Is development destroying the Redlands?

Community consultation for the Draft City Plan comes to a close at 4.30 pm Friday November 27.

Be sure to get your comments in and tell Council what you think. Every submission counts. You can find more information on making submissions here.

Letters this week question where the benefits are from this 25-year plan for our city. Council’s baffling ‘green lighting’ of the Shoreline development, which unnecessarily develops a massive slice of prime rural land outside the approved urban footprint, is put under the microscope by a former Councillor.

There’s continuing dismay about the rezoning of parks for development – this time in Capalaba. Some writers think the Draft City Plan will destroy the Redlands we all love. Recent travellers ask whether our Council could learn how overseas communities manage to protect their environmental values – and allow for growth?

 

Redlanders will regret Shoreline approval

As the previous councillor for the Shoreline development area, who has opposed this ‘out of sequence’ development from day one, I feel I have the earned the right to comment on this development that Redlanders will surely regret.

This development is in breach of the Redland Planning Scheme and Regional Plan. Minister Trad had directed the Council to keep it in the rural zoning, and it is a very premature development considering the City has enough land inside the urban footprint for housing until 2041.

My disappointment is also in council officers assessing this non-complying development unprofessionally.

But my further disappointment is in Mayor Williams for not acknowledging publicly that developers Fox and Bell supplied her with commercial offices (but not at commercial rates) for nearly 12 months prior to 2012 election. Such a conflict of interest!

There was also, strangely, no mention of conflict of interest that a director of Fox and Bell set up the web site for CRRA group, which funnelled money from developers into a campaign to oppose Mayor Hobson and support their candidate, Karen Williams.

And don’t believe the latest scare tactic from Shoreline developers claiming councillors opposed Shoreline are pushing for high rise elsewhere in the Redlands. Mayor Williams is planning both.

Toni Bowler
Sheldon

 

Look around and have your say

Dear Redland City citizens and residents,

Don’t look now, but when no one else is looking, take your eyes off the road in front of you (or your own back yard) and look about. What is happening in Fred’s street, and Joe’s cul-de-sac, and Barry’s avenue, is coming to your little piece of paradise and parkland.

Cranes, bob-cats, ‘toilet block’ constructions two or four storeys high, neighbours waving at each other between bathroom and bedroom windows, and joy of joys, not a koala in a gum tree or curlew on the sidewalk in sight! Bulldozers through the strawberry fields, Royal Ponciana crashing before advancing chainsaws (of course we wouldn’t be so cruel – they just appear to suffer from die-back or suddenly become ‘dangerous’).

Is this why you moved from Sydney or Scotland or Cessnock? Is this what you envisaged when you contemplated life for yourself and your family in the precincts of Moreton Bay? Of course it is not!

Have your say – sign a petition, write to the Editor, annoy your deaf Councillors with noisy protests, jump on your skates and get out there and look about.

Sadly

Heather Hagen
Redland City

 

Concrete Jungle?

Why are the Redland City Council (RCC), developers and the State Government intent on destroying our beautiful Redlands? We have some of the best agricultural land in Queensland and the RCC and State Government want to turn our rural and semi-rural zones into high and medium density housing.

The RCC Draft City Plan 2015 restricts habitat and tree protection, allows for small, box housing developments based on flawed and inflated population growth estimates and provides for changes in rural zoning. Our lifestyle as we know it in the Redlands will disappear if this City Plan goes ahead.

Imagine an outbreak of fire in one of the current small lot developments surrounded by walls. How will fire engines pass through the narrow streets with parked cars and residents attempting to flee through the minimal exit roads? What a tragedy waiting to happen!

My husband and I recently returned from visiting family in Williamsburg, Virginia USA. Williamsburg is a beautiful township with plenty of greenspace. It has a population of 90,000 with a central tourist area. No buildings are higher than three storeys. Its main roads and highways are bordered by wide areas of leafy green trees. Its housing estates are surrounded by trees. There are no “prison” walls to buffer traffic noise – the trees do this very effectively. Why can’t our Council learn from cities like this?

Jeannette Douglass
Cleveland

 

Opportunities for development overseas?

Have just returned from Europe. After a survey of a number of European towns and cities, I’m delighted to report that opportunity abounds for our Mayor and her Lot.
  In these towns are many acres of old buildings, some very old indeed.

Currently, they are only being used for tourists to gawk at. The sheer number of tourists made it quite inconvenient to get to any of the local businesses – great lines of visitors trying to get a drink or a bite to eat.
  Buses everwhere. Parked around the edges of the parks under the trees.

All in all, plenty of space that would surely perform better for the community under high to medium density modern housing.

I for one would be delighted should our Mayor and her pro-development Councillors decide to emigrate there to avail them of her experience.

Doug Cox
Redlands Ratepayer

 

Keep Capalaba Bushland Reserve

The attached photo and article was published in the local paper when Mayor Melva Hobson took over from previous Mayor Don Seccombe, whose reputation was as a highly destructive manager of our environment.

Mayor Melva brought relief to many of us because she was willing to listen to locals and find out what they wanted to see in their respective divisions.

My plea to her was to restore this Bushland Reserve (originally set up by first Redland Mayor, Eddie Santagiuliana) using our Environmental Levy. The attached clipping shows how the community helped work to restore and care for it during her time in office.

Sadly, Mayor Melva lost her mayoral position to newcomer Karen Williams (ex-Div 9 councillor) who was aided by powerful, wealthy developers with deep pockets and others.

Having been mentored and influenced by Don Seccombe, Karen Williams was welcomed into his well-known ‘Seccombe Six’ pro-development Council voting bloc.

Sadly, the Reserve was once again ignored and earmarked for yet more housing. Grateful bushcarers accepted unexpected help from then MP for Redlands Peter Dowling. Because of behaviour unbecoming of an MP, Mr Dowling is today in the business of selling properties. (Perhaps he can sell housing there – where once he helped plant trees)?

The entire area around Keith/Willard/Bowen/Denison Court (housing commission) has seen high levels of domestic violence, including two shootings in recent times. Police and ambulance are often called.

This situation will only become worse with more units being squeezed into every available space in an already densely populated area.

Please restore the Reserve, next to the play area and make it a place for the people again. Give show some compassion and give residents some breathing space.

Please say ‘no’ to rezoning 62 Bowen Street Capalaba to low density residential in the new Draft City Plan which closes community consultation this Friday.

Amy E Glade
Capalaba

 

Letters published by Redlands2030 – 24 November 2015