Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area

Recently the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning advised Council that this amendment has been placed on hold pending completion of the Queensland Government’s Housing Supply and Diversity for Redland City.

Further information on the Housing Supply and Diversity Strategy is available here.

Redland City Council has identified the critical elements it believes the Queensland Government must consider as part of the South-East Queensland Regional Plan (SEQRP) review.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams also tabled a Mayoral Minute at the General Council meeting today (Wednesday 19 April 2023), raising concerns about a possible Ministerial designation to facilitate accelerated delivery of suburban-scale housing in a 900-hectare site in Southern Thornlands, otherwise known as the Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area (STPFGA).

Cr Williams said Council was recently made aware the Planning Minister may designate the entirety of the STPFGA as a Priority Development Area (PDA) as a means of addressing the unfolding housing crisis across the state and the nation.

“Council recognises there is a housing crisis, supports additional housing when it comes with critical state government infrastructure, and is looking at its own housing affordability initiatives,” Cr Williams said.

“However, zoning a new area for up to 8000 dwellings without infrastructure when we already have enough other land supply is not the answer.

“The proposal not only directly conflicts with Council’s preferred land use intents for Southern Thornlands, which includes a precinct that will accommodate a mixed industry business area to provide employment opportunities and for rural residential living, but there also does not appear to be any evidence to support this potential declaration.

“On the key performance benchmarks identified in the South-East Queensland Regional Plan, Redland City Council is exceeding all its residential land supply targets, with the state’s own data showing Redland City has current capacity to provide up to 43,000 dwellings – almost four times what is required.”

Cr Williams said the Queensland Government had also completed studies across the state of land availability for housing and population forecasts, but it had not been released publicly.

“It is important that this information, the 2022 Land Supply Monitoring Report, which includes data for Redlands Coast, is released for all to see before imposing such a large-scale housing development in this area,” Cr Williams said.

“Council wants to work with all levels of government as we know this is not something that one level of government can fix alone. We need everyone at the table and transparency around data that can inform decisions on this important work.

“A co-ordinated response is required to address the national housing crisis and cost of living pressures more broadly, ensuring residents have somewhere to live while meeting their social needs and protecting their quality of life.

“For example, a significant issue for Redlands Coast is a lack of social housing, which is a State Government responsibility.

“Council is investigating its own options to support affordable housing in the city. This includes possible incentives for the delivery of affordable housing products to market.”

Cr Williams said Council was committed to working collaboratively with the State Government to deliver solutions that would achieve meaningful impacts for the Redlands Coast community.

Cr Williams said key interventions by the State Government could include:

• A significant increase in funding for social and affordable housing.
• Investments in region-shaping infrastructure that will unlock the take up of appropriately zoned land in the existing urban footprint.
• Legislative reforms that support the delivery of smaller and more affordable housing options.
• Strategies and programs that deliver affordable housing outside of traditional public housing models of provision, such as build-to-rent schemes and transitioning public housing stock to the community housing sector for redevelopment.
• The establishment of a dedicated team within State Government to streamline the delivery of affordable housing.

Cr Williams said it was important to note that affordability issues currently being experienced on Redlands Coast were not related to a lack of supply of appropriately zoned land, but the timely delivery of housing to market.

“Council absolutely supports additional housing but wants to ensure that housing comes with the critical infrastructure required to support the communities who live there,” Cr Williams said.

“We want those who live there to be able to enjoy our naturally wonderful lifestyle, go to a school nearby, have employment opportunities, effective public transport, good roads, and hospital services.

“If there was to be a State Government designation of a PDA for Southern Thornlands potentially incorporating up to 8000 new dwellings, this is twice the size of the Shoreline development in Redland Bay.

“Without the required infrastructure for such a massive influx to the population, equivalent to a whole new Council division, there would be significant negative impacts on our community, environment, and lifestyle.

“The city already requires state infrastructure such as an eastern busway from Capalaba to Carindale, duplication of Cleveland train line and upgrades to the state road networks.

“Council will not endorse a regional plan that proposes additional growth without a commitment from the Queensland Government to fund new and upgraded infrastructure.

“Our community has been adamant in demanding any population growth needs to be accompanied by critical state infrastructure such as roads, hospitals and schools.”

On 17 June 2022, the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning (the department) issued Council with a Notice to request information and to pause a timeframe under the Minister’s Guidelines and Rules (MGR).

Details are available on the State Interest Assessment Request for Further Information and the State government’s plan making dashboard here Plan-making dashboard | Planning (statedevelopment.qld.gov.au).

On 19 January 2022, Council considered a report on the STPFGA (Item 14.6.) and resolved to proceed with a major amendment to City Plan. The preferred future land use map adopted by Council is shown in the top right hand corner of this webpage. The report and resolution are publicly available on Council’s meeting minutes and agendas webpage. A copy of the resolution is also available for download via the ‘Documents’ section of this webpage.

Council will now submit the proposed amendment to the Planning Minister for consideration as part of the Review of State Interests. A further statutory phase of public consultation will occur if the Planning Minister approves Council proceeding to public consultation.

Redland City Council has deferred considering the 19 May 2021 General Meeting agenda item about the Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area (STPFGA) due to tightened legislative conflict of interest rules.

Councillors couldn’t contribute at this point because some of the submissions received during previous community consultation on STPFGA were made by individuals known professionally and personally to the majority of Councillors.

In line with legislation, Council resolved to write to the Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning to seek approval for the Councillors with the declarable conflict of interest to participate in discussions and vote on the matter.

Redland City Council is supporting the local jobs of tomorrow by prioritising economic development in the Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area, with residents now invited to have their say.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Council had focussed on jobs creation as part of a planning investigation for the area after Council had been directed by the State Government to consider the potential future growth area.

“This land has been the subject of almost 20 years of planning and community debate, disrupted by changing directions,” she said.

“The State Government previously included part of the area in the urban footprint, which would have seen the area used for residential development.

“But this decision was then reversed, with the State Government then nominating it as a Potential Future Growth Area and directing Council to undertake planning investigations to determine the preferred future use of the area.

“Council has been firm that this area should be used for jobs, not small lot housing and so we have developed a plan to reflect this commitment.

“The proposals include areas for mixed industry and business, intensive horticulture, education, training and recreation, a transport precinct, storage and larger home-based industry enterprise activities,” she said.

Cr Williams said Council had also drawn a line in the sand by clearly stating that land not used for economic uses should only be used for larger rural living blocks (i.e., with a minimum lot size of 1 hectare) and not small lot housing.

“Given this area has seen a number of uses suggested over the years, Council wanted to make it clear that we do not support small lot housing and will only support rural living, which fits with the character of the area while also addressing homebuyer demand for this sort of rural product.”

Cr Williams said Council had also resolved to consult the whole community on the proposed use of the area at the same time the proposed plan was sent to the Minister.

“The Minister wrote to Council asking us to engage with landowners in the plan area, but Council believes this land is strategically important for the entire city and given we are focussing on job creation in the area we felt everyone should have the opportunity to have a say,” Cr Williams said.

“As such we have today opened engagement and are inviting the community to provide feedback. The views of the community will be used to inform a potential future amendment to City Plan.

“There has been a lot of debate and history to these land use recommendations, and Council wants to hear the community’s feedback on the proposed balance of future economic and residential use of the land.”

For more information about the Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area, and to have your say on the draft proposals for preferred future land uses, visit the project’s page on Council’s Your Say site.