Detailed planning studies by Redland City Council could pave the way for increased development in Capalaba at two precincts which have been constrained for decades by various issues including road access limitations imposed by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).
Officers’ reports being presented to the Council on Wednesday propose:
- Making planning changes immediately (without community consultation) via a Temporary Local Planning Instrument to facilitate residential development on properties on Finucane Road by adding a new left-in/left-out intersection; and
- Undertaking a preliminary phase of non-statutory public consultation on two proposed land use scenarios in the Jones Road to Old Cleveland Road Local Area Plan, currently the subject of a lot reconfiguration application by Bunnings.
The two proposals for development in Capalaba up for consideration by Council on Wednesday would, if adopted and acted upon, inevitably increase traffic congestion on Finucane Road, Old Cleveland Road, and Old Cleveland Road East.
These arterial roads are “currently at or approaching capacity” according to advice from traffic consultants engaged by Redland City Council.
The traffic studies for each of these proposed developments in Capalaba have been done in isolation from each other and don’t address the need for long term planning and funded commitments to improve the capacity of the congested arterial and sub-arterial road network serving the northeastern suburbs of Redland City.
For the Finucane Road precinct, Council officers recommend a new left-in/left-out intersection instead of the better traffic management option of a new traffic light cross road intersection at Elmhurst Street, which is considered to be too expensive.
The Council’s scenarios for the Jones Road to Old Cleveland Road Local Area Plan include new traffic lights at Brewer Street and Old Cleveland Road East. This intersection is approximately 300 metres away from the major intersection between Old Cleveland Road East / Moreton Bay Road and Finucane Road / Old Cleveland Road.
Bunnings and the Jones Road to Old Cleveland Road Local Area Plan
Bunnings’ plans for development in Capalaba on land near the intersection of Old Cleveland Road and Old Cleveland Road East (with access via Brewer Street) were quashed by a Planning and Environment Court decision more than twenty years ago.
Bunnings has retained its interest in the properties and in April 2024 submitted application RAL2024/0025 for reconfiguration of lots which could facilitate development of “built form with a gross floor area between 20,000m2 and 25,000m2”.
Since February 2024 (prior to the 2024 local council elections) Redland City Council has been working on a local area plan (LAP) for the Jones Road to Old Cleveland Road precinct. Two scenarios for managing this precinct have been drafted, which will lead to medium density residential development with the possibility of some apartment towers up to 30 metres high.
The officers’ report advocates for putting two LAP scenarios out for five weeks of non statutory consultation, saying:
Presenting multiple scenarios for input enhances community involvement in shaping the area’s future. This approach invites residents to participate in the planning journey, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and avoiding the perception of a predetermined outcome.
Such an inclusive approach contrasts pleasantly with the “predetermined outcome” approach used by the Council when conceiving and pursuing its plans to build an Olympic whitewater centre in the nearby Birkdale Community Precinct.
Traffic analysis finds that arterial roads are already constrained
Scenario 1 Medium Change includes some additional medium density residential development, 16,500m2 of mixed use activity in the northern part of the precinct and 27,000m2 gross floor area of mixed use development in the southern part.
Scenario 2 High Change would see the northern section used for new medium density residential instead of mixed use while there would be 108,000m2 gross floor area of mixed use in the southern part.
Reports obtained by the Council from PSA Consulting find that “the existing road network is currently at or approaching capacity and this issue is only expected to increase in future years as background traffic growth continues”.
PSA says: Network-wide upgrades or travel demand management measures will be required to support not only the development of the LAP, but also background traffic growth. These network upgrades should be considered in collaboration with TMR to ensure that future planning is aligned.
As part of its reconfiguration application, Bunnings is proposing connection of Brewer Street (off Old Cleveland Road East) and Anderson Street (off Old Cleveland Road leading to the Golden Circle Factory Outlet). This is not supported by the Council and its traffic consultants PSA who say that such a linkage would allow “rat running”.
North East Capalaba (Finucane Road) development site
Next to busy Finucane Road, just before the boundary between Capalaba and Alexandra Hills, are eleven properties with an average area of 4000 M2. Aspirations for medium residential development on these properties has been held back for many years by TMR policies which limit vehicular access to arterial roads.
Now the Council is contemplating zoning changes and a road access solution to facilitate up to 159 new town houses here.
So keen are Council officers to get moving on this that they are recommending that the Council decide on Wednesday to:
- Initiate a major planning scheme amendment, a process which can take many months if not years and includes statutory requirements for community consultation; AND
- Immediately give effect to the proposed planning scheme changes through a Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI).
