The only public participation presentation to Redland City Council at its meeting on 20 July 2022 was from Mr Michael O’Brien who spoke about zoning in Southern Thornlands.
Before Mr O’Brien was able to speak there was an awkward preamble with Cr Paul Gollé making a late declaration of a possible conflict of interest and leaving the room.
Mr O’Brien has made the notes for his presentation available to Redlands2030 and these notes are published, below.
Southern Thornlands planning history
Good Morning. My Name is Michael O’Brien, I live at Taylor Rd Thornlands, and I do not represent any group or organization
I wish to speak about is the Cadastral mapped area bounded by Woodlands Drive, Taylor Road and Boundary Road which is contained within the Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area (STPFGA).
In 2005 this area was within the Urban Footprint. In response, Redland City Council ratified a zoning change to Emerging Urban Community later but this zoning change was never incorporated into the planning scheme which allowed this area to be controversially removed from the Urban Footprint in 2009 without notice and without compensation.
In August 2017 the state government’s new regional plan Shaping SEQ included a sub-regional directive requiring Redlands Council to undertake land use investigation of the entire area identified as the STPFGA to be completed by December 2019. Council failed to comply with this direction.
In July 2020 the then Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Mr Cameron Dick issued a very stern Ministerial Direction Notice to force council to undertake the work by the September 2020.
In February 2022 council finally provided the state planning office with a land use proposal for the STPFGA which proposed Rural Living across most of the area even though the state planning office clearly stated on several occasions and in all correspondence that this outcome would not be acceptable as it conflicts with Shaping SEQ .
Council did do an investigation but totally ignored the definition of a PFGA for future Urban development.
Council also proposed a MIBA but absolutely refused to consider any urban use for the area.
In short, council proposed a land use outcome it knew would not be acceptable, refused to propose urban outcomes and ignored proposed outcomes for the area under its own planning scheme.
“We have Shoreline”
I am calling on council to now be accountable for gross negligence and misuse of public funds for producing a proposal that clearly would not be supported by state planning.
State planning has paused the review process four times since receiving the proposal with the latest pause they have publicly published why councils’ submission does not comply with the PFGA definition and have serious concerns as this proposal conflicts in several ways with the intention of the grow goal under Shaping SEQ.
A Rural Living designation is only applied to land where urban outcomes are not feasible.
If council considers this land suitable for Rural living it is also suitable for urban development
I’ve discussed the STPFGA with various councillors and asked directly why council is deliberately excluding urban development in this area. The only reply I have ever received is that”
“We have Shoreline and don’t need other urban development land “.
Approving one development does not preclude approving other suitable developments.
In June this year Shoreline announced that they are facing a multimillion-dollar cost blowout as well as a extended time delay of almost two years until there will be a treatment facility in place to allow release of more land.
Southern Thornlands and the housing shortage
Over the last few years COVID restriction and flooding in southern states has seen accelerated southern migration to southeast Queensland
The Deputy Premier, Minister Steven Miles announced 52,000 extra southern migrators have arrived in southeast Queensland which will put enormous pressure on our current housing shortages. He also announced a range of State funded incentives to accelerate the urban housing industry and requested all councils to consider any and all options to accommodate this influx.
The Australian Bureau of Statics released information last week that in 2018 and 2019 southeast Queensland population increased by 46,000 each year and that during the period 2020 to 2021 the population increased by just over 80,000 each year.
Even back in early 2020/2021 when the STPFGA proposal was being workshopped, the evidence of housing and urban land shortages was evident. It’s now July 2022 and we have a full-blown housing crisis that this council seems to refuse to recognise.
In March 2022 only one month after refusing urban development in Southern Thornlands the Redlands Council along with other councils through the LGAQ (Local Government Association of Queensland) called on state and federal governments for significant assistance to address the housing shortage.
Current policy, according to the information I have received directly from a councillor, is that 70% of required urban development land will come from infill development. This is a policy council should confirm to the public, as it means intense infill.
Refusing to open areas like Southern Thornlands adds extreme pressure to allow more infill development.
The recent pause in State review I believe is the opportunity for councillors to work with State planning officers to rezone at least the cadastral area identified under its own planning scheme for potential urban use.
Transparency and accountability
I’m calling on councillors to set aside personal preferences and biases and to raise and support a motion to extend the Urban Footprint across the cadastral mapped area bounded by Woodlands Drive, Boundary Road, and Taylor Road.
If the council refuses to rezone the area or support Urban Footprint then, in my opinion, council will be sending a clear message that it is happy to impose infill across the Redlands and happy to go on wasting public money
I’m calling on council to stop playing planning games with this area for the good of the Redlands.
I’m calling on council to demonstrate that it is capable of fairly, transparently, and accountably facilitating and managing planned growth and opportunity for the Redlands.
We are all watching.
Michael O’Brien
Thornlands
More about Southern Thornlands
Redlands2030 published this story in 2020:
Ministerial directions on southern Thornlands ignored by Redlands Council
Published by Redlands2030 – 27 July 2022
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One Comment
I believe Mr O’Brien’s presentation showed again that this council follows it’s own agenda & these such as endorsing Shoreline are in the best interest of some on council. They ignore regulations that don’t suit their interests & transparency is not their best suit. Council are wasting so much of our money on this fruitless exercise re Southern Thornlands. Mr O’Brien’s presentation should be presented to State Government in the hope “someone” ends this craziness.