A decision on whether to trial beachside dining areas on the Gold Coast has been deferred while council seeks more information.
The proposal would have allowed surf lifesaving clubs to extend their offerings by having dining areas along small sections of the sand.
Surfers Paradise and Kurrawa were flagged as initial options for the trial.
A Planning Committee meeting held last month raised serious concerns about the plan, including whether council could legally limit the trial to surf clubs.
The committee voted to refer the matter to today’s full council meeting, where Councillor Brooke Patterson raised further legal concerns.
“This report relies on the wrong legal mechanism, and that is a serious compliance issue,” Cr Patterson said
“These local laws exist to manage safety and bathing reserves, swimmers, surf craft, vessels, and temporary aquatic activities.
“They are not land use or commercial authorisation laws.”
Councillors voted to wait for another report to be presented to council’s Economy, Tourism and Events Committee before debating the matter any further.
Mayor Tom Tate backed the move, saying there was no rush to make it happen.
“Time is not of the essence. If it takes another three or four months to have all the answers to councillors, I think that’s fair
“And if the answer comes out that it’s not appropriate for our city, then it won’t get up. “
