Council has listened to community feedback in its updated response to over 5000 Draft Redland City Plan submissions at a Special Council meeting today (Tuesday 28 February).
The Draft plan had already removed the opportunity for multiple dwellings in the low density residential zones and increased minimum lot sizes from 350m2 to 400m2 across the significant area of low density residential zoning in the city (currently Urban Residential).
In response to submissions, Council further strengthened the minimum lot size requirements while other submission changes have included reversing the proposal for 400m2 minimum lot size to 2000m2 minimum lot size for hundreds of low density residential properties in Alexandra Hills, Wellington Point and Birkdale, and making changes to minimum lot size and frontage in the low-medium density zone from 250m2 to 400m2 and 7.5m to 10m.
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Other significant amendments include regulating all vegetation clearing in waterway corridors; extending application of Matters of Environmental Significance overlays to all properties over 1000m2 rather than 2000m2; remapping storm tide areas across the entire city including Raby Bay, Sovereign Waters and Aquatic Paradise and ensuring heritage values are specifically considered and protected in any future planning investigations of the Commonwealth land at Birkdale.
At the Special Council councilors formally decided to agree to the amendments proposed to the Draft Plan and submit the Draft Plan to the Planning Minister asking the Minister for approval to adopt the Plan.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said that under Queensland Government provisions for local government planning (Making and amending local planning instruments known as MALPI) the review document can only deal with the response to submissions, drafting errors or changed planning information.
“Council has responded to feedback from residents who made submissions during the public consultation period,” Cr Williams said.
“The change back from 400m2 low density residential (LDR) to LDR1 (2000m2) for almost 400 properties in Grenaid Court, Mossip Court, Nelson Road and Marlborough Road, Wellington Point; Birdwood and Haig Roads, Birkdale; and Alexandra Court and Hanover Drive, Alexandra Hills acknowledges the strong desire by community to retain larger property areas as a lifestyle choice.
“The amendments still allow diversity of housing in and around our centres, while ensuring minimum lot size and frontages, setbacks and good design outcomes.
“The unique character of the Southern Moreton Bay islands has been addressed through the Character Residential zoning provisions on the islands.
“The area between Double Jump Road and Bunker Road, Victoria Point, has also been included as an Emerging Community Zone, which now requires structure planning and affords greater protection to existing vegetation.
Council received more than 5000 properly made submissions by close of the extended 11-week consultation period between 14 September and 27 November 2015 (almost twice that required as the default period).
Consultation included division-specific letters to all Redland households and notification to all businesses and landowners; face to face activities that attracted more than 2000 attendees to 13 open house forums, 13 pop-up displays at shopping centres, markets and parks and stakeholder briefings; as well as website information that attracted more than 13,000 visits.
At the close of the public notification, 5347 properly made submissions were received by Council. Of these, 240 were individually drafted submissions, 10 submissions were submitted as petitions and the balance 5097 submissions were pro-forma submissions.
“Following the Council elections in March 2016, these submissions have been subject to intensive review with Councillors spending almost 100 hours in 26 internal workshops with council officers to consider the details of all submissions and draft responses,” Cr Williams said.
“This process has been achieved after exhaustive consideration of all the issues and in a spirit of compromise. We all agree that each individual councillor will not achieve 100 per cent of what they want but we agreed we have compromised to find the middle ground, because we all know that is in the best interests of the city and the community.
“We acknowledge that we live within the constraints of numerous State Government law, policy and guidelines. However, when we set out on the journey to review City Plan we all agreed to say what we mean and to mean what we say within those State constraints. We are at that point.”
Cr Williams said the intensive submission review process had been completed, with a majority of Councillors supporting the decision to now submit the Draft Plan to the State Minister as part of the next step.
“Today’s decision includes writing to every submitter advising of the outcome of their submission,” Cr Williams said.
“If the Minister agrees to the draft City Plan, Council will meet again to formally agree to the new City Plan being adopted and a date for commencement.
“The City Plan is a living document open to future amendments. While the plan must be fully reviewed every 10 years, major amendments that reflect changing community and planning needs can be brought forward for community consultation and possible amendment.
“Future major amendments have already been identified and will be brought forward for community consultation as soon as we legislatively can so that the plan continues to be responsive to the needs of our community.”
The detailed submission review and draft responses report can be viewed on Council’s Website and on Your Say Redland City.
Video and audio transcripts of the Special meeting are available on Council’s website after the meeting as usual.
