Council’s efforts in branding the Redlands attract comment from residents. Others write about subdivision design and commercial development which will impact on people and their lifestyle.

If you have something to say, send an email to: theeditor@redlands2030.net

“A Tale of Two Cities”

Contrary to the belief of some, Logan City is forging a brand quite successfully in local food growing and value added food production. At both the Fine Foods and Regional Flavours Festivals this year at Southbank, Logan City Council sponsored a stall for their small businesses in this area.

In a recent letter to the Redland City Bulletin T. Bowler is correct in saying that Redlands is ignoring its historic ownership of food production in areas of our really great soils.

While the progress of subdivision settlement in the Redlands cannot be stopped, it could be done in a more innovative way, incorporating urban farming models such as the one shown here. Current subdivision design gives us a rabbit warren of lots with sometimes large open space on the fringes which is under-utilised and which Council is required to maintain at some cost.

Small Plot INtensive (SPIN) market gardens are incorporated in the urban design, as shown in the diagram here. That is so much more friendly to have smaller open spaces with house lots engaged with this space; a shared backyard if you like. This is combined with one way traffic systems on narrower pavement widths and street car parks interspersed with footpath landscaped areas.

Small lots can be justified with this type of design, which have the added effect of providing house/land packages affordable to more people. The open spaces continues to be owned by Council and permitted to be leased (with conditions) by organic food growers. It provides a multi-use open space and with the traditional playground and BBQ area.

A sense of community is established around food gardens as a consequence, as opposed to the current system where residents usually need to drive outside of their immediate neighbourhood to engage with one another.

DT

Going Going GONE!!!!

Stocklands Carpark recently resealed and the entrance re-located.

The efforts of the Redland City Council to disrupt and upend our community, lifestyle and standard of living in this great city are painfully obvious. Clearly evident is the offensive overdevelopment and endless subdivision of our free space and home sites.

But… it is the underhanded machinations of the City Council through avenues such as the Redlands Investment Corporation that should draw the greatest ire.

After initially contacting Council regarding the state of the car park surface adjoining Woolworths Stockland and Queen Street on the 6 June 2014 I have been given an answer not wholly satisfying.

The response was painfully extracted from Council by the Queensland Ombudsman.

The new entrance to the Stocklands car park!

It would appear that in the months of May and June surface inspections and litter collection were completed on eight  occasions and since December 2014 pothole repair has been completed on eight occasions.

Eight potholes in three years, this is some sort of go slow record. Forget the actual surface which has deteriorated to a state where pushing a trolley over it is neigh on impossible.

Oh by the way, it all doesn’t really matter cause it’s another sell off! The car park is under contract and will be sold this year. Great now it will be someone else’s problem.

Lookout Cleveland what’s next? Boom gates and paid parking?

GK

Branding or spin?

Branding the Redlands

Should Redland City’s branding reflect the type of housing being developed in our city?

We’ve had two large family groups visit from Northern NSW recently on the way North. They can’t believe the distance between houses in Redlands now and were disgusted at the sight of it.

Sunday afternoon conversation was full of questions as to how Council let this happen. Imagine the comments when the paper came recently with the front page headline, ‘Redlands Brand To Stick Out’.

Stick out is right. Whether we like it or not, this is our branding. “Redlands– the people who live, work, shop and raise families in our special part of the world… Williams said”.

No doubt, they’ve been to a master class by professional consultants for branding aka ‘spin, hype and hyperbole’. More hidden consultancy costs in our rates.

AB

Destruction of a beautiful seaside town

Recently, the Facebook page, Toondah Friends posted a report “Why high-rises kill liveability”. It is well worth the read. I speak from experience and on multiple occasions I’ve written to and spoken to people expressing concerns and explaining my past experiences living in highrise Cronulla.

I’ve seen the destruction of a beautiful seaside town by developers and a lacklustre council. I’ve seen the effects of the concrete jungle eating up the local environment, the wide open spaces disappear into a valley of shadows, where light only penetrates a couple of hours a day, where noise levels are a constant 24 hour a day thing. I seen that where there were once a family-home for 5 replaced by a brick block of 250 people. Not one but row after row of them.

All the parking spots are occupied 24 hours a day and night. The result is that people are so crowded together that peaceful living is impossible.

But that’s what Laming, Williams and mates want…they won’t be living there. Neither will their families, or the developers. They just move on to the next site

BH

Letters published by Redlands2030 – 4 September 2017

3 Comments

Toni, Sep 07, 2017

It is interesting that the council carpark at Woolworths is under contract I dont recall any expressions of interest in the paper or any For Sale signs up along the frontage. Who may we ask is buying the carpark, what are they paying and is it a fair market price, as we dont want the ratepayers being ripped off again like the Mt Cotton sporting fields deal. What is planned on the car park, what zoning is on the site.

Baz, Sep 05, 2017

Maybe the branding consultants read the Redlands Community Plan, if so they might have started there consultation from a known position.

Inviting stories etc from the community effectively deselects many people (too busy, lacking in skills, not clear of thought and so on.

But the Community Plan had examined yje views of the community subjectively, and objectively. By ignoring that work (as seems to be the case) the previous work is buried and of course that probably suits some Councillors.

So instead we get on another merry go around, pay consultants to invent a new wheel …for which there will be no accountability …just a flood of words.

Sad really and a waste of $$$

jan Eva, Sep 04, 2017

After some interest in ancient cities, it was of special note to read that when planning the layout of the ‘polis’ originally, that 10% of the total size of the city was planned out as a public square or public place in the centre of the ‘polis’ and the streets radiated out from there and nobody was allowed any private buildings in the public spaces. Those layouts are still able to be seen in the ruins of many ancient Roman and Greek cities today. Such a shame we dont have similar planning imperatives today!

Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.