Southern Thornlands Potential Future Growth Area

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.