About Us
What is the Nerang Community Association? What do we care about?
We are an apolitical, broad-based residents' group that want to ensure that residents' amenity and lifestyles are maintained and enhanced wherever possible.
We want to ensure that the natural beauty and integrity of the Nerang district in postcode 4211 is preserved where possible.
We want to ensure that our native creatures are afforded every protection to ensure their survival. ( Nerang has poteroos, koalas, Richmond Birdwing butterflies, Glossy Black Cockatoos, Cascade Tree Frogs, Grey Goshawks, Golden Swamp wallabies, Stephen’s Banded Snakes, echidas, plus lots of other rare, threatened, vulnerable or endangered species.)
We want to ensure that resident’s have a voice in the matters that affect them, e.g. town planning, roads, community issues.
We want to ensure what built heritage is left in Nerang survives for our children’s children. (Nerang is the oldest town on the Gold Coast, being settled in 1865.)
We want to have fun doing it – through our meetings, social get-togethers and fundraisers.
Please join us. You will be warmly welcomed!
History
A little history…and a little of the present…
The Nerang Community Association was formed in 1994 as the result of Nerang residents’ concern at a proposed high-density residential development at the heart of park domain acreage butting up against the environmentally sensitive Nerang National Park.
The move was aimed at giving residents a voice in development in the area to retain their chosen lifestyle and safeguard the natural environment and heritage – Nerang is the oldest white settled area of the Gold Coast – which is so important to the city and its Hinterland.
Borders ostensibly were put at extremities of postcode 4211 but, in the case of the natural environment, which through rivers, creeks and forests, transverse these boundaries.
This is especially so in the case of the Nerang River which has its origins on Springbrook, takes in the Hinze Dam, is fed by numerous creeks and watercourses, and flows through the centre of Nerang and on to the Broadwater and the ocean beyond 4211.
The result of this initial action was the development, instead of consisting of 893 lots, tiny duplexes, townhouses and a small shopping centre was reassessed and ended up incorporating 93 acreage blocks because of environmental restrictions. This was in accord with the Town Planning Scheme. 893 should never have been an option in the first place.
This allowed the amenity, green wildlife corridors for our abundant native creatures, (many of which are rare, threatened, vulnerable or endangered), buffers to the Nerang National Park and the natural watercourses (some of which lead directly to the Nerang River) to be left intact.
Since, the NCA has remained vigilant on other proposed developments and, together with stakeholders, has had a positive effect on the area. For example, a proposed quarry to the west of Nerang could have led to a constant convoy of large trucks and dog trailers passing through the centre of town every one and a half minutes; and commercial incursion into Park Living could have ruined the amenity and lifestyles of residents in the area. We cannot always rely on Council to ensure development is in accord with the City’s Planning Scheme provisions.
It, with other individuals, was also instrumental in having the Nerang State Forest elevated to national park status, thus keeping the area intact for the enjoyment of future generations and renovating and maintaining two heritage houses (Ceramic House circa 1919 and Preece House circa 1948. A visitor information centre with museum content is underway for Ceramic House. Meeting rooms for community use, and the Rotary literacy space where children can connect one-on-one for tuition is functioning in Preece House. The Heritage Photographic Gallery is planned to open in May this year.
The Heritage Project (Ceramic & Preece) restoration is seen as a living evolving project. The preservation of this essential part of Nerang’s history would not have been possible without the commitment of the Nerang Community Association. And for all those that worked on the project, their conscientious hard work. We are most grateful to our firies, our police, Nerang Rotary, our Vietnam vets, our skilled tradies, GCCC, as well as NCA members and local individuals who just turned up when help was needed.
Through such efforts the NCA maintains a vital link with Federal & State politicians and local government councillors and council officers.
The NCA has built up a raft of experts – lawyers, planners, traffic and acoustic engineers – who can be called on to come to the rescue of residents who feel their lifestyle is being threatened by inappropriate development. We are indebted for their service.
The NCA is not against development, far from it. It is just committed to seeing Nerang gets good development that generally conforms to the planning scheme. We have worked with developers to get better outcomes for our community.
More importantly, however, it has been instrumental in bringing the community together by providing an umbrella for other groups including Nerang Celebrates (Christmas), Riverside Community Group, and Friends of Coolbunbin Creek.
The NCA has enabled residents and the general public to enjoy dozens of social occasions like our famous Champagne Breakfasts, Melbourne Cup functions, Theatre nights, our Heavenly High Teas and pioneer families get-togethers in the heritage houses, concerts (opera, jazz, and youth fest).
We also assist residents to achieve fair and equitable town planning decisions. At times, in the process of attaining fair planning outcomes for residents, we take the matter to the planning court. And even to the Supreme Court. In twenty years of dealing with planning matters, the NCA has not suffered a loss at the hands of the court. The NCA believe good town planning is essential for our future growth and prosperity. Just as many jobs are created through good planning as bad. And good planning reaps rich rewards well into the future.
The Association contribute to a healthy future for the Nerang area in particular and the Gold Coast in general.