As noted in the officers’ report, a TLPI “does not include a public consultation period”. So in this case residents will not be invited to “participate in the planning journey”. There will be no “sense of shared responsibility”. The outcome will have been predetermined without community input, including from thousands of residents who commute daily along Finucane Road.
The officers’ report does not explain why this proposed development should be fast-tracked to the extent of avoiding the public consultation which is normal for a development proposal of such magnitude and community impact.
If there is a good reason for cutting the community out of this planning process then it should be fully explained at the Council Meeting on Wednesday.
The Council’s traffic consultant PSA Consulting identified four options for vehicle access to the proposed development precinct, but it seems someone has “predetermined” that the sub-optimal Option 1 is to be selected. The four options are:
- Left-in/left-out (LILO) access on Finucane Road between Elmhurst Street and Abelia Street
- Signalised access on Finucane Road at Elmhurst Street
- Access via Lawn Terrace
- Access via Mackay Court
Read more about these proposed developments in Capalaba
The agenda for the Council’s meeting on Wednesday 22 January includes the officers’ reports and various consultants’ reports about proposed development in Capalaba.
Item 15.1 01/25 Major Amendment – North East Capalaba (Finucane Road) has 361 pages of reports.
Item 15.2 Jones Road to Old Cleveland Road Local Area Plan – Preliminary Consultation has 682 pages of reports.
The file size for the meeting agenda, including all the reports, is 218.9 MB.
Here is a link to the 22 January 2025 Redland City Council meeting agenda.
Update – 22 January
At the Council meeting on Wednesday 22 January councillors voted 6/5 to withdraw item 15.1 01/25 Major Amendment – North East Capalaba (Finucane Road).
Reasons given for withdrawing the 361 page report were that there is currently an appeal in the Planning & Environment Court against a development application refusal relating to properties in the area which officers were proposing to be the subject of a major planning scheme amendment and temporary local planning instrument.
Crs Golle, Rendalls, Talty, McKenzie, Huges, Colley voted to withdraw the item. Crs Boglary, Mitchell, Hewlett, Bishop and Mayor Mitchell voted against the motion.
Agenda item 15.2 (non-statutory consultation about scenarios for Jones Road to Old Cleveland Road) was approved unanimously.
You can watch what happened at the meeting on the Council’s videorecording streamed on YouTube.
Biggest piss take of Redland council rate payers yet
Funny it coincided with the announcement that they forgot about the athlete’s accomodation 3.5bill ffs
Obvious to me, by pushing development further along Old Cleveland Road East and surrounds, politicians do not care about health and wellbeing of residents who live in these areas. Police are always on call, few days ago, again at Davison Crt where units are wall to wall. Marty White, developed land between 4-way intersection at Capalaba through to Housing Commission units along Old Cleveland Rd East, our first elected Mayor Eddie, described as ‘looking like a dog’s breakfast’ and still would, if not for trees. On losing the Bowen Street Bush to an Asian developer outside Redlands, group from Denison Crt met with Mayor Eddie, asking for replacement habitat (koalas walked with young from Valantine Park to this wetland site) and were provided with what is known as Keith St Reserve, opposite units, + house block for playground, paid for with our new environmental levy. Council planted leopard trees instead of natives locals asked for as street trees, took on the job, with help, of removing, and replacing them with natives, along with providing locals with brochures to take to council for playground equipment. Tracey Huges is Cr for the area and disappointed many of us by voting for Whitewater project we don’t want. However, she is so devoted to ex-Mayor Williams, she wanted to rush to her side and give her a big hug on having crashed while intoxicated, the Council vehicle. Who does this councillor, represent…deserving of a pay rise?
Drove to Birkdale shops 2:00 p.m. today, 01-24-2025, noted at Capalaba 4-way intersection, traffic congestion already beginning that later will worsen. How can Redland City Council planners consider adding more housing estates in areas surrounding Old Cleveland Rd East/Finucane Roads, expecting added vehicles will not result in traffic chaos and ill health to local residents from pollution generated by housing over-development? LNP MP Henry Pike recently spoke of a mental health facility in Cleveland I think, where people can go for help. If local/State government approve of proposed road changes, housing, then we see politicians as being irresponsible in their actions promoting mental illness that has been found to affect people subjected to daily air and noise pollution. We all need motor vehicles to access work places, both Finucane Rd and Old Cleveland Rd East, are bumper to bumper commuter traffic today. Please do not add to pollution ratepayers in Capalaba/Birkdale locations already endure on a daily basis. When is enough, enough?