With the holidays over we’re back to providing a weekly report on Council issues.
This week’s report includes:
- Community workshop discussing environmental aspects and impacts of the controversial Toondah Harbour project
- Matters discussed at the Council’s meeting on 27 January including water based play, CBD and tourism development incentives, bushland conservation and the St James Kindergarten
- Plans for development at the Cleveland train station
- Changes to developer’s plans for 3 Seabreeze Court, Ormiston
Toondah dredging project discussed
Speakers discussing environmental aspects of the Toondah Harbour dredging and residential accomodation project at a workshop on 30 January
Environmental impacts of the proposed Toondah mega-project were discussed at a half day workshop on Saturday.
More than 60 people, including representatives from a dozen community organisations, attended the event convened by Redlands2030.
Dr Charlie Veron, former Australian Institute of Marine Science chief scientist and an international authority on corals told the audience that Moreton Bay’s unique corals were at risk of being wiped out due to the huge scale of proposed dredging.
Likely impacts on migratory shorebirds were discussed by University of Queensland research leader Dr Richard Fuller. He noted that the Federal Government had recently added one of the Toondah area’s at risk species, the eastern curlew, to its priority action list of 20 birds by 2020.
Judith Hoyle, of Birdlife Southern Queensland, announced that BirdLife Australia will be visiting the Toondah site as part of an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area workshop on Friday 19 February. This has been prioritised because of concerns about the proposed Toondah project.
Council’s last general meeting before caretaker period
Redland City Council had a general meeting on 27 January.
Here is a link to the Council’s meeting minutes. You can watch a video of the meeting.
It’s likely this was the final meeting before the pre-election caretaker period when the Council can’t make significant policy and spending decisions. The caretaker period starts on the day when public notice of the holding of the election is given, expected in early February.
There will be two Council meetings during the caretaker period, on 17 February and 2 March.
Incentives for Cleveland CBD and tourism developments
Proposed multi-storey appartments with tourist accommodation and “refreshment establishment” at 18-20 Waterloo Street has received a discount.
Council decided to allocate an additional $400,000 for development application fee concessions to encourage investment in tourism accommodation and buildings in the Cleveland CBD.
The current allocation of $250,000 has been used up with eleven proposed developments taking advantage of the scheme. $1,500,000 is available for infrastructure charge discounts but no projects have qualified by starting construction.
More information is available in this Bulletin report.
Councillors get playful
Wynnum wading pool Photo: Kerry Raymond
Council decided to investigate the idea of having “water based play areas” in the Redlands at the behest of Cr Julie Talty (Item 14.1.2).
This investigation will join a list of other vote catching initiatives put forward at recent meetings by councillors seeking re-election.
During discussion, Cr Ogilvie pointed out that Redlands already has a large water based play area: Moreton Bay. Apparently the bay is not safe enough for some mums, like Cr Kim-Maree Hardman. Popular water based play areas at Wynnum, Redcliffe, 17 Mile Rocks and Coolum were cited as examples of what Redlands might aspire to.
Cr Murray Elliott questioned the costs of water based play facilities, noting that Council had “gagged” on spending money on maintenance for the Cleveland pool. Others noted that plans for a musical fountain at Raby Bay (which involved the Redlands Foundation) came to naught because of high building and maintenance costs. An intriguing Bulletin report from 2013 is available here.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Cr Talty proposed a second pre-election motion, calling for an investigation into the provision of footpaths in rural areas of Redland City (item 14.1.1).
Bushland to be conserved
Bushland at 61 McMillan Road Alexandra Hills
Bushland at 61 McMillan Road in Alexandra Hills will be saved. Plans for developing this land and other open space areas were canned last year because of community outrage. Council voted (Item 13.1.1) to take this block back from Redland Investment Corporation and rezone it for conservation.
Council bought this block in 2010 “to ensure a high level of protection of the habitat values on this property through the purchase and then limited and reduced redevelopment of the property to protect the vegetation values of the property.”
More information in this Bulletin report.
St James Kindy to purchase land
Council will let the Lutheran Church buy a small block of land in John Street Cleveland to ensure the ongoing operation of the St James Lutheran Community Kindergarten and Childcare Centre.
Council’s plan to rezone this land and sell it off for commercial development resulted in significant community opposition, including a well supported petition, during the 2015 City Plan consultation process.
More information in this Bulletin report.
Cleveland train station development
Proposed multi-storey residential accommodation at Cleveland train station
Plans for development of twin eight storey apartment towers on the northern car park of the Cleveland train station have been lodged with Council MCU013612.
The developer proposes to provide 17 additional spaces for rail commuters but won’t provide the 31 visitor car parks normally required for an apartment complex of this size. It appears there will be no real benefit for rail commuters in this proposal.
More information is available in this Redlands2030 report.
New plans for 3 Seabreeze Court
At its meeting on 18 Novermber , Council approved this Ormiston infill development conditional upon the developer revising its plans and reducing the number of units and density. This development application attracted considerable interest with 52 submissions and a proforma submission signed by 145 people.
Cr Wendy Boglary recently advised that plans have been resubmitted with a reduction in the number of units from five to four. The developer states that the project’s residential density will now be greater than 400m2 per dwelling.
Further details are available in PD Online, refer MCU013418
Redlands2030 – 31 January 2016
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
good workshop. Good to see some fact based discussions without politics or spin. It’s scary to hear the likely impacts of this Dubai in the Bay development and no one in State of local government seems to care. Does anyone else think that putting a 10 storey high urban development into the Moreton Bay Marine Park is a mad idea ? Next step is skyscrapers in the Great Barrier Reef ! The evidence presented identifies the incredibly unique biodiversity we have here in the Bay and this development will wipe it out. Our children will spit on our graves if we don’t do something to stop this steroid induced developer’s wet dream
Where and when are these meetings to take place and whats the admittance price to pensioners and those on low incomes?
Are you referring to the meeting organised by R2030. I thought it was free…that is how I read the notice on there web site. I couldn’t make it but I wish I had been able to and hear some science based views. It seems to have been well attended and well run, according to one of those lucky enough to get there.
More like forums needed so the community can hear more than just the spin (or rather not hear anything because it is all commercial in confidence!!!)