A CAPACITY crowd at Wynnum Municipal Hall erupted in anger this week as Brisbane City Council unveiled plans to allow unit towers of up to 15 storeys through Wynnum Central.
More than 250 fired-up residents jammed into the hall, loudly jeering Wynnum Manly Councillor Alex Givney and Planning Committee Chairman Adam Allan as they defended the proposal – which they say will stop developers pushing high-rise into low-density pockets and the waterfront.
Residents weren’t buying it.
Many accused the Council of siding with developers, demanding the release of the economic feasibility report that informed planners’ decisions on height increases.
They argued they couldn’t give proper feedback without seeing the document.
One resident claimed Cr Givney had introduced herself during the election campaign as the “Lord Mayor’s representative in Council” when “she was really the developer’s representative”.
Cr Givney insisted the plan would boost local business and protect the suburb’s character.
“This plan is mostly about more housing,” she told the crowd.
“We need more homes for the community. This proposal … will give us opportunities to work up supply.
“We are protecting the waterfront by keeping (higher density) in a succinct area around public transport.
“We are not spreading down to the waterfront. We are not changing zoning in residential areas where there are houses.
“This plan is about making sure in the future this area continues to thrive.”
But Leader of the Opposition Cr Jared Cassidy slammed the process, questioning how Council picked the locations earmarked for density increases.
“When developers talk about building apartment buildings, they think in terms of profit,” Cr Cassidy said.
“When I think about building housing, I think in terms of human beings.
Cr Cassidy told residents Labor councillors had called for the feasibility report to be released two weeks ago – and claimed Cr Allan had committed to its release.
But Cr Allan doubled down on the night, saying the study was commercial-in-confidence and would not be made public.
“There are locations right across the city that have been targeted to take additional density,” he said.
“One of the key characteristics that determines where density might be best located is where there is high
frequency public transport.
“You have a train station here, you have buses.”
