Our Sustainable Vision for Mitchelton

Mitchelton is a beautiful, but rapidly growing part of Brisbane. With a close relationship between big business and developers and an apathetic LNP council hollowing out public services, we need to advocate for a vision for the area that caters to people, not to cars and big business.

Here are some of our The Greens proposals for a more liveable Mitchelton, as presented at our 2024 town hall. 

1. More frequent and better public transport

The best way to tackle congestion is to get cars off the road and more people into reliable, frequent and affordable public transport. Samford Road is a prime example of a busy, congested road that is desperately lacking a high-frequency bus service.

Our petition to upgrade and extend the 390 route to a high frequency BUZ has received over 500 signatures. Samford Rd is densifying with new developments – better buses along this route will support existing and new residents alike.

A high frequency BUZ would support thousands of residents to get in and out of the city, and connect with popular local destinations like the Great Western and Brookside shopping centres, the Blackwood Street precinct, as well as schools, parks, and sports fields. A turn-up-and-go bus where you don’t need a timetable will give people the freedom to leave their cars at home.

This is just one example of one of the ways we will upgrade our public transport system. We also have proposed new high frequency routes as part of our ‘Brissie Bus Boost’ that would connect residents in Enoggera/Mitchelton to Paddington, Indooroopilly and Hendra without having to go into the city. 

The Greens would also introduce 13 bus priority corridors across the city on key arterial roads which already carry frequent buses. This would mean extending the existing bus priority lane that ends at Newmarket on Newmarket/Enoggera Road. The Greens would extend this through Newmarket and Alderley to the intersection with South Pine Road near Alderley train station. We will bring in a 3 month trial of free public transport for everyone, to build the case for permanent State government funding for free public transport. This real-world experiment would give Brisbane residents a taste of the freedom to leave their cars at home, and would demonstrate the congestion-busting potential of making public transport free.

2. Development for People, not profit 

We need new developments in our community to ensure everyone has a secure place to live, but it is essential that we support good development that benefits everyone in the community and brings people along on the journey.

A prime example of bad development is 76 Kooya Road, Mitchelton, which proposes 91 unaffordable lots, in an unsustainable subdivision arrangement unresponsive to the climatic and topographical context, with only a small portion of the site retained for community use.

Working together as a community, we can create a compelling vision for the site, that could include better arranged sites, more generous green space, 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, we are pushing to keep a portion of the lot for public or affordable housing that will actually help rather than exacerbate the housing crisis. People in the community need more say on neighbourhood plans, and we need developers to pay their fair share for public infrastructure. The Greens will end Council’s special deals for developers and put the needs of the community first.

3. Bring in a vacancy levy 

In Mitchelton and surrounding suburbs, there are multiple sites in unusable, decaying condition while there are many people struggling to find an affordable home.

The Greens’ proposed vacancy levy - on properties left vacant for more than 6 months for no good reason - would incentivise owners to put their properties to use, for the benefit of everyone. As it is, some developers hold on to vacant land and wait for prices to go up to sell (this is known as “land banking”).   In many cases, it’s hugely profitable for a property owner to leave property vacant, thanks to the perverse incentives built into the system.

Sites like the one pictured below have been left vacant for years while investors hold on to them waiting for property values to rise. The vacancy levy will encourage them to rent their sites out, redevelop them as housing, or sell them to someone who will actually use them.

4. Streets for people 

To reduce our car use we need to provide safe and practical transport alternatives - including walking and cycling. 

There are areas of Mitchelton that are difficult to get around on foot, especially for those who need to use a wheelchair or pram. To address this, we urgently need more accessible footpaths, greenbridges and pedestrian crossings that create direct connections to schools, hospitals, community facilities and shops. That’s why the Greens plan to build 200 new pedestrian crossings and 200 kilometres of new footpath. 

We also want to give residents the freedom to get around without a car by building 35km of protected bike and scooter lanes on 15 high priority corridors. Locally, this will include making the Kedron Brook bikeway a safe and accessible way to get around Brisbane, as well as making it resilient to extreme weather such as we saw in 2022 and the recent downpours. The Kedron Brook Bikeway development was never fully completed, the LNP stopped at Stage 4. We need to finish the development and connect the North Brisbane Bikeway and Kedron Brook Bikeway, to give a real alternative to the community.

Discussion summary

At the town hall, the audience broke into small groups to talk together how the sustainable cities principles would affect decision-making and planning in their neighbourhood. Each group responded to the same three questions.

Mitchelton question 1:

We have proposed an upgrade to the 390 bus which you can see at the top of this page that would include an extension of the route to northern suburbs and upgrading it to be a high-frequency BUZ. We have also proposed a high-frequency Enoggera to Indooroopilly route, and an Enoggera to Hendra route. Which of these routes would you find most beneficial at filling the gaps in public transport that trains cannot fill?

• People who use buses were generally in favour of the extension to the 390, and all agreed increasing the frequency would make it more useful.
• Two groups mentioned that getting to The Gap and the native green spaces from Mitchelton via public transport is too hard.
• Several groups mentioned that buses are unreliable (compared to trains) and have poor shade
• Two groups complained about the lack of cross-suburb connectivity.
• Participants raised a number of other complaints about public transport in Mitchelton:
  • The only local buses go to shopping centres
  • Not enough after hours bus services
  • Not enough connections with hospitals.
• One group suggested Brisbane explore trackless trams.

Mitchelton question 2:

There is currently a development application before council to build 90+ unaffordable homes in an area with poor public transport infrastructure at 76 Kooya Road. The Greens don’t think there should be no housing on the site - we think some affordable homes should be built there since we’re in a housing crisis - but we want to make sure that any new development is sustainable and benefits the community. Apart from better public transport, what local infrastructure would you like to see to make a development on the site in the interests of the community? What percentage of the site should be retained for public parkland?

• All groups were in favour of having housing on the site, but none suggested the detached homes currently in the development application.
• Concerns were raised about adding more cars to the area, and the need for public transport. 
• One group preferred townhouses, and another wanted ‘more compact, medium density’. Two groups mentioned affordable housing. One group said it should be 25% public housing. Another argued for mixed housing, saying “social and community housing is a necessity”.
• One group argued for mandatory inclusionary zoning.
• All groups wanted to keep parkland, one noting the proximity to Enoggera Reserve and the need to promote biodiversity, and another noting site is prone to flash-flooding 
• Suggestions for inclusions on the site included:
  • Age appropriate community centre
  • Community facilities
  • Bus interchange 
  • “Anything that brings community together”
  • Micro-turbine and community battery
• Several groups discussed the current development proposal and the community’s ability to influence decision-making. One group felt strongly that churches that act as property developers (as in this case) should be paying taxes, as they are operating a business.

Mitchelton question 3:

Is there anything else you’d like to say about your community or feedback and ideas for Elizabeth?

- Complaints about local issues

• Gym equipment in the park in Osborne Rd doesn’t work
• Trains are lousy after 6pm
• Banks of Kedron Brook are eroding
• Street sweepers can’t sweep due to parked cars (Blackwood St)
• Bikeways are too disjointed
• Settlement Rd isn’t safe

- Wishlist for local issues

• Bus to Clayfield that connects to the Airtrain
• More public housing
• More activities for all ages at Libraries
• Underground travel 
• Teen/youth gigs in parks 
• Accessible bike parking
• Rent cap
• More funding for public school equipment
• Community pantry/ community loans.

- Policy suggestions

• Liveable cities have connectivity
• Medicare needs reform
• Negative gearing/CGT should be targeted to affordable housing