The new measure allows Mayor Tom Tate, Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel, chief executive Tim Baker, and a senior planning official to green-light projects exceeding $30 million when council is in recess.

The move has drawn criticism from residents who fear it will diminish public consultation and favour developers.

Kath Down of Save Our Southern Gold Coast said she was “absolutely gobsmacked”.

“I think it’s an outrageous amount of power in the hands of very few who have proven they do not listen to the people of the Gold Coast in the first place,” Down said.

Six of the 14 councillors voted against the plan, indicating internal division within the council.

Critics, including Down, rallied last week to advocate for the repeal of the delegation’s powers.

“We want that special delegation repealed totally,” Down said, “and if need be, we will take legal action, we’ll go to the courts.”

Hammel defended the new process.

“Instead of making that applicant wait three more months, we would give that approval and now he can get on with building more house lots and more houses,” he said.

“It still goes through exactly the same legislative for assessment, it still goes through exactly the same public notification requirements.”

Council maintains that the special delegation will not circumvent existing checks and balances.

According to the council, major projects will still be reviewed by the planning committee before being presented to the full council.

“Our assessment officers are not infallible, sometimes how they view something is not how the local community may have viewed it so planning committee remains a critical part of the process,” Hammel said.