Master plan necessary for land FULL marks to Lord Mayor Campbell Newman for suggesting the Brisbane City Council and the Federal Government should prepare a development master plan for Defence Department land in Bulimba. Although he is jumping the gun the 24ha riverfront site in question is still very much in the hands of the navy the point he makes is a very good one; if and when such valuable land comes on to the market, its development needs to be planned sensitively and well. Federal Treasurer Peter Costello recently announced, as part of a housing affordability strategy, an audit of the Federal Government's excess urban land holdings to see what could be released for residential development.
Whether or not that involves the navy's Bulimba land is still to be seen. But Cr Newman is sensible to get in early to suggest that any future disposal of the land be completed only after a comprehensive master plan. Making sure we have enough land for development is only part of the equation.
Just as important is how we use that land. If and when the Federal Government is going to free up land for future development, it needs to be party to and sympathetic to the aims and aspirations of the people of southeast Queensland. Simply selling off the land without sensible master-planning particularly in such a desirable urban area as the Bulimba reach of the river, would be just plain wrong.
This sort of challenge is going to be repeated time and again all over southeast Queensland in the years to come. In Brisbane alone, the City Council will need to find space for a further 145,500 residences in the city over the next 20 years. Strategic planning that looks at all of the issues is going to be a crucial part of achieving that result satisfactorily without destroying all that we hold dear.
We cannot, and should not, just leave it up to the professional planners, or the developers, or the politicians. Masterplanning of the sort suggested by the Lord Mayor, with plenty of public input and discussion, is a vital part of the process. recognises this, which is why this week we are launching, in conjunction with Griffith University's Urban Research Program, Channel 9 and the Brisbane Institute, the Our Future, Your Say series of forums to start on August 8.
The series will look at the issues surrounding growth in southeast Queensland and will involve public meetings, reports and opportunities for online feedback. It will be challenge enough simply making room for the 1200 people a week who move to Queensland. Much more challenging is making room for these new Queenslanders in a way that does not fundamentally ruin our enviable quality of life.
It is no easy matter getting the necessary planning and the infrastructure right. It is a complex and time-consuming process that does require input from all sides. We commend the Lord Mayor for raising this issue with the Federal Government and we welcome and invite the participation of all Queenslanders in our new Our Future, Your Say series.
We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. We also require a working email address - not for publication, but for verification.
The location field is optional. Read our publication guidelines.
News RSS