In the Redland City Bulletin recently, an article disclosed the “State government has taken aim at the Redland City Council as it launches an unprecedented takeover of the city’s housing strategy”.
Following a warning to the Redland City Council last year, Local Government Minister Steven Miles took action on Thursday through a letter sent to Council advising he would use his ministerial powers under the Planning Act to urgently undertake state-government led strategy for the city to address housing supply in the Redlands.
According to the paper, “Cr Williams said she spoke with Mr Miles on Wednesday to discuss housing challenges in the Redlands but he did not indicate the state’s plan to take control”. She said “the council was already meeting its dwelling targets, as outlined in the state government’s own land supply report last year. It was a very cooperative discussion. He (Mr Miles) did not advise that he was taking this action, which is my first disappointment, I read about this in the media at about 2.30pm before I received the letter….so this information was sent to media before he sent it to the council.”
“The current housing strategy for the city is dated 2011 and is based on 2006 population data, meaning it does not take into account significant population and housing challenges in the past decade,” Mr Miles said “ Redlands has been asked repeatedly to update its housing strategy but has declined to do so.”
As reported by the paper, “the move will see the state government step in and work with council officers to complete a housing strategy, with southern Thornlands set to be among the key growth areas.”
Cr Williams stated “the Redlands community will only except housing growth when it comes with the needed infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, upgraded state roads and public transport, that is what they have been telling me for the last 18 years, so a housing strategy without a plan for the associated infrastructure is not a plan for affordable living. It might provide affordable houses but in the long term it will cost people more to live here because they don’t have the supporting infrastructure.”
Driving around the Redlands it is clear that infrastructure hasn’t kept up with development in certain areas. We’ve seen the installation of lights at the new Redland Bay Shoreline development intersection however, Serpentine Creek Road itself has had no upgrade to handle the increased traffic for the 3,000 lots and estimated 10,000 additional residents.
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All the best, Simon.
Source: Redland City Bulletin