Areas in the Redlands such as Cleveland are being affected by creeping small lot housing
Redlands residents learnt this week that the State Government wants to weaken the Council’s proposed ban on housing subdivisions less than 400 square metres.
At a Council meeting on Monday to consider adopting a proposed new city planning scheme, it was revealed that the State Planning Minister Cameron Dick wants to leave open the door to further development of small lot housing housing on blocks less than 400 square metres. The Minister’s letter to Council is included in the meeting papers with the agenda.
As reported in the Bulletin, councillors decided at this meeting to hold off approving the new city plan for a few days so that further lobbying of the Minister could take place.
Redlands2030, on behalf of Redlands residents, has written the following letter to the Minister.
If you wish to add your voice in community opposition to the Minister’s city plan amendment, his contact details are;
or you can send him a message via the State Government website
Remember to cc your state MP and local councillor.
Open letter to Minister regarding small lot housing in Redlands
The Hon Cameron Dick
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
PO Box 15009 City East, Queensland 4002
Dear Minister
Your small lot housing amendments to the Redlands City Plan
Why are you ignoring the wishes of Redlands residents?
The draft Redlands City Plan aims to stop further development of housing on lots smaller than 400 square metres.
This aspect of the proposed new planning scheme is consistent with views expressed by thousands of residents in their submissions about the Draft City Plan 2015. The community has seen plenty of small lot housing happen in the Redlands and does not want more of it.
But you have told our councillors that the new planning scheme’s ban on housing blocks less than 400 square metres should be amended to give developers a bit of wriggle room.
You have required the ban on lots less than 400 square metres to be conditioned, saying they are to be allowed if “consistent with the density and character of the surrounding neighbourhood.”
Given the number and distribution of lots less than 400 square metres in parts of the Redlands in recent years your proposed condition is likely to be used as justification for more of the same, creating ongoing community uncertainty and discontent.
The community in Redlands, and elsewhere in south east Queensland, is fed up with planning schemes and laws which let property developers ignore planning limits and constraints in their pursuit of higher residential density and bigger profits at the expense of neighbourhood amenity.
In Redlands, community opposition to small lot development is sustained and clear.
As you might know, there were 6 400 submissions in response to the Draft City Plan put forward for public consultation by Redland City Council in 2015.
On a per capita basis this community response was ten times greater than the public reaction to the Gold Coast Council’s draft city plan.
On behalf of the Redlands community we urge you to listen to Redland City’s elected councillors and withdraw your proposed amendments to the Part 6.2 Zone Codes, especially in relation to development of small lot housing on blocks smaller than 400 square metres.
Steve MacDonald
President
Redlands2030
26 June 2018
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
2 Comments
These Little Lot zones proliferate in most parts of SEQ. They generally ignore previous AMCORD Codes of the 1990s. Many around the Priority Development Areas in Ipswich and Logan and MCUs in Beenleigh and Bahrs Scrub knock out Fauna Habitat and creeks on marginal residential land and utilise benched little lots on hillsides landscraping total sites. Geomorphology for some were never done in Logan City in PDAs or Bahrs Scrub driving up the cost of development and Infrastructure.
The features of Subtropical Design are difficult to identify and how these structures adapt to Climate Change should be determined.
The Council of Mayors in 2011 have produced a book “Next Generation Planning” with case study lots down to 170 square metres. The case studies missed the marginal lands and loss of fauna habitat. The research and consultation on the outcomes of these sites and others , in terms of social and physical impacts of ; external costs, heat sinks ,higher rainfall,rental enclaves and satellite clusters, poor access to facilities, public transport and livability may be in the pipeline somewhere?
The implementation of Little Lots in the Koala Coast without ;Koala Habitats being protected in the SEQ Regional Plan or the Environment Ministers Koala Panel Recommendations being implemented or Priority Species being Protected in the Planning Acts is just another step on the road to local Koala Extinction.
The Town and Regional Planning is at a twenty year low point , just the time to inflict overpopulation pain without;transport solutions , resources and green fauna infrastructure.
Small lot housing means everyone living on top of one another leaving very little space for trees and green spaces.