A Council-owned land parcel at Alexandra Hills has been nominated to become conservation land after Deputy Mayor Alan Beard successfully brought a notice of motion at today’s General Meeting.
Councillor Beard said the move to repeal a resolution of Council from 2010 would keep the land in Council’s ownership and maintain this parcel as bushland habitat.
“During the recent City Plan consultation process, the proposal to implement Council’s previous resolution to sell the land for limited and reduced development and ensuring the long term protection of the bushland habitat was canvassed,” he said.
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“I’m not at all surprised that the community reaction was strongly against the sale of the land, despite the fact the profit would have been returned to the environment levy, so today I have acted in line with my community’s wishes to ensure the land will not be sold.
“I am pleased Councillors voted to support my community’s views and repeal the previous 2010 resolution.”
Cr Beard said Council purchased the 9415 square metre 61 McMillan Road property in 2010 for about $1.5 million from the Environmental Levy fund.
Today’s notice of motion included a resolution to nominate the rezoning of the land as conservation during the submission review for Draft City Plan 2015.
“While adopting the planning scheme will be a decision for the next term of Council, today’s decision will leave no doubt that the current Council is supportive of this land being zoned conservation, which reflects the strong view of my community,” he said.
Redland City Council’s environment levy started in 1992 and is currently $87.20 per property. Council to date has purchased 351 properties totalling 840 hectares, at a cost of almost $27.6 million.
Council’s policy approach for this property was to purchase it for reconfiguring the block and on-selling it. The original proposed development for the site was an 11 lot subdivision which was likely to see the removal of almost all the vegetation on the property given the required road works and lots sizes. Retention of vegetation on this property, in particular koala habitat vegetation, would have been extremely difficult if the 11 lot subdivision was allowed to occur.
Council’s original intention for this block was to ensure a high level of protection of its habitat values through its purchase and then limited and reduced redevelopment protecting the vegetation on the property.
Further information on the land parcel at 61 McMillan Road, Alexandra Hills, can be found in Council’s register of environmental land acquisitions available online at www.redland.qld.gov.au/EnvironmentWaste/EnvironmentProtection/Documents/EnvironmentalLandAcquisitions.pdf
