‘Morally bankrupt’: The Sands developer says housing plan betrays original vision

THE original developer of The Sands has joined residents in opposing plans for more housing in the estate, saying the proposal betrays the vision on which the Torquay development was built.

The Handbury Group’s Paddy Handbury, who opened The Sands in 2007 and still lives there, said proposed changes to the estate’s comprehensive development plan (CDP) amounted to “moving the goalposts” and suggested the Surf Coast Shire would be “morally bankrupt” if it approved them.

Put forward by Central Real Capital, the proposal seeks to amend the comprehensive development plan to allow additional housing, alongside separate planning applications for a 21-lot subdivision and nine townhouse development on the resort’s tennis court.

The proposed amendment attracted almost 170 submissions, with a dozen objectors addressing councillors at a hearing of submissions last week.

They raised concerns about the loss of open space, the impact of additional stormwater on the nearby Karaaf Wetlands and the effect of more housing on the estate’s amenity.

Handbury said the original housing mix at The Sands had struck the right balance.

“We then sold these lots to individuals in good faith, that what they were buying is what they were getting,” he said. “In other words, they would not have their amenity or view built out in the future.

“I think that we and the council got it right and I’m very proud of the development that we’ve created.

“The council’s role is not to appease businesses that make bad commercial decisions, and allowing this application will not resolve the future of The Sands.”

The Handbury Group sold The Sands in 2017.

The Sands resident Anne Stout described the undeveloped land as the estate’s community open space.

“The green landscape around the golf course is the breathing space. Once that land is developed, it cannot be replaced,” she said.

“Once the council accepts that land identified in a CDP as open space or golf course land can later become housing, the integrity of the whole plan is weakened. It falls apart.”

Fellow resident Geoff King said the proposal failed to consider the impact on people already living in the estate.

“We want The Sands to succeed but, sadly, I don’t believe the proposal does much to improve the ongoing viability of The Sands resort and provides no obvious benefit to the existing Sands community,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of Central Real Capital, senior development manager Alan Blackman said the proposal was supported by extensive technical studies and should not be viewed as overdevelopment.

He said The Sands contained 670 dwellings and the proposal would remain within the estate’s 700-dwelling cap.

“Other proposals we looked at and rejected definitely did result in the loss of holes and other aspects of the golf course,” Blackman said.

“The additional 30 dwellings we’re proposing is only an increase of 4 per cent on the current dwelling yield, and I think it’s unfair to categorise that as an overdevelopment of the site.”

The shire will consider a report on the amendment at its 25 August meeting.