Residents clash with council at community meeting over high-rise plan
“We love the lifestyle.”
As part of the Suburban Regeneration District Plan, Brisbane City Council has proposed rezoning a large area next to Wynnum Central Station.
Richard Dower and Marcia Burke believe Brisbane City Council is not receptive to community concerns. Credit: William Davis
apartment buildings Up to 15 storeys will be allowed on some streets, along with mixed-use developments and smaller towers others are allowed.
The council says it will boost local business, give more people affordable public transport options and increase housing supply in a wider push to reduce runaway prices.
“It will deliver homes, jobs, shops, restaurants, leisure and community facilities,” the council’s promotional brochure says.
However, many people disagreed with this view on Thursday night and two different groups emerged. Some said they understood the need for more housing but believed the details of this plan were inappropriate, while others rejected any suggestion that the village would be forced to change in any way.
Outside Givney’s office the next day, Linda Moffat, 68 years old, summed up her thoughts clearly.
“We don’t want him here at all,” he said to this imprint.
“We want to leave our little village as it is. We don’t want big, big buildings turning it into the Gold Coast. Go somewhere else.”
“No change… I would really appreciate that.”
Linda Moffat has lived in Wynnum for 68 years. He doesn’t believe it should be forced to house more people.Credit: William Davis
Just meters away stood Tarnya Lowe, president of the Wynnum-Manly Community Group, which organized the community meeting and subsequent protest.
He made a more nuanced argument that appropriate community consultation had not been carried out and that the plan would overburden existing facilities without further investment.
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“We really support regeneration initiatives and we’re pro-development, but what this plan doesn’t do is provide us with the infrastructure,” Lowe said.
“Schools are already full… There is no hospital near us.
“I think building more homes can definitely be done, but it can be done in a sensible way.”
Others expressed concerns about how the new towers and significantly more residents would affect the environment, the sewer system, traffic along Bay Terrace, shadows and crime.
If the group can’t thwart the council’s plans, Wynnum, Alderley, Mount Gravatt and Stone Corner As Suburban Regeneration Zones.
This imprint revealed last month that a private sector group had conducted new research. Similar plan for Stafford on the north side. Moorooka and Salisbury also considered as possible renewal sites.
An artist’s impression released by Brisbane City Council to promote the Wynnum Suburban Regeneration Area Plan.Credit: Brisbane City Council
The council argues that these will become centers well served by public transport and will go some way in relieving the housing shortage, which has caused prices to rise rapidly since the Covid-19 outbreak.
One of the youngest attendees at Thursday’s community meeting was the lone voice supporting the proposal.
“I have had to move house four times since 2024 and I have to move again in January because my flats are constantly being sold under me,” he said.
“People don’t have to live like this, we have to too because there isn’t enough housing.
Most residents of Wynnum Town Hall on Thursday night were unimpressed with the proposal and made their thoughts known to both LNP councilors in attendance. Credit: William Davis
“I really think people need to think about not only themselves but also many of their grandchildren.”
David and his partner Loan run Banh Mi Deli in Bay Terrace. They endorsed the LNP argument that population density would benefit the local economy, but said they understood the concerns of many residents.
“More people for the job would definitely be good,” David told this imprint.
Labor has been highly critical of development policy under the ruling LNP, repeatedly accusing the council of being too cozy with developers and putting profits ahead of the welfare of the community.
Banh Mi Deli owners David and Loan said the population growth would be good for business, but they understood why some residents might have reservations. Credit: William Davis
Leader Jared Cassidy attended the Wynnