Duplex Plan Will Destroy Suburbs
09 February, 2010
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has rejected State Government plans for duplex development across Brisbane, claiming it will ‘double the number of houses, driveways and cars and halve the number of trees’.
And he was supported by two senior Labor Opposition Councillors who also ‘expressed concern about the significant loss of character and greenspace’ the State plan would cause.
The Lord Mayor today said Brisbane residents had a clear choice for how Brisbane should be developed over the next 20 years – suburban block splitting, or high density CBD living.
Cr Newman said his Can Do team wanted higher density living close to the CBD, while the State Government wanted a “carpet bombing of duplexes and other split block subdivisions into neighbourhoods that would threaten Brisbane’s character tin and timber suburbs.”
“I want to protect the tin and timber homes, the old Queenslanders, from the widespread destruction and out-of-control development which will be caused by the State Government’s plan for duplexes in every suburb,” he said.
“I also want to protect people from waking up in the morning to find their neighbour’s home pushed aside and another home next door where a large tree used to be. Let me be clear on this: duplexes will lead to double the number of the houses in your street, double the driveways, double the cars, double the people, and half the trees.”
Council’s Neighbourhood Planning committee today noted that Brisbane residents recently voted overwhelming against duplexes during consultation for the CityShape 2026 plan.
The committee unanimously passed a motion against duplex development which was supported by Labor Opposition planning heavyweights Milton Dick and David Hinchliffe.
Cr Hinchliffe (the former Labor planning chair) and Cr Dick (the current Labor planning spokesman), “expressed concern that duplex development would result in significant loss of character, greenspace and out-of-control development throughout Brisbane’s suburbs.”
The motion also criticised the State Government for “thinking the views of local residents are not important” and for “proposing to take more planning control from Councils in favour of undemocratic and unrepresentative plans.”
Finally the motion “condemned the State Government for putting the views of planners and academics ahead of Brisbane residents.” Crs Dick and Hinchliffe voted for the motion.
Neighbourhood Planning chair Amanda Cooper said the State Government had ordered Brisbane to plan for 156,000 extra dwellings over the next 20 years.
Council had embarked on a plan to transform old industrial areas of South Brisbane and West End into higher density living. She said Labor Opposition Councillors voted for the plan but were now telling local residents they did not support it.
