“Development greed has destroyed wildlife habitat, decimated a once abundant koala population” says resident.
Residents write about Council’s environmental levy spending, plans for an aged care facility in the Cleveland CBD, facilities expected of a real city and Toondah Harbour.
Lost environmental levy
Council’s website doesn’t show any land purchased with the environment levy since 2012/13
As you know as ratepayers we pay an environmental levy. The Redland City Council (RCC) website states that the RCC acquires land with environmental significance through: transfer of land from State Government, part of development approval under the Redlands Planning Scheme, court orders, rates in arrears, bequests and purchase with the environment charge.
This is all above board if the public is informed of where the money goes.
The RCC website has had a listing of Environmental Land Acquisitions under the headings financial year, land number, lot number. plan number, property number, locality, address description, area (ha) and costs ($).
It starts in the year 1993/94 and abruptly ends 2012/13. The site deals with each acquisition and importantly states why the land was acquired. It was an excellent informative site. Since 1993 until last posting, Council had purchased 351 properties totalling 840 hectares, at a cost of almost $27.6 million.
However the site has not been added to since 2012/13. The last posting of 2012/13 was when a 2.22 ha site in 6A Boundary Road Thornlands was bought for $170,084. I have not been able to find any information about where the environmental levy money has been spent since 2012/13. I don’t know why the website has not continued and I also question if the RCC is sincere about transparency. We the ratepayers should be able to easily access where the environmental charges are spent.
Thank you for all the work you do with Redlands20/30. I hope the RIC petition is successful.
Regards
MF
Straddie Island
Toondah: How big?
An unauthorised artist’s impression of planned residential development at Toondah Harbour
Cr Paul Gleeson came onto ABC radio a few weeks ago and tried to say he never knew Toondah was never anything but 3,600 units on the wetlands.
He then went on to say that we should all be wary of the group called Redlands2030 because they are just a political group. When Steve Austin questioned this statement Cr Gleeson went on to say they are trying to influence future development in the Redlands.
Steve Austin replied with “Cr Gleeson, that is called democracy.”
It appears that none of the councillors asked the really important questions. They just voted in unison and left to the residents to ask the really crucial questions.
Did anyone in Council consider the impact on the migratory shorebird zone?
Did any of you even ask Walker Group how they planned to cope with the sewerage piping from units perched over the wetlands?
Some residents asked that question at a Toondah “Pop-up” and the answer from Walker Group was that such planning had not yet been considered.
With all these problems and more the residents can rightly summarise Toondah as the “rort at the port.”
DT
Victoria Point
Will Cleveland’s CBD be built on aged care?
Questions about plans for sale of the Doig Street car park for development of an aged care facility.
I struggle with how any aged care facility can revitalise Cleveland’s CBD.
A strong CBD needs an incumbent population with a healthy spend to support it’s retail base.
Without a substantial revitalisation and transition plan in place, and a council that has demonstrably withdrawn its support for its predominantly aging population in failing to fund The Donald Simpson Centre, I wonder what identity, or legacy will be left to honour the extraordinary people and pioneers who built this town?
Do our administering authorities really have any idea, or a plan for a compelling vision to drive this city and district to be and achieve all it can?
I am yet to see Redlands embrace and empower its youth, so that their prosperity can ensure a comfortable, interactive, fulfilling and secure retirement for our esteemed Elders.
NS
Thornlands
Development greed has destroyed wildlife habitat
“Redlands must be the only city without a great central park with lawns, flower gardens, picnic areas etc” – Photo: Toowoomba Botanic Gardens
Development greed has destroyed wildlife habitat, decimated a once abundant koala population.
I came to the Redlands 30 years ago expecting those valuable assets to be protected.
Council decisions have favoured developers at ratepayer expense. Other councils balance development and still provide the facilities rates were designed for.
We elect councillors expecting they will use ratepayer money (yes, it’s ratepayers money) and provide the civic facilities that make a better lifestyle.
A newspaper comparison indicates Redlands pay the highest rates in S.E.Q. which many find difficult to pay. Like pensioners who now pay around $3,000 a year (two months pension). What improvements have Council provided for that money in the last five years? Ratepayers seem to be a money source and only receive consideration at rate increase time.
Recently the Mayor said we should be proud of Redlands yet facilities lack comparison with similar cities.
For example Redlands must be the only city without a great central park with lawns, flower gardens, picnic areas etc. There is no first-class sporting complex, present fields need play area boundary fences, sideline shelter, seating. Car parking has been neglected, children play areas are few, only one public swimming pool, waterways blocked, the list is endless.
With Redlands’ great bayside position there is no caravan park. Having caravanned around Australia I have found many cities with wonderful showground facilities that cater for tourists. Council talks tourism yet hides the Tourist Information Centre at Indigiscapes.
Decisions from the Council appear to favour developers even with approvals outside Council’s own building code including koala tree destruction.
The Toondah proposal apparently conceived in secret with Council unbelievably signing a confidentiality agreement. That either advantages the developer or denies ratepayers information on its massive impact on all ratepayers.
There are many questions, like how a developer gains approval to build over a huge area of public waterway for personal gain which creates suspicion.
This development proposes approximately 36 buildings to ten stories high obscuring views to Stradbroke. Some 3,600 units, perhaps 10,000 people with 4,000 motor cars wanting railway parking.
A development that will dredge millions of tons of acid sulphate contaminated soil with the possibility to destroy coral reef, fish habitat, seagrass beds, mangrove trees even bird life.
The mayor indicated Toondah would be without ratepayer cost. A previous mayor wrote in the Bayside Bulletin ratepayers subsidise developer infrastructure cost up to 60%. That’s millions of ratepayer dollars that could fix all the facility neglect for years.
DD
Cleveland
What do you think?
Share your thoughts with the Redlands and beyond by sending a letter to:
theeditor@redlands2030.net
Redlands2030 – 24 October 2018
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
One Comment
Some residents have written some excellent summaries of what is going on under our noses in the name of “responsible development.” Rather than add to these summaries I will just highlight three sentences written above by DD of Cleveland because they identify what is happening.
“The Toondah proposal apparently conceived in secret with Council unbelievably signing a confidentiality agreement. That either advantages the developer or denies ratepayers information on its massive impact on all ratepayers.
There are many questions, like how a developer gains approval to build over a huge area of public waterway for personal gain, which creates suspicion.