Redland City Council has endorsed a submission on the Draft Development Scheme for the Southern Thornlands Priority Development Area (PDA), reiterating to the Queensland Government that key trunk infrastructure servicing the site must be prioritised and delivered at no cost to Council.
Acting Mayor Julie Talty said that at the core of Council’s position on the proposed development was a desire to ensure the 900-hectare area was planned as a vibrant, well-connected and sustainable community that complemented other urban areas of Redlands Coast.
“Council has made it clear on several occasions that the costs of trunk infrastructure to service the PDA should be borne by development proponents and that Council will not accept these costs being shifted to Redland City Council and our ratepayers,” she said.
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“The Queensland Government has declared the PDA and is preparing the associated development scheme, so it’s appropriate that the Queensland Government also ensures the infrastructure required in the PDA is planned and delivered in a coordinated and timely manner.
“With transport being a key consideration for large scale development projects such as Southern Thornlands, Council has requested further information and modelling showing how the transport network will be able to accommodate the additional population.
“Council would also like the development scheme to more comprehensively address how growth within the PDA will impact the surrounding road network, including key corridors such as Mount Cotton Road, Duncan Road and Boundary Road.
“These roads are vital connectors and have long been recognised as requiring upgrades to accommodate growth, including as far back as 2007.
“The submission also makes clear that any wastewater upgrades to facilitate the PDA must be funded by development proponents through appropriate mechanisms, as is common for large scale developments.”
Cr Talty said given the density of the overall land use pattern for the PDA in the Draft Development Scheme, further work was required to demonstrate how it would be delivered, particularly in relation to education and employment land.
“Council is also requesting refinement of the plan for the proposed open space, sport and community infrastructure network to ensure it is appropriately funded and able to meet the future needs of the new master-planned community,” she said.
Planning and Regulation Portfolio Representative Councillor Rowanne McKenzie said Council would not accept any costs for key infrastructure being shifted to ratepayers.
“The Southern Thornlands PDA is the largest proposed residential development in Redland City’s history, with the latest figures from the Queensland Government showing that as many as 24,000 people are expected to call the area home,” she said.
“Given the scale of proposal, which includes about 8000 dwellings, Council rightly expects that infrastructure upgrades and transport connectivity within the PDA are delivered in a timely and coordinated manner.
“The Queensland Government must demonstrate that the transport network has sufficient long-term capacity and provides appropriate public and active transport connections to key destinations.
“Council will collect no infrastructure charges and is not the decision-making authority for the PDA, and as such it would be inappropriate for any infrastructure funding shortfall to be borne by Council or the community either now or in the future.”
