Watching a Council meeting from the Public Gallery (Photo: Redland City Bulletin)
Redland City Council’s next general meeting is on 11 May commencing at 9:30 am.
Meetings are held at the Council Chambers in Bloomfield Street, Cleveland.
Members of the public are able to observe meetings from the public gallery except for items which councillors discuss in ‘closed session’.
At each general meeting members of the community are given an opportunity to make short presentations with a time limit of five minutes. These presentations usually take place soon after the meeting commences. Sometimes they provoke interesting reactions from councillors.
What’s not going to be discussed
Redland City’s koalas face a grim future
The most obvious point to make about the published agenda is that it doesn’t include important issues such as:
- Urgent action to stop the decline in Redland City’s koala population, particularly in light of the State Government’s weekend announcement that it will act urgently to support the state’s koala population.
- Making substantial changes to the Draft City Plan 2015 in line with community feedback, the koala crisis, and the obvious need for heritage protection
- Adding Willards Farm to the Local Heritage Register and developing a management plan for this historic property which is now owned by Redland City Council.
- Putting in place a properly researched and focussed economic development strategy for Redland City
- Rebooting strategies for the Toondah Harbour and Weinam Creek priority development areas to better meet community expectations.
Here are details of some items which are up for discussion on Wednesday morning.
Freedom of entry for 25/49 Royal Queensland Regiment
A proposal to grant Freedom of Entry to a Logan City based army unit could cost ratepayers $75,000 according to a report by Acting Group Manager City Spaces, Tracey Walker.
The report says formally offering freedom of entry to the 25/49 Royal Queensland Regiment will further strengthen Redland City’s connection and bond with the Australian Defence Force, in particular the army in Queensland.
The event would be staged in November 2017 when it would “play a particularly important part in Redland’s recognition and participation in the 11 November 2017 Armistice Day commemorations.”
Redland City granted freedom of entry to Air Force 95 Wing in April 2014.
Weinam Creek and Russell Island car parking
Weinam Creek Ferry Terminal car park
Cr Mark Edwards is putting forward proposals to
- Formalise Council owned land at 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 High Street, Russell Island as a car park and provide a report to Councillors by 20 June 2016 advising cost to remove trees.
- Install timed parking at Jock Kennedy Park, Russell Island parking area, including the boat ramp car park, to a maximum of four days with signage to be installed by 20 June 2016.
- Review the timed parking zones at and around the Weinam Creek jetty car parks in order to improve functionality for island residents; and provide a workshop to Councillors on recommendations by 20 June 2016.
Appointment of councillors to various task forces, committees
Council will decide which councillors will be nominated or appointed to represent Redlands on various taskforces, external bodies and internal committees. It’s a long list of opportunities so every councillor should win at least one prize.
- Regional Mosquito Management
- Council of Mayors (SEQ) – Resilient Rivers Taskforce
- Council of Mayors (SEQ) – Rural Communities Special Interest Group
- Local Disaster Management Group
- Donald Simpson Over 50’s Leisure Centre Board of Management
- North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum Inc
- Redland Museum Advisory Committee
- Age-friendly Redlands Committee (ARC)
- Redlands Bicycle Advisory Committee
- Redlands Police Citizens’ Youth Club Management Committee
- Regional Arts Development Fund Committee (RADF)
- Internal Audit Committee
Closed session items
In closed session, Council will be discussing:
- Local Government Infrastructure Plan Extension (16.1.1)
- Compulsory Land Acquisition for East Thornlands Urban Wildlife corridor (Item 16.1.2)
A mysterious notice of motion
Word processing of the meeting agenda wasn’t quite finished before it was published on the Council’s website.
The Agenda Contents hint that Cr Wendy Boglary may be proposing a notice of motion to amend a resolution as Item 13.1.1.
An item in the Contents with the same number (13.1.1) is Bulky Household Item Collection Service but in the body of the agenda Item 13 is incomplete.
Here’s a link to the published agenda for Council’s meeting on Wednesday 11 May.
Redlamds2030 – 10 May 2016
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
Urgent action to support State’s koala population? I’d like to see that! Have yet to see politicians, local/State/Federal, take an interest in enacting legislation to save the species from extinction. There is no provision in local planning policies, to preserve known habitat areas in Redlands. I recall Len Keogh’s image, stranger to most people in Redlands, on side of bus Blind Freddy couldn’t miss, voted in as Redlands Mayor for a short time. Recall the frantic phone calls from Ney Rd residents, friends from Bowls Club, crying… hearing screams of koalas as their trees came crashing down by church cnr Redland Bay/Ney Rd one Easter Sunday morning. New councillor Toni Bowler was away for weekend so timing was right to clear the land of koalas that paved the way for a huge housing estate where I understand Mr Keogh had many houses built for his family.
Neighbour called yesterday to speak of this former koala habitat where development was to take place preserving some food trees in the estate, but caller to Steve Austin’s radio program stated yesterday that only three trees remain. ALL food trees along Coolnwynpin Ck corridor adjacent to Capalaba Central have been replaced with towering concrete walls, once a specially protected wetland site under SEQ policy, that saw extinction of our koalas. The commercial bldg. developer expressed gratitude to the Capalaba people by publishing a thank you letter in Bayside Bulletin (who built high rise apt bldg. in Cleveland about to build 2nd one) plus full page ad by father & son team happy to fill wetland sites on request. Tonnes of imported fill was needed stored on riparian zone to first fill the mini crater. Area today is off limits to local residents being a dark forbidding place frequented by social misfits. Capalaba pollies opened the area for locals being close to shops but those who tried were mugged…forcing many to move elsewhere as livability was gone. Cluster of food trees Alex Hills end Ingham St by TAFE fence were also destroyed for wall to wall housing leaving tight turnaround end of street. Developer told me only trees that had to go would….but they all went for maximum profits. This is the policy of State and local government as each area for development is cleared….piece by piece…until all Redlands koala habitat is gone. This is the way I see it….
I would like to propose that the RCC purchase the property :Marina Carpark (Raby Bay Harbour) on Masthead Drive, and develop it into a low density leisure area, which would benefit the tourists, visitors and residents. Cleveland is proposing to attract many visitors and carpark and leisure area would be most beneficial to the Marina area. The restaurants are very well patronised and parking as such is a major problem. To assist in welcoming tourists and visitors (which will boost Cleveland’s economy substantially) a rooftop ‘native garden’ would be an added bonus. Perhaps it would also entice Koalas back to the area. (a real bonus for Raby Bay).
Read your post with interest Suzanne and want to say one thing: I don’t think its a matter of enticing “…Koalas back to the area..” as I think the issue is that they are nearly all dead and killed on the roads and by domestic dogs.