CONCERNS have been raised regarding the process for advising local residents of submission times for Development Applications.
A public notice for a development on Tamborine Mountain appeared in a newspaper that is not widely distributed on the mountain.
The public notice, which was for a Material Change of Use for a retirement facility at 24 – 34 Macdonnell Road, Tamborine Mountain (MCU24/174) was advertised in the Beaudesert Times edition of June 5, 2025.
Beaudesert Times is not sold on the mountain, although it is available online for subscribers and via home delivery subscriptions.
Division One Councillor, Amanda Hay said she was disappointed that the developer didn’t see fit to advertise in a newspaper that is available to local residents.
This makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for residents to contribute a submission if they are not aware of the DA notification period.
A Council spokesperson stated that the local authority does not govern the local print media in which a public notification is placed.
The Queensland State Government’s primary planning legislation is the Planning Act 2016 which establishes the framework for land-use planning and development assessment. It provides for both statewide and local planning schemes, with local governments responsible for the bulk of detailed planning controls.
“All it can do is encourage applicants to ‘Publish a notice at least once in a newspaper circulating generally in the locality of the premises that is the subject of the application as outlined in the Guide’,” the spokesperson said.
“This is an issue that has been raised with the State Government department responsible for overseeing planning and associated governance matters.”
“Public notification through advertising is only one aspect of the public notification process, with appropriate notices having to be placed on any road frontage of the land and also immediate neighbours adjoining a subject lot to be notified by mail.”
Two of the largest developments ever proposed for the mountain will be out for public consultation simultaneously, with the Macdonnell Road application open from June 6 to 27 and another application at 30 Kidd Street open from June 20 to July 11.
The notification for the Kidd Street application, MCU24/025 has been placed in this edition of the Tamborine Mountain News, which is distributed free to residents on the mountain.
The Council spokesperson stated that, while the onus rests with the applicant to meet the requirements of the public notification process, Council will seek to highlight the constraints of the local print media coverage in the region and encourage applicants to undertake thorough research around which publication they utilise as part of their public notification obligations.
MCU24/174 is a development application for a Material Change of Use for a retirement facility with 59 dwellings at 24 – 34 Mcdonnell Road, Tamborine Mountain.
MCU24/025 is a development application for a Material Change of Use for a retirement facility with 141 dwellings located at 30 Kidd Street, Tamborine Mountain.
