Next Tuesday (9th February) Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and Neighbourhood Planning Chair, Cr Amanda Cooper, intend to introduce changes to the West End-Woolloongabba Local Area Plan that will enable 30+ storey buildings in our neighbourhood.

This is the same exercise that Brisbane City Council called the “South Brisbane Riverside Renewal Strategy”. You may remember it was left to WECA to make available the secret planning documents that Council kept hidden from people throughout this process. You can find them in full at WECA’s website under the Campaigns heading.

More than 4,600 people endorsed better planning outcomes and called for Council to abide by community ambitions for liveable, sustainable urban development. This incredible level of public interest is testament to peoples clear support for better planning that is transparent and community led.

On the contentious topic of CBD-style high-rises in West End the pubilc view is clear & unequivocal:

   *    530 submissions made on the topic of building heights
   *     only 5 argued for the increased heights being pushed by the Lord Mayor (less than 1%)
   *     52% supported building heights less than 8 storeys
   *     a further 45% supported buildings heights less than 12 storeys, in the high density areas only.
   *     that’s a total of 97% supporting medium-rise development.

There is universal rejection of the Mayor’s push for 30+ storeys and he fails to make any case for this proposition.

What’s Next from Here?

If City Council adopts the Newman “high-rise” plan for West End then the draft plan will be forwadred to the State government for a ‘State’s Interests Check’.

Its at this point that the Minister for Infrastructure will review the draft’s proposals for population increases, the adequacy of infrastructure i.e. roads, water, waste treatment; proposed land use and the planning provisions for adequate open/green space, provisions for essential services, provisions for schools & health services. There is some scope for the State government to also check on criteria for sustainability, climate change impacts/management and future development implications.

Once the State government makes its input the draft plan will be returned to City Council for formal gazetting – and thereby ready to be brought into law.

What Can You Do?

   *     attend the City Council’s meeting next Tuesday 9th February about 2.30pm, 158 Ann Street to let City Hall that people are still watching and want them to listen to the people rather than being hijacked by narrow, special interests.
   *     join WECA – your membership makes a difference to our ability to lobby and help. Renew today and encourage your neighbours to do the same.
   *     stay informed – WECA will continue to post information, take the time to read and ask questions if you’ve any queries.
   *     speak to your neighbours & friends – the campaign for local leadership over local development is for all of Brisbane. If City Hall gets away with steamrolling 99% of people here then they’ll do it anywhere. The principled stand is: LOCAL LEADERSHIP OVER LOCAL DEVELOPMENT.

Thanks for your continued support and involvement. WECA is a volunteer association of residents and we rely on your contributions. At a time when our neighbuorhood is nationally recognised as a model urban neighbourhood and Boundary St was named Queensland’s Best Street by the Courier-Mail its amazing that City Hall politics would threaten the very characteristics that make this part of Brisbane what it is.

Darren Godwell
President, West End Community Association