Emerald Tower, Brisbane
Encyclopedia
Emerald Tower in Brisbane
, Queensland
, Australia
, is proposed to be developed on a 1529 square metre site at 555 Queen Street
, Ann Street
and Clarke Lane by Emerald Developments (Aust) Pty Ltd. The tower, as planned, would be of residential status and will contain five-star luxury apartment
s and penthouse
s. Emerald Tower would be Brisbane's fifth tallest building. Construction was planned to start at the beginning of 2007.
, asked the state government to stop the project. The Queensland Government agreed, and on 20 July 2004, Queensland Planning Minister Desley Boyle
used her powers to take over the assessment process for the development. In 6 October 2004, Minister Boyle refused permission for the construction of Emerald Tower, stating that "Were Emerald Tower to be constructed, I believe it would be in direct conflict with the broad principles identified by the Brisbane City Council as desirable for the State's capital."
Emerald Developments (Aust) Pty Ltd applied to the Supreme Court of Queensland
in March 2006 seeking a declaration that Minster Boyle had improperly refused the application. The Chief Justice agreed with the developers and found that the Minister had determined the application by reference to statutorily irrelevant considerations and had overstepped her powers in blocking the project.
The Minister was ordered to reassess the application only against the town plan upon which Emerald was initially found to be in compliance. On 14 June 2006 she refused the application once again. The developers indicated they will appeal this latest decision.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, is proposed to be developed on a 1529 square metre site at 555 Queen Street
Queen Street, Brisbane
Queen Street in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia, is one of the city's major streets. It is the city's central road, partly covered by a pedestrian mall called the Queen Street Mall. Queen Street ends at the Victoria Bridge and is bounded by two of the Brisbane River's central reaches...
, Ann Street
Ann Street, Brisbane
Ann Street runs parallel to Adelaide Street and is the northern-most street in the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. It is a major thoroughfare, running straight through the city and linking the suburb of Fortitude Valley with the Riverside Expressway....
and Clarke Lane by Emerald Developments (Aust) Pty Ltd. The tower, as planned, would be of residential status and will contain five-star luxury apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s and penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
s. Emerald Tower would be Brisbane's fifth tallest building. Construction was planned to start at the beginning of 2007.
Proposal
Proposed in 2002, Emerald tower did not meet with a favourable reaction from Jim Soorely, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane at the time, who was not a proponent of tall buildings. This is despite Emerald, at only 230 metres, not being a tall tower by international standards. The Brisbane City Council, however, were unable to stop the development, as the building complied with all regulations and zoning requirements, and so the Lord Mayor, Campbell NewmanCampbell Newman
Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman is the leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He was the 15th Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 2004 to 2011....
, asked the state government to stop the project. The Queensland Government agreed, and on 20 July 2004, Queensland Planning Minister Desley Boyle
Desley Boyle
Desley Carole Boyle is an Australian Labor Party politician. Boyle represents the electoral district of Cairns, Queensland in the Queensland Legislative Assembly and was elected in the 1998 State election-Career:...
used her powers to take over the assessment process for the development. In 6 October 2004, Minister Boyle refused permission for the construction of Emerald Tower, stating that "Were Emerald Tower to be constructed, I believe it would be in direct conflict with the broad principles identified by the Brisbane City Council as desirable for the State's capital."
Emerald Developments (Aust) Pty Ltd applied to the Supreme Court of Queensland
Supreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
in March 2006 seeking a declaration that Minster Boyle had improperly refused the application. The Chief Justice agreed with the developers and found that the Minister had determined the application by reference to statutorily irrelevant considerations and had overstepped her powers in blocking the project.
The Minister was ordered to reassess the application only against the town plan upon which Emerald was initially found to be in compliance. On 14 June 2006 she refused the application once again. The developers indicated they will appeal this latest decision.