The state government has released its housing blueprint for Redland, revealing plans to increase the maximum building height near city centres and unlock additional housing on the bay islands.
The draft Redland Housing Strategy – released for public consultation this month – has been designed to ensure all residents can access the type of housing they need now and in the future.
The state government took control of the city’s housing strategy in September 2022, claiming Redland City Council had failed to provide sufficient housing supply or diversity in its City Plan.
Planning Minister Steven Miles said as the Redland population continued to grow and change, providing the community with greater housing choice would be crucial.
“Not everyone’s housing needs are the same and we need to plan and create a mix of options that ensures more housing choice for current and future generations,” he said.
“Infrastructure is a key piece of the puzzle and this strategy recognises what the community, business and the development industry want – for infrastructure and housing to be integrated.”
Springwood MP Mick de Brenni said the government would continue listening to the community to ensure housing growth was well planned.
“This is our opportunity to look at long-term housing solutions for the Redlands, and the community’s input will be vital,” he said.
The draft strategy provides recommended actions for City Plan amendments by focusing in the short term on reducing minimum lot sizes for certain housing types, increasing the maximum building height to seven storeys within 800m of a principal centre zone and reviewing the capacity of the bay islands to accommodate additional housing.
Medium-term actions included revising the master planning for the Cleveland and Capalaba principal activity centres and identifying further areas that could accommodate more housing growth in the medium and low-medium-density residential zones.
Innovative housing typologies such as tiny homes, group housing, cluster housing and shared living were listed as long-term actions.
The draft strategy said that in recent years, population growth within Redland had been accommodated mostly through greenfield site development instead of infilling existing areas.
Hence, three areas have been identified for growth opportunities – Southern Redland Bay, Southern Thornlands and Toondah Harbour.
Subject to further land use investigations, Southern Thornlands is expected to provide for both housing diversity and supply, as well as land needed for business and industry within Redland.
Mayor Karen Williams said the government had contradicted itself with its plans for more infill development, as Southern Thornlands was not currently situated within the city’s urban footprint.
“It is absolutely cutting their nose off to spite their face,” she said.
Cr Williams said council had already exceeded its requirements for land supply.
“This is just a great way to take the focus off the state government’s inability to provide housing across the growing region and is going to have significant impacts on the amenity of our community,” she said.
“The other big minus is there is no indication that they are going to provide any more social housing, which of course remains as one of their responsibilities.”
She said the housing strategy was a “big political stunt” as it had never been a legislated requirement for councils.
“A housing strategy has just been something where you work out what diversities are required for the demographics in the community and their desires,” Cr Williams said.
“Which is why it was a political stunt when they imposed this and spoke about our strategy being out of date even though it goes to 2032.
“This is a state government taking over local planning and stepping into a space where our local communities should be concerned that they have little consultation over the initial and draft strategy.”
Residents have until November 12 to comment on the draft strategy. Feedback received over the four-week consultation period, along with final population and dwelling targets provided through ShapingSEQ, will inform the final strategy.
