Locals in north Queensland's tourism hub Airlie Beach are fighting a high-rise hotel development, arguing it will destroy their idyllic coastal setting.
The 12-storey building has preliminary approval from the Whitsunday Regional Council, who said it would deliver much-needed accommodation and jobs to the region.
The community group Save Our Foreshore has taken their battle to Queensland's Planning and Environment Court, raising $100,000 so far to fund the fight.
"It's very hard to understand what the Whitsunday council is thinking," Save Our Foreshore spokeswoman Suzette Pelt said.
"When it comes to the foreshore and waterfront, it's all low rise and it's really important that the Whitsundays keeps that image because it's why people come here.
Ms Pelt said the council pushed ahead, despite receiving thousands of objections from locals about the building, which would be two-and-a-half times higher than most other buildings in the town.
"And in so many of the objections people said if we wanted high rise, we'd go to the Sunny Coast or the Gold Coast."
She said those fighting the hotel were facing an uphill battle to cover their growing court costs.
"We're looking at least 250 to 350 thousand dollars if this goes much further," she said.
"And council of course is using rate payers' money to fight their own rate payers."
But the council isn't backing down.
The Director of Development Services Neil McGaffin said there had to be a trade-off between changes to the foreshore and economic growth.
"History shows us that nothing much new has been built in the past 10 years," he said.
"There's a lot of 5-star or 4-star hotels that are now starting to age. So, it's time to renew or rebuild or construct a new one."
He said he wasn't worried Airlie Beach would become built-up like the Gold Coast.
"The Airlie commercial area is really quite small, and I expect we won't get too many more buildings of this height, if any," he said.
"The point is that given the number of passengers and flights coming into the airport and boats coming in through the marinas and cruise ships bringing thousands of people in, there's no doubt change will occur.
"It's controlling that and managing that the best we can."
Ms Pelt said fundraising efforts would continue.
"We just hope that common sense prevails, and the community comes out on top in this," she said.
The case is due to be heard in the Planning and Environment Court later this month.
