Over 1000 Units To Pour Into Nerang, Traffic Concerns Mount

A development for 1170 units at Nerang on Riverview Road and Bowden Street has been given preliminary approval by the Gold Coast City Council's planning committee.

According to the development application, the Bowden Street Precinct offers the ability to facilitate a highly urbanised residential development at the doorstep of the Nerang Railway Station, which links to The Villa and beyond. It also offers the opportunity to provide for some local convenience facilities that service the needs of the local area and travelling public without compromising the viability of Nerang as a Regional Activity Centre.

The buildings in the precinct will house various numbers of units, with a maximum floor level of 14. The precinct will include communal open space with subtropical native rainforest with building materials incorporating the natural themes and materials of the region.

The development has attracted controversy due to the expected increased traffic congestion the development will deliver onto the Pacific Motorway.

A traffic assessment submitted by Nifsan Developments - the precinct's developer- spoke briefly about Nerang-Broadbeach Rd but did not mention the motorway.

“It is emphasised that Nerang-Broadbeach Rd and its intersection with Warrener St is State-controlled,” the application reads.

“As such, any traffic impacts at these locations are of State interest, as council has no jurisdiction in this regard.”

More than 310 objections and two petitions against the developments were lodged with the council, according to The Gold Coast Bulletin.

Traffic congestion in the local area was a key concern for a number of objectors, as well as building height, impact on the environment and pressure on local infrastructure, The GC Bulletin said.