Developers are eyeing off a large chunk of land centred around a chicken farm south-east of Brisbane for rapid housing and industrial growth.
Should the proposal gather steam and garner support from the state, it could be deemed a priority development area, fast-tracking its transformation from rural farmland to urban sprawl.
Stephen Williams from Wingate Properties, best known for his roles in West Village in inner Brisbane and the Riverlink shopping centre in Ipswich, is the face of the project.
The director of local housing developer Fiteni, Adam Souter, is also involved as a representative of one of the landholders.
The pair have met with Redland City Council officers, as well as the mayor and deputy mayor, to discuss potential residential and industrial development around the Golden Cockerel chicken farm in Mount Cotton.
Landholders involved include local developer and newspaper owner Warren Pryde, Dirk Karreman of Karreman Quarries, and Darwalla, a poultry company that partially owns Golden Cockerel.
In a statement, Souter said a group of landholders were “exploring opportunities to deliver new housing and jobs” in the area.
“A range of opportunities is being considered including investigations into any new infrastructure that may be required,” he said, promising stakeholders would be engaged should any development progress.
Deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie, who is also the planning minister, said he had not been approached about the development.
The development is being floated as the state government reviews the South-East Queensland Regional Plan, with expectations the region’s population will swell from 3.8 million to 6 million in 2046.
There are already three designated priority growth areas in the Redlands.
The Weinam Creek priority development area has been mired in controversy, as the council recently pulled out of a two-year agreement with developer Don O’Rorke to build a shopping centre and car park for people parking at the Redland Bay ferry terminal.
Toondah Harbour, where the Walker Group had hoped to build luxury apartments on the water in the council’s north-east corner, is also at a standstill, after the developers pulled their application when the federal government took issue with its potential environmental impact.
In April last year, an area in Southern Thornlands was also deemed a priority, with the state declaring plans for 8000 homes on the land around Woodlands Drive.
Council officers have repeatedly pushed back against the suggestion of expanding the urban footprint in the Redlands due to infrastructure costs.
A Redland City Council spokesperson said landholders can make representations to the state government about land use changes through the regional plan.
“Council would expect to be given an opportunity to review and provide feedback if the Queensland Government review identified any potential planning changes, including possible adjustments to the urban footprint,” they said.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
