The proposed development at 76 Kooya Road doesn't meet the community's needs. On this site, developers will put in 91 unsustainable and unaffordable urban lots, and retain only a small portion of the site for public use. This plan for dense lots will increase urban heat and put lots more cars into an area with no plan to relieve traffic with additional public and active transport infrastructure. You can find more information about the DA on Council’s development.i website here.
The Neighbourhood Plan suggests much more of the site should be kept as public parkland. A big public park could include other facilities like a meeting hall, community garden and playground for local kids. The proposed park, as well as being much smaller than that suggested in the Neighbourhood Plan, would also largely be filled with big protected trees, limiting usable space.
While we had heard that Brisbane City Council may be considering purchasing the site, it turned out that wasn’t the case at all. I called on the Federal Government to step in and buy the site if Council wouldn’t. This site is too important to be turned into unsustainable and unaffordable urban lots.
By working with the community, we can plan for a better vision for the site, that could include mixed-use, and more generous green space alongside community facilities and properly cared-for bushland. Given that we’re in a housing crisis and house prices in Mitchelton have skyrocketed up to $1 million, it would make sense to keep a portion of the lot for some public or affordable housing that will actually help to relieve the housing crisis.
After the Council’s assessment officer asked additional questions of the proponents, they’ll be back with revised plans at any time. If we want a better outcome for this site, we need the community to mobilise quickly and make submissions on the development when the time is right.
So come along to this community forum, where we'll discuss more about what's wrong with the development, what the community could be demanding instead, and talk about how we make submissions that pressure Council and the developers to go back to the drawing board.