Redlands community groups are petitioning Council to retain the City’s longstanding Community Plan as the key document guiding the future of Redlands.
The Council’s bid to dump the Redlands 2030 Community Plan was slammed by Lavinia Wood, President of the Community Alliance for Responsible Planning (CARP) Redlands Inc.
“We were stunned to realise that by deleting all references to the Community Plan, Redland City Council’s Draft Corporate Plan – Our Future Redlands A Corporate Plan to 2026 & Beyond – turns its back on twenty years of community-led planning,” said Ms Wood.
“This means the future of Redlands is no longer being determined by the broader community, but by a handful of Councillors and those who influence them,” she said.
Redlands2030 President Steve MacDonald agrees, saying “Redlands2030 took our name from this Plan because it captures the things that matter to people living in the Redlands.”
“Since 2001, the Community’s Plan has been based on deep and widespread community consultation, embodying the views and contributions of thousands of people from all walks of life. The current Plan is notable for including performance measures so that progress on community expectations can be tracked properly,” he said.
“The Community’s Plan has been a powerful voice against endless and unsustainable development in the Redlands,” added Debbie Pointing, President of the Koala Action Group Qld Inc.
“The importance of having a thriving koala population in both bushland and urban areas is explicitly set out in the Plan and any move to abolish it will create great suspicion of Council’s intent,” she said.
“Instead of abandoning the Plan, Council should be reviewing the City’s progress in meeting planned targets,” said Steve Homewood, President of Wildlife Queensland Bayside Branch.
“The Community’s Plan is important for safeguarding our quality of life and natural environment from over-development,” Mr Homewood added.
“We are asking people to make submissions and sign the petition. Put simply, this is the ‘people’s plan’ and it cannot be nullified by Council.”
Petition to keep the Community Plan
The Petition asks Redland City Council to:
“Retain the Redlands 2030 Community Plan as the lead document in Council’s strategic planning framework and that Council redraft its Draft Corporate Plan to 2026 to acknowledge and comprehensively reflect this by remaining focused on achieving ALL of the Community Plan’s vision outcomes:
- Healthy natural environment
- Green living
- Embracing the bay
- Quandamooka Country
- Wise planning and design
- Supportive and vibrant economy
- Strong and connected communities
- Inclusive and ethical governance.
We ask Council to accept and acknowledge that the Community Plan’s shared vision and values are as relevant today as they were when the Plan was prepared by the Redlands community, with involvement of more than 3,000 residents.”
Signing the petition to save the Community Plan
Because Redland City Council does not provide for on-line petitions, this is an old-fashioned paper petition.
You can download a pdf copy of the petition form, or print a copy of the image at the end of this post.
People signing this petition should complete all of the required information: name, address and date of signature.
Completed petition forms should be handed in to a Council office or to Redlands2030 by 10 November 2020.
For more information about this petition email: thereporter@redlands2030.net
Responding to the Council’s draft Corporate Plan
The Council’s draft corporate plan: Our Future Redlands – A Corporate Plan to 2026 and Beyond is out for public review by the community.
Information about this draft plan and ways to have your say are available on the Council’s website.
To assist people in reviewing this draft plan, Redlands2030 has prepared a Microsoft Word document which includes the Plan’s content in a table, with room for people to note comments which could include proposed inclusions and or deletions.
The closing date for submissions is 11 November 2020.
Redlands2030 – 3 November 2020
Post updated 5:30 pm 3 November 2020 to amend the petition form based on the latest available version on the Council’s website.
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
One Comment
Why did the council take such a high handed approach to the aptly named “Community Plan” why would they try and usurp the community developed plan with a Councillor developed plan. So many of them tout and one cites community values how can they possibly reconcile their actions with “community values”.
An informed and vocal response from the community is now needed to head off a giant step to the past. BTW the draft Corporate Plan is a pretty poor document…lacking real vision, showing no respect for the past and dismissive of the community and its established values!