepalms.com.au 

with any questions or suggestions.

• Disappointing and amateurish. The event was simply a collection of display boards mounted on easels (no model or anything meaningful)
• The content of the display boards was all hyperbole. It felt like it was written by an advertising agency doing a sales job, certainly not by anyone used to dealing in facts 
• Each board contained its own version of "feel good" statements but was lacking in any hard information
• There were lots of "soft" statements like " we envisage it could look like this" 
• Halpin says that he is community minded and looking to improve our region. Not sure how having a new house sitting on your back fence improves things for those unfortunate people affected.
• He say that his plans are inspired by the look and feel of Edge Hill. It should be self-evident that if that was what we wanted we would not have purchased property at the Northern Beaches
• Speaking of Edge Hill, we wonder how the Edge Hill community would feel if plans suddenly emerged to convert the Flecker Botanical Gardens and Centenary Lakes precinct into 450 houses on their doorstep? Probably much the same as us.

This whole proposal is a disaster in the making and must be frustrated at every turn. One look at the proposed Master Plan should convince anyone that this is simply a high risk money grab and the local communities will pay the price.

Please continue your support of the Save Paradise Palms Association. Become a member, make a donation to the Fighting Fund, sign the Petition. We need every one of you.

Holding Redlich, the Association's Town Planning Lawyers, prepared an extremely detailed submission to Council, requesting that Council give consideration to exercising their power to make a Temporary Local Planning Instrument, which would have implications now for ongoing Course maintenance and later for any Development Application which is lodged.

If you would like to know the full detail of our request and Council's Report in response please see the document links below.

2019.02.22 - TLPI Submission to CRC.PDF

Council Planning Officer's Report on TLPI request.pdf

The number of people adding their support through our Save Paradise Palms Petition to Cairns Regional Council is growing every day.

There are now in excess of 4,000 signatories who are supporting the Association's actions to stop this completely unsuitable development.

A big thank you to all of them and the volunteers who have taken an active role in making it happen.

Below is a reminder of what it was like

Below is the cart path on the old 7th Hole now

Below is the view of the old 7th Hole from the road. He should be ashamed and the big worry is that the rest of the course could end up looking like this

"The fauna diversity in the area, as listed in Appendices C to E, is particularly rich. For example, 159 bird species are known from the vicinity of Paradise Palms, which accounts for about one fifth of all bird species known from Australia. This high diversity is due to a combination of factors.  

Firstly, the location is within the Wet Tropics Bioregion, an area renowned for high biodiversity.

Secondly, the area has a good range of habitats in a relatively small area including: open forest, rainforest; vineforest; open grasslands; wetlands and urban areas.

Lastly, the forested areas of the golf course retain excellent connectivity between the coastal range and tableland to the west, and the coast to
the east. This allows many species to use the area as a migratory route or seasonal refuge"
 

This is exactly the process that we have requested the Cairns Regional Council to follow and now we have a very recent precedent to give them some comfort and for them to consider in their deliberations.

A link to a copy of the page from the Queensland Governement Gazette on 27th March 2019 is below:

BCC TLPI in Govt Gazette_000015.pdf

The attempt to sell "Buffer Zones" to properties that front the Golf Course is yet another impractical thought bubble that defies reality.

This magnificent site has unfortunately fallen into the hands of an absolute novice when it comes to the harsh realities of development.

With no experience behind him it is little wonder that he keeps coming up with such impractical ideas. The only problem is that it will be the Community at large who pay the price for his mistakes.

 "As it stands now this whole development could be approved by an unelected bureaucrat, and Non-conflicted democratically elected councillors will be denied the opportunity to debate and vote on the matter. This to me, is a highly questionable way to deal with an issue of such significance "

Dear Mayor and all Cairns Councillors

On the 6th March the organisation submitted a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) request to Cairns Regional Council, and now we are seeking that Council call a complete moratorium on the site.

 As an organisation we have grave concerns regarding the imminent destruction of Paradise Palms Golf Course and it appears the present Council are taking very little interest in the fate of Paradise Palms. We feel the Council cannot sit back whilst the destruction of the only International Golf Course north of the Gold Coast takes place.

Cairns Regional Council should issue an immediate Cease and Desist Order on Paradise Palms North Queensland (PPNQ), the present owners of Paradise Palms, until a judgement can be made on the TLPI, to ensure all legal, environmental and planning issues are examined prior to works being undertaken on the site. This should include the prevention of any ground works, or other changes to the course other than normal maintenance.

