A 43-metre tower approved for Palm Beach has reignited debate over the Gold Coast's planning rules, with the acting mayor saying height limits have been overlooked "hundreds of times".

In short:

A tower in Palm Beach is set to be approved despite exceeding the area’s height limit.

A planning expert says Queensland’s system allows flexibility, meaning limits act as guidelines, not strict rules.

What’s next?

Council is developing a new approvals process, with criticism that the current system can be “subjective”.