THERE is some confusion and misunderstanding around the timing, rationale and outcome from the urgent motion presented to the Council meeting December 10, 2025.
I would urge readers to read the motion themselves: (redland.infocouncil.biz/Open/2025/12/CO_20251210_MIN_2407_AT.PDF)
That Council resolves as follows:
- That the Redland City Council Chief Executive Officer to write to Redland Investment Corporation to instruct them to advise the developer that the Memorandum of Understanding between Redland Investment Corporation and the developer will not be extended after it expires on December 31, 2025.
- To delegate authority to the Redland City Council Chief Executive Officer to immediately commence negotiations with the State Government to progress delivery of the multi-storey car park.
- That the Redland City Council Chief Executive Officer write to Redland Investment Corporation to instruct them to progress any development applications and master plan changes required to give effect to the outcome of negotiations with the State Government in relation to the delivery of the multi-storey car park.
- That Officers and Redland Investment Corporation regularly consult with Council on the progress of the masterplan and multi-storey car park, including the commercial and community benefits.
I brought this motion as the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with the developer was due to lapse at the end of December.
We could continue with the existing approach or do something that speeds up the development and provides the option to open this prime waterfront land for community enjoyment and better meet the needs of mainland and SMBI residents.
The motion was not a surprise, its roots were laid down in October 2024, when both the ALP and LNP committed to contributing to funding (ALP) or constructing (LNP) a multi-storey car park at Weinam Creek.
Subsequent to the election, this commitment was frequently repeated by Rebecca Young MP.
The 2018 Weinam Creek Masterplan, including a mixed-use retail precinct and supermarket, was amended as endorsed by Council on April 21, 2021 and independently assessed and approved by the Queensland Government on December 22, 2021.
On December 13, 2023 Council endorsed an MOU to be negotiated between RIC and a preferred developer to further refine the multideck carpark and mixed use retain precinct.
It is important to note that the existing Masterplan and MOU was negotiated and agreed prior to the state government election and any commitment by the state government to contribute to the cost of the multi-storey car park.
The Council decision of December 10, 2025 decided to allow the MOU to expire at its due date and fast track the multi-storey car park negotiation directly with the State Government and for Council and RIC to progress the other aspects of the masterplan.
The Council decision of December 10, 2025 did not reject the previously approved supermarket or masterplan.
Indeed, point 4 of the motion references the role of council officers and RIC to progress the masterplan and multi-storey car park, including commercial and community benefits.
The motion does not preclude the provision of commercial services (including a supermarket) or health services.
The critical groundwork for the motion was undertaken at council workshops on October 28, 2025 and December 1 and December 8, 2025.
On October 28, 2025 councillors attended a workshop with officers on an update to state government election commitments.
This included the state government commitment to fund the construction of the multi-storey car park at Weinam Creek.
On December 1, 2025 councillors and the council Executive Leadership Team (ELT) had an extended workshop with Rebecca Young MP, Amanda Stoker MP, Russell Field MP, the Director General and ELT of Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) at which all the Priority Development Areas in Redlands were discussed and questions from council addressed.
At this meeting Rebecca Young MP and EDQ reaffirmed their commitment and capacity to construct the multi-storey car park at Weinam Creek.
Later at a separate session on December 1, the Redland Investment Corporation presented their plans for the Weinam Creek precinct to councillors and council ELT.
RIC maintained that a full-line supermarket was critical to the viability of the project.
The plan presented by RIC essentially reflected the plans available on the Redland Council website Weinam Creek Redevelopment | Your Say Redlands Coast
Under the Masterplan the existing car park to the west of the ferry terminal would become the car park for the full-line supermarket underlying the commercial proposition by the developer.
We were going from a foreshore full of cars to a foreshore still full of cars, but now not for SMBI residents, but for supermarket customers.
The obvious question was that if the state government was fully funding and could build the multi-storey car park, why should council give prime waterfront land to a developer?
Letting EDQ get on with building just the car park will reduce the number of carparks lost during construction and give time to review plans for the remainder of the precinct.
It will also lead to quicker delivery as the state government both owns the existing plans and the car park is not being constructed as part of an overall precinct build.
The wider issue of reducing the parking impact on the Weinam Creek foreshore and improving the amenity of the precinct for the benefit of all residents of Redlands had been discussed at numerous meetings of council.
Unfortunately, the mayor did not attend the meetings on October 28, December 1, or December 8, electing to dial in remotely on December 1 and December 8.
Following the workshop on December 8 at which the motion was discussed, the Deputy Mayor met with and briefed the mayor on the rationale and intent of the proposed motion and that it had been referred to officers for drafting.
The final motion, reflecting the outcome of December 8 workshop was circulated the evening of December 9, before the General Meeting on December 10, 2025.
I understand that subsequent to the General Meeting on December 10, the mayor has corresponded with the Deputy Premier on this matter.
While the correspondence was shared by the mayor on social media, and subsequently taken down; as of February 9, 2026 it has not been shared with other councillors, and I do not have access to the mayor’s social media.
I have not seen this correspondence, and I have not been made aware of its contents.
I look forward to this project progressing and the benefits it will bring to both SMBI and all of Redlands.
Once the timeframe for construction and preliminary plans for the multi-storey car park are released by EDQ, I shall have town hall meetings in Redland Bay and on each of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands to present and receive feedback and discuss options for the future of this precinct.
Meanwhile, Don O’Rorke, CEO and Chairman of Consolidated Properties Group, said Consolidated Properties Group (CPG) won an open tender from Redland City Council in October 2023 to deliver Council’s own plans for a car park and a Coles-anchored retail precinct, with the $250 million project remaining on budget and on time since that point.
He said CPG had been in discussions with Redland City Council, Redland Investment Corporation, Economic Development Queensland and Member for Redlands Rebecca Young MP on delivering a multi-storey car park for Bay Island residents alongside a new shopping centre anchored by Coles to provide genuine retail competition for locals.
Mr O’Rorke said CPG was Australia’s most experienced neighbourhood shopping centre developer, having delivered more than 30 centres over 40 years, while Hutchinson Builders — Australia’s largest builder — had exclusively built for CPG for more than 35 years, with both companies Brisbane-owned and based.
He said Council’s decision not to extend the mandate had cancelled around 200 local jobs and followed an earlier move to oppose a proposed Aldi store.
Mr O’Rorke said the decision left Woolworths as the sole major supermarket in the area, removing retail competition at the same time the Fox and Bell-owned Woolworths-anchored shopping centre — valued at $70 million — had been put up for sale.
He said CPG would continue discussions with the Queensland Government and Redland Investment Corporation to explore a way forward to deliver the full precinct.