PPNQ is already responsible for the destruction of adjoining land which was once a premium fairway and is now a wasteland, (photos and information on www.saveparadisepalms.com.au ). Yet in September 2015 PPNQ announced they would restore the site to its former glory.

The present Council may well be presiding over the worst environmental and commercial act of vandalism possibly performed by any developer since the amalgamation of Cairns Regional Council in 1995. Paradise Palms, all 113 hectares, is zoned as Sports and Recreation and must remain as such for the future generations of Cairns and the FNQ. Once it is gone it will be gone forever.

We implore you and the Cairns Regional Council to take immediate action by issuing a Cease and Desist Order.

Yours sincerely

Tracey Case

Secretary and Vice Chair of PPRA Inc

info@saveparadisepalms.com.au

0432266076

OPEN LETTER: cc all Media outlets

Ethical investing:

“A system of financial management or investment that seeks qualitative outcomes other than purely the management of returns. Outcomes sought may reflect ideas from faith, social, environmental and governance theories.”

In business, as in life, the real power always, without exception, lies with the person holding the purse strings.

Mr Halpin himself informed the Golf Club Members at a meeting that he had one principal Funder for his acquisition of the Golf Course and that person is Ken Chapman. Mr Halpin has identified himself as being a comparatively minor investor/shareholder.

Mr Chapman has enormous credibility in our area through his ownership of Skyrail. He is recognised for his achievements in the Tourism business nationally and internationally. It would be good to hear from Mr Chapman, as the holder of the ultimate power in this situation, what is his rationale for condoning a development which will result in the complete destruction of the existing Sport and Recreation Zoning and destroy this outstanding Community Asset, using money provided by him as principal Funder?

It is simply not good enough for him to throw his hands up and say he is just the Banker and has no role to play. Even if that were true, he must have an opinion, either for or against what Darren Halpin is proposing and the Community would like to hear that opinion

It is hard to believe that as the custodian of one of the regions’s most significant tourist assets, Mr Chapman seems prepared to be a part of the destruction of Paradise Palms.

As the principal Funder it seems likely that Mr Chapman has some form of mortgage security over the property and would be very unlikely to emerge as a loser, even if the whole pipe dream collapses. 

Having said that, the imminent closure of the Golf Course means the forfeiture of the 1500 Unit Development Approval, as that Approval is dependent on there being a functioning Golf Course. So the loss of this Approval, with no different Approvals to take its place in the medium term would dramatically reduce the value of the Mortgage Security.

The decision to close Paradise Palms Golf Course at the end of March would only make sense if somehow the Council, maybe in a pre-lodgement discussion, has already given a positive indication that a Residential and Commercial development would be approved at the expense of the rest of the Community. 

Are we missing something here or are the Funder, Ken Chapman and the “L” plate Developer, Darren Halpin prepared to take a such a massive risk and destroy an irreplaceable Community Asset on the basis that he may get the approval he seeks? From the Developer's statements to date it appears so. 

Independent Councillors Richie Bates and Brett Olds, acting with cooperation from fellow Independents Linda Cooper and Cathy Zeiger today gave the Unity Team Councillors a good opportunity to extricate themselves from the undemocratic mess that they have created.

 "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging" is not something that the Unity Team seem capable of recognising. Retaining absolute control of all processes within Council seems to be their only goal.

They put forward self-serving arguments that five other Qld Councils are doing the same thing, it's too complicated to change, it's probably only for 3 months and the CEO will almost always act in accord with the Council Officer's recommendations, so it will all be OK.

Well it is far from OK. All of the voters in the Independent Councillor's electorates have been disenfranchised by this decision.

Some key decisions that may come up and that the Independent Councillors may have strong views on will not be put to the vote of elected Representatives but rather to unelected Council Officers (Employees). One day of not having a democratic process through elected representatives is one day too much! Three months is simply not able to be justified, whichever way you look at it.

Unity Team, you need to start seeing this in the same way that the disenfranchised voters do and acknowledge that there is an acceptable path open to you if you could only see it.

September 12, 2015 

PARADISE Palms Resort and Country Club is to be restored to its former glory as part of a $550 million redevelopment of the 113ha site at Kewarra Beach.

Cairns businessman Darren Halpin and a group of southern investors are the new owners of the property regarded as one of the best golf courses in Australia.

It is believed they paid just $20 million for the property, which includes a three-level clubhouse, a resort and the 18-hole championship course as well as parcels of development land.

Mr Halpin told The Weekend Post its replacement cost was $120 million.

“This will be the biggest thing happening in Cairns in the next couple of years,” he said.

Paradise Palms was the jewel in Japanese corporate giant Daikyo’s crown in the tropical north in its 1990s heyday.

Now Mr Halpin and his silent Brisbane and Sydney shareholder partners plan to turn the venue into a place for locals and tourists “to be proud of”.

It had been in the hands of receivers for two years after the collapse of its former owners H&S Vision.

Mr Halpin said he would become a hands-on managing director splitting his time between Kewarra Beach and his Cairns CBD accountancy firm.

The search is on for a general manager and a food and beverage manager. The 80 current staff will be retained. with Mr Halpin describing them as “hard-working, loyal and enthusiastic”.

“The aim is to re-establish Paradise Palms as a Cairns icon and build about 800 units on surplus land,” he said.

“We are very excited about the future of Paradise Palms and what we believe we can achieve here.

“This is an under-utilised resource.

“Everyone is welcome. Just come and give us a go.”

Work already has started on upgrading the venue, with plans to spend $5 million on the clubhouse, carparks and course.

“We are starting to fix it up so it looks like someone owns it and cares about it,” Mr Halpin said.

The first phase of development is Orchid North with 585 units on the course’s driving range, estimated at $330 million, followed by Kingscliff, with 267 units on the seventh hole, worth about $150 million.

A third possibility is The Dunes.

The course will be reconfigured to take into account the loss of the driving range and the creation of a new seventh hole.

Work on Orchid North will start soon with road and earthworks, and construction of the first stage after next year’s wet season in March next year at the earliest.

Mr Halpin said it would depend upon the level of pre-sales to mainly Asian investors.

He said Evergreen Real Estate, which had almost sold the first stage of 74 units for the Golden Lakes project next to the Paradise Palms site, would be marketing the units, starting from about $370,000 (one-bedroom), $550,000 (two-bedroom) and $700,000 (three-bedroom).

He said the majority of the 940 golf club members were backing the new owners and the plans.

“We are ranked 48th in Australia and I would like to get in the top 20-25. We are also in the top 20 for stay and play,” Mr Halpin said.

“I would like to unlock the hidden gem that is here.

“I want to give the club its heart back and make it a red hot cracker.”

Mr Halpin said the bar, restaurant and resort would be markets to locals.

H&S Vision was placed in receivership in August 2013 with receivers McGrathNicol calling for expressions of interest for the site as well as other assets to recover a $52 million debt owed to the ANZ Bank.

The Halpin takeover took more than 12 months to finalise. It was sold by Colliers International Cairns.

Elected councillors may get no say in project
CHRIS CALCINO
chris.calcino@news.com.au

THE fate of one of the most controversial developments to hit Cairns in decades could wind up
being decided by an unelected bureaucrat due to donations made to Cairns regional councillors.
Paradise Palms owner Darren Halpin helped fundraise for Mayor Bob Manning’s Unity Team in
2016 and the golf course company he heads also donated gifts in kind worth $1898.

Save Paradise Palms Association committee member Clive Abbott has slammed the Unity Team’s
moves at last week’s council meeting to clip the wings of their non-aligned counterparts.
“There is the possibility that (Mr Halpin’s) application could be accepted by the council planning
officers, then passed by the CEO, without a single elected person having any say in it at all,” he
said.

The Kewarra Beach facility will close next month to make way for a residential estate, the design
of which has not yet been lodged with the council for assessment.

Unity Team councillors made a power play last week that means any matters with which they
have a conflict of interest will be delegated to council CEO John Andrejic rather than a
subcommittee comprising a majority of nonconflicted councillors.

It means independents Cathy Zeiger, Linda Cooper and Brett Olds will be unable to vote on the
matter despite having no skin in the game.

It would be a simple tick and flick in line with the recommendation made by a council officer,
whichever way it goes.

A council spokeswoman said a development application was not expected until mid to late-2019.
“Given the complexities of the proposal, it is unlikely to be decided until late 2019 or early the
following year,” she said. “Indications from the minister responsible for local government and the
LGAQ is that legislation would be rectified well in advance of the expected application date,” she
said. “Council has already resolved to revisit the delegation process in three months.”

editorial@cairnspost.com.au
facebook.com/TheCairnsPostwww.cairnspost.com.autwitter.com/TheCairnsPost

The site of the failed prestigious Golden Lakes Resort on Moore Road  in the Golf Course precinct as it stood on 23/01/2019. (The burnt out car was pushed into "Golden Lakes" the next day by persons unknown, so its contaminants are now in the water course.)

10 February - Another car wreck dumped on the Golden Lakes site. This the fate that awaits failed developments.

Click here https://youtu.be/dCb0t9a6bYY to view the original promotional video for Golden Lakes

What was once the Practice and Driving Range until part way through last year shows just how quickly deterioration sets in

The original 7th Hole before it was totally demolished

The original 7th Hole as it is today. Completely destroyed!

This developer does not have a demonstrated track record of successful real estate developments.

Should someone without a substantial development CV be entrusted to play around with such an important Community asset?

You only need to drive up Moore Road behind the golf course to see what has happened to three development projects within the original Paradise Palms precinct that have run into problems.

Golden Lakes and the neighbouring residential subdivision sit there as an eyesore, overgrown and neglected. The photo shows the site of the supposedly prestigious Golden Lakes Resort as it stands today. The former 7th Hole, the signature hole for the whole Course was demolished in preparation for a Unit development which has not happened.

The same thing could happen to the entire Golf Course site! In fact, the photo of what was once the Practice and Driving Range until part way through last year shows how quickly deterioration sets in. Also, once earthworks start on site there is no going back if or when financial constraints arise and work has to stop.

Paradise Palms is an important rain water absorption area and its creeks already carry vast volumes of runoff. How much more run off will there be if the site is covered in roof tops and roads rather than 113 hectares of grass and trees?

The existing creeks already overflow their banks, as can be seen from the "high tide" debris on the fairway in this photo and the one below.

Where will the additional run off go? What will happen to the creeks and properties downstream from Paradise Palms when the run off increases? Will there be unexpected consequences?

When you bought your property did you expect to be near more rooftops and suburbia or the green space of the Golf Course?

The drop in value of your property is the price you will pay for this Developer's mistakes.

Is it OK with you that a Developer who has made mistakes be allowed to indirectly seek substantial financial assistance from the rest of the local population by way of a rezoning in order to recover from those mistakes?

We are facing the total destruction of one of the region's greatest assets and all the small property owners in the surrounding suburbs will see their asset values drop. 

Paradise Palms is a major community asset.

Most of the property owners in the region made the decision to purchase based on the proximity of such a high standard facility, never thinking that it would come to this.

Some Valuers are indicating that local property values will see a substantial long term decrease if the Golf Course is rezoned.

Below is a letter contributed by a Registered Valuer:

"I have been a Registered Valuer in the Cairns region since 1984. During this time I have worked continually in the Real Estate industry as a Valuer and a Real Estate Agent.

What impact will the proposed development at Paradise Palms have a on both single residential dwellings and investment units on the golf course precinct? It will have greater impact on those properties that immediately front the golf course with current sales evidence today indicating a fall of between 10- 20%.

Unit investment developments such as The Greens will also feel an impact as the dual key development was built on the basis of achieving occupancy through the attraction of a golf destination. People from overseas and interstate could have a golf holiday in tropical North Queensland, including playing at other Courses in the Cairns Region and Port Douglas

Robert McPhail

Australian Institute of Valuers, Registration No: 6193

Valuer’s Registration Board QLD: Registration No: 1568"

(Photo above) Formerly the signature hole for the entire Course, the 7th Hole now stands as testament to what happens when planned developments stall! The entire Golf Course could end up a wasteland like this unless the whole Community joins to voice concern

(Photo below) The iconic 7th Hole as it used to be. What a disaster that this could be allowed to happen!

There is major community concern about the loss of this outstanding amenity. There have been a number of public meetings held. A properly registered not for profit Association has been established and a Committee has been elected. It is known as Paradise Palms Resident’s Association Inc, trading as Save Paradise Palms.

A membership structure has been put in place and people are joining. Provision has been made for donations/Subscriptions to be received and a substantial fighting Fund has been raised already. Most of the 10 Body Corporates in the precinct have made substantial cash contributions.

Our approach to the problem is threefold:

1. Find a buyer who would continue to operate the golf course and return it to profitability
2. Employ Town Planning Consultants and specialist Town Planning Lawyers to fight any Material Change of Use or Development Application that may be lodged
3. Persuade Cairns Regional Council in conjunction with the State Government that there is a strong case for them to acquire the property as a Community asset. Precedent has been set for acquiring freehold property in order to stop development whilst preserving green space and Community amenity. Notable sites acquired include East Trinity, Earl Hill and Whitfield Hill

Really? Or is this just a thought bubble, of no practical use?

Not many golf course frontage owners have a spare $64,000 to throw his way even if they wanted to. He can’t expect to be taken seriously so the offer can only be part of his overall PR strategy.

He has been “market testing” this offer for a while, with one property owner at The Woods allegedly offered 10sqm  for $50,000, then later offered 20sqm for $60,000. Today he is offering everyone 200sqm for $64,000. A licensed Property Valuer is of the opinion that as this 200sqm would back onto the Development, not the Golf Course, its real value is more likely to be $15,000. In the case of The Keys Body Corporate, he is offering to sell 1.6 hectares for $400,000.

He seems to have convinced himself that he is being incredibly generous but what constitutes a cheap deal is entirely in the eye of the beholder. He would pick an extra $5,000,000 plus if he achieved a good acceptance rate. What is clearly demonstrated is a complete lack of empathy for the current adjoining land owners and the heartache that his plans will cause them.

Hypothetically, you would think that a smart Developer who wanted to get along with the neighbors affected by his plans would simply volunteer to incorporate larger than normal set-backs in the planning phase of his new housing Lots. He has over 100 hectares to play with, after all.

He has not done that, so this offer just looks like camouflage for gouging money from the adjoining and already disadvantaged landowners to add to his profits, whilst to an outsider’s very casual glance appearing to be generous.

In the practical sense, what happens if one land owner accepts his offer but the neighbors don’t? That unfortunate person could end up having his expensive buffer at the rear but not at either side of that buffer.

This whole self-serving strategy demonstrates yet again that the fate of one of the region’s prime assets has unfortunately fallen into the hands of an inexperienced developer who gets things wrong and who seems to believe that the local population owes him something and should be grateful to him for changing their lives for the worse.

Mr Halpin has had another thought bubble for his Paradise Palms land. It is so transparent it is laughable. He obviously has a very low opinion of the public’s ability to see through the smoke and mirrors. The next move will be to show us some pretty pictures to illustrate how wonderful it could be and what a great person he is to bring this opportunity forward for us.

He thinks it would be a great idea to put a big Water Park there. It smacks of bread and circuses to keep the general public happy. Well the general public is a lot smarter than it used to be and won’t get sucked in to this PR exercise. A grandiose idea, almost certain to disappear as the day of reckoning gets closer.

The whole situation with Mr Halpin’s plans is starting to look, feel and even smell like another AQUIS and we all know what happened to those grand promises. This learner in the field of development is learning on the job at our expense, destroying a prime green site in the process.

Anyone curious about the viability of the proposed Water Park in this region need look no further than Smithfield.

Paul Freebody, a former Councillor and a business man with some development experience under his belt, has been trying for many years to bring a Water Park to fruition on land that he controls. The value of that site would be only a fraction of the value of 16 hectares of Paradise Palms, yet even with that low base cost advantage he has not managed to be successful.

Click the link below for a very interesting "Golf Australia" review of the Course, together with a bit of it's impressive history, written in March 2016

https://www.golfaustralia.com.au/feature/review-paradise-palms-455133

Click this link to listen to the interview:

https://www.4ca.com.au/john-mackenzie/88181-a-focus-away-from-golf-but-still-a-a-bright-future-for-paradise-palms

The Association is very pleased to have appointed Andrew Magoffin, a specialist Town Planning Lawyer with Holding Redlich, to work with us in contesting the Developer's plans and any Development Application that he may lodge in due course

The Save Paradise Palms Association has raised a Fighting Fund in order to employ professionals in Town Planning, Law and other areas to assist us with strategies and arguments to quash the Developer's proposals. 

We will certainly need more financial support as we get further into the process of fighting the 'big end' of town.

Please visit our GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/save-paradise-palms and make a donation there. Every little bit will help, thank you.

PS: The Association has an Auditor appointed

The Save Paradise Palms Association held a general Public Information Meeting on Tuesday 12th February at the Palm Cove Surf Club. 

