SUAREZ SAYS REVOKE SEKISUI DECISION

SUAREZ SAYS REVOKE SEKISUI DECISION

Coolum Advertiser, 26 March 2020.

Division 9 Candidate Maria Suarez says that the new council needs to stand ready to revoke the Sekisui development approval if the community's Planning Court Appeal fails.

"Constituents and the public at large have made it very clear to me that they do not want the oversized Sekisui development." Ms Suarez said.

"If there is one issue which has dominated in this election it has been the community's frustration at the blatant failure of the retiring council to respect the rational and reasonable expectations of the constituents by opposing the Sekisui proposal"

"Ms Suarez also stated that many people were claiming that the region does not want to become another Gold Coast with was high-rise development on the coastal stretch.

"They see the Sekisui scheme as the tip of the iceberg of a developer backed push to widely and repeatedly overturn the Town Plan to allow over-height and grossly over-dense residential development."

"If I am elected in Division 9, I will be lobbying very strongly for Sekisui to be told to take elsewhere their seven level hotel with a thousand adjoining residences jammed onto the Coast's last valuable seaside development site.

Suarez noted that the community is presently waiting with anticipation for the Planning Court's decision on the community appeal against Sekisui.

"In the event that the Court decides to approve Sekisui, then the new council will need to step in."

"Council should, in those circumstances, make an immediate decision to revoke the Approval and revert the site to the previously approved four levels with 300 residences approval."

Suarez said that she believes it would be competent for council to make a revocation decision in the community's interest.

She pointed out that council's original decision approving the Sekisui development was resolved by six councillors in favour and five against."

Suarez is promising Division 9 that if elected, she will respect the Town Plan and ensure the community sentiment was represented in future council votes and decisions, without fear or favour from non-community interests.