Business, government and civic leaders used the launch of Champion Redlands Coast’s “What We Champion” event at Sirromet Wines to push for a bold approach to growth, infrastructure and investment as the region prepares for major demographic change and the opportunities of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The panel discussion featured Peta Harwood from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Chris Isles from Redland City Council, Redlands MP Rebecca Young and Julian Simmonds from Economic Development Queensland.
Ms Harwood urged the region to think beyond its current identity and plan for the Redlands of the future.
“As the planner in a room, we’re planning for 20 years and it will hopefully be a slightly different community in the future as well,” she said.
“And that’s ultimately what you need to be planning for.”
She encouraged attendees to focus on “catalytic projects” and said major transport and infrastructure investments would require cooperation across all levels of government.
“For instance, the Metro, I think, is ultimately going to need, you know, possibly three levels of government to invest,” Ms Harwood said.
“Ultimately things like that figure out around planning loads, coupled with what Redland City Council is looking at now with more density, more paradigm shifts, that’s all going to build the medical space in the Metro.”
Mr Isles said infrastructure delivery would only become harder leading into 2032, but warned governments and industry could not afford to become barriers to progress.
“Infrastructure delivery is hard, it’s going to be harder until 2032,” he said.
“But we all know we need to work to make sure we’re not the barriers to that.”
He said the Redlands faced a significant demographic transition, with one of the oldest populations in South-East Queensland now being reshaped by younger families moving into the southern parts of the city.
“Our job is to run the city like a business, and we need to think about who our future customers are, not just the customers of today, but how do we remain relevant?” Mr Isles said.
“We’re seeing significant changes and all the positives — much younger families moving in, particularly the southern part of the city down here.”
Mr Isles also promoted the Redlands as a unique tourism destination ahead of Brisbane 2032, describing the region as “the tasting plate of southeast Queensland”.
“We have everything here that you otherwise need to travel to the far corners of southeast Queensland to go and experience,” he said.
“Come 2032 and the Olympics is here, we have this unbelievable tourism opportunity.”
He said the Redlands’ combination of wineries, bay experiences, beaches and future attractions such as the RSPCA koala facility positioned the region to capture Olympic tourism.
“If you can package up a two-day trip and everybody can get the tasting plate of southeast Queensland here in Redlands, I think we have this incredible opportunity,” he said.
“But it’ll all be you — the tourism businesses, the businesses. We present the canvas, but you are the artists who paint that canvas to create the opportunities and the legacy.”
Mrs Young focused heavily on the need for the community to embrace growth and support new housing and development models.
“The city — and this is the power check in my mind — everyone sitting in this room has skin in the game when it comes to growth in this city,” she said.
“We all have a collective responsibility to shift the culture of the Redlands and lean into the future.”
Mrs Young said she welcomed innovative housing and development proposals that challenged traditional thinking in the city.
“I get really excited when developers come to me with a new target product because it’s interesting,” she said.
“It’s looking at a housing mix that we don’t have here.”
“And I think where we can showcase that kind of forward thinking, people will get on board. They absolutely will. We just have to be brave together.”
Mr Simmonds praised Champion Redlands Coast for bringing together leaders from business and government to focus on long-term infrastructure and investment planning.
“You’ve got really exciting things coming down the pipeline. Growth is coming. That is a good thing,” he said.
“This is a beautiful place to live. Why wouldn’t you want to be here?”
He said collaboration would be essential to securing future infrastructure funding and shaping growth in a way that reflected the community’s vision.
“Let’s come together and be masters of our own destiny, and let’s work together on funding and infrastructure challenges that are required to accommodate that growth in the way that we want to,” Mr Simmonds said.
He also described Mrs Young as “an absolute superstar” and “a very influential voice in the government”.
The event marked Champion Redlands Coast’s first major gathering since relaunching the organisation and drew more than 80 business, government and community leaders to Sirromet Wines.