There was a very strong attendance, as can be seen and the mood of the meeting was completely against the Halpin development proposal

Two shameful decisions made today that adversely and dramatically affect the Northern Beaches of Cairns

Shameful decision Number 1:

Darren Halpin announced that he would close the Golf Course effective 31 March 2019 so that he could prepare to lodge his overblown Development Application

Shameful decision Number 2:

The Unity Team within the Cairns Regional Council, who are conflicted on any decision to do with Darren Halpin and cannot vote, voted to continue a process of handling such situations by ensuring that the four independent Councillors are also prevented from representing their Electorates and voting as their constituents would want them to. Effectively, this means that Darren Halpin's Development Application could pass through the various Council planning processes and be approved by the Council CEO without ever being voted on by an elected person.

Entire suburbs disenfranchised, robbed of their vote. This is not democracy. The entire area of the Northern Beaches of Cairns could be saddled with a Development that they clearly don't want, without being given any opportunity at all to express their views through the vote of the Councillor that they elected to represent them. This is intolerable and must be remedied in time for the unconflicted independent Councillors to have their vote on this vital matter.

Independents’ fury

Olds claims ‘I’m not allowed to do my job’

God save us all and our council

SHAMBLES: Cairns Regional Council meeting was complicated this week.

The Association has been working to acquire expertise in specialist areas where we will need professional assistance.

After interviewing possible organisations we have chosen to employ "Planz Town Planning" to work with us against the Developer's Application.

They will commence the preparatory work immediately and be fully ready for action when any Application is lodged. They are passionate about preserving the green space and really wanted an opportunity to be a part of our team.

The current owner of Paradise Palms Golf Course has stated his intention of closing the Golf Course and applying for development approval for a large number of residential blocks of land. This is a genuine threat and may well come to pass if we sit back and do nothing.

The communities in the vicinity would all be negatively affected by such a move, losing one of the main reasons that we bought property here in the first place. The value of real estate in the area is estimated to fall by 15% if this plan is allowed to go ahead. In addition, the community would lose the last of the major green spaces in the region and there would be a significant negative effect on the extensive wildlife that live on the course.

Many of the residents of the communities surrounding the Course have banded together to form a registered not for profit Association (Paradise Palms Resident’s Association Inc, T/A Save Paradise Palms Golf Course) to:

1. Assist in the process of finding a buyer who would keep the course operating
2. Employ Town Planning Consultants to raise objections to the developer’s plans
3. Employ PR Consultants in the fields of both conventional media and social media to assist in spreading the message
4. Persuade the Cairns Regional Council to take ownership of the Course

Points 2, 3 and 4 can only succeed if the community in general shows a strong united front to both the developer and the Council. 

Concerned Community members and Body Corporates in the region have jointly funded the provision of a “fighting Fund” to PPRA Inc to achieve an acceptable outcome. Many local residents who live outside of the immediate area of the Golf Course have undertaken to individually contribute to the fighting fund and become members of PPRA Inc.

Membership Application forms are available on this web site.

THE PPRA INC COMMITTEE:

Chairperson:                                  Bob McPhail

Vice-Chairperson:                          Tracey Case

Secretary:                                      Tracey Case

Committee:                                     Eileen McMurtrie

                                                        Clive Abbott

                                                         Billy Esslemont

                                                         Tony Richards

                                                          Ian Parmenter

Marketing Sub Committee:               Clive Abbott

                                                          Billy Esslemont

                                                          Tony Richards

For a long time now the Paradise Palms Facility has limped along under the ownership of developers who only bought it for its potential as a real estate development deal. They did not appear to have any long term commitment to making the existing facilities viable again.

The restaurant standard declined to the point that few people use it, the various Function and Meeting Rooms were not operated as revenue earners, the number of Weddings on site has fallen away almost completely. Corporate Golf Days have dwindled in number. 

The children's playground, the Putt Putt Golf Course and the excellent swimming pool like-wise appear to have suffered from a lack of commitment to making a profit.

In the early part of 2018 the Developer announced that as the Golf Course was losing money, there would be no alternative but to close it and apply to Council for a change of use to allow various forms of residential and commercial deveopment on the site.Not a great surprise to anyone who had been watching over time!.

The question is, why should the community pay such a high price for someone else's miscalculations? It is not the community's role to bail out developers that lose money, get their timing wrong and/or make mistakes.

3 Photos displayed in the top Banner were supplied by FrontrowPhoto. Thank you