Development plans for a large block in the Shoreline area, increased charges for rock quarried on North Stradbroke Island and a “Transition Plan” for the Redland Investment Corporation are to be discussed at Redland City Council’s next meeting on Wednesday 16 February 2022.
No move on heritage protection
Changing the town plan to add about 40 properties to the Local Heritage Register, which councillors failed to deal with at the meeting in August 2021, is not listed for discussion at this meeting.
These historic properties are currently covered by Temporary Local Planning Instrument TLPI 01/21 but this is due to expire on 17 March 2023.
No public attendance or participation
This meeting will be closed to public attendance and the Council has decided that there will be no public participation.
The meeting agenda says that there will be a “brief devotional segment” led by a member of the “Ministers’ Fellowship”.
Redland Investment Corporation
“Advocacy, Major Projects and Economic Development” is listed for confidential discussion as item 19.1 of the meeting agenda.
The reason given for this item being confidential is that “it deals with industrial matter affecting employees”.
This confidential matter deals with the Council’s decision on 16 June 2021 to prepare a transition plan for its property company, the Redland Investment Corporation.
Redlands2030 discussed the Redland Investment Corporation’s poor financial performance over seven years in: Doig Street car park closed for construction of aged care facility
Straddie rock to cost more
A 470% hike in the price for rock obtained from Fisherman Quarry on North Stradbroke Island will be implemented if officers’ recommendations for item 15.1 are adopted.
The GST inclusive fee for rock will increase from $15.65 to $89.13 per cubic metre.
“At present, the majority of the cost to generate rock at the Fisherman Quarry No.1 is not recovered through the 2019 adopted fee and is therefore being cross subsidised and absorbed within the City Operations budget” says the officers’ report.
Shoreline’s biting insects
Proposed changes to approvals for land that will be developed by LendLease as part of the southern Redlands Shoreline project are to be discussed by councillors (item 14.1).
This block of land (the Bayhill Estate) was not part of the controversial 2015 Shoreline project approval. But now LendLease wants to make the development rules for this land tie in with the overall Shoreline project plan.
Among various changes sought by LendLease is a proposal to reduce the buffer zone between residential development where people will live and the Moreton Bay foreshore populated by mosquitos and biting midges.
The biting insect buffer zone will be reduced from a minimum of 100 metres to a minimum of 59.5 metres between the proposed development and the highest astronomical tide (HAT).
“The prevalence of mosquitos over the developed Bayhill site will be principally determined by the breeding success of mosquitoes on the near-by islands and the success of council’s established mosquito management program” says the developer’s ecological consultant in an addendum to the site’s biting insect management plan.
Adult salt marsh mosquitoes can travel up to 30 kms with wind assistance.
300 hectares of brackish water mosquito breeding habitat has been identified within 2-5 kms of the development site on Pannikin, Long and Lagoon islands.
Redland City Council says it is unable to use chemical sprays to deal with biting midges.
Birkdale land development
To encourage input to community engagement about the Master Plan for Birkdale Community Precinct the Council is inviting applications for grants from schools, youth groups, individuals and community groups.
Seed funding amounts of $500 to $1000 for community groups and $2000 for schools and youth groups are available for successful applicants who have a project idea for the precinct.
“The response to last year’s community engagement campaign for the Vision stage of Birkdale Community Precinct was phenomenal,” Mayor Williams said.
“Council listened to the community’s aspirations for the future of this beautiful 62-hectare piece of land and consequently a draft master plan is being finalised for release this year.”
More information is available on the Council’s Birkdale Community Precinct Your Say webpage.
To find out what the community actually said, check out Redlands2030’s story:
Birkdale Community Precinct Vision ignores community feedback
Toondah development opinions
New Redland City Bulletin Editor Craig Thomson has been busy in the past few weeks finding out the hot local issues and hardening up the Bulletin’s news coverage.
He wants to find out what his readers really think about proposals for development at Toondah Harbour.
An opinion piece by Craig Thomson What’s the right thing to do with Toondah Harbour? includes an on-line form for submitting a short ‘have your say’ letter to the Bulletin or you can email him at: craig.thomson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Cleveland Train Station development
Once upon a time, a report on court appeals was included in the agenda for Council meetings. But during this term of Council the practice has been changed. The report is still prepared by officers but you have to go hunting for it on the Council’s website.
So here’s a link to where you can download the latest report: SUMMARY OF PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COURT APPEALS & APPLICATIONS AS AT 27 JANUARY 2022
Armed with this report, you can then keep an eye on court files for disputes such as the case between Redland City Council and Envisage Development Management Pty Ltd (Envisage) about plans for 124 apartments in the Cleveland Train Station car park.
On 9 March 2020, just before the local council elections, Redlands2030 observed that:
“It appears that the Council may have approved development on land which was not the subject of the original development application, which raises questions about whether or not the approval is legally valid.”
On 7 April 2020 the Council wrote to the developer saying, inter alia:
“Advice has been sought on the validity of the Development Permit granted by Council on 31 January 2020 … as a result of the inclusion of land not originally part of the application being included; specifically, 159 on SP273106 (which is owned by the State Government).
As a result of this advice, Council considers that the Development Permit is affected by material procedural error and is invalid.”
On 2 July 2021 Envisage lodged an appeal with the Planning and Environment Court – the file number is 1668 of 2021 or 1668/21 if you search Queensland Courts civil files.
About Redland City Council meetings
This Redland City Council meeting is closed to the public due to the Council’s interpretation of the State Government’s COVID public health directions and Local Government Regulations.
There will be no opportunity for public participation. The Council says it has “suspended public participation until further notice”.
The ‘public’ version of the 16 February 2022 meeting agenda (including officers’ reports for non-confidential items) can be accessed on the Council website.
The meeting will be video recorded (except for confidential discussions) and this video recording will be posted to the meeting video recordings webpage on the Council website. Videos usually appear within 48 hours of the meeting.
The Council usually publishes the meeting minutes about one week after the meeting. Meeting minutes include the wording of all resolutions adopted and details of which councillors voted for or against every resolution – including the confidential items.
When published, the minutes will appear on the Council’s website.
Here are the contents of the agenda for Redland City Council’s meeting on 16 February 2022:
Redlands2030 – 15 February 2022
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
One Comment
Thank you for bringing me up to speed, very informative piece.
This council is even more defective than I thought.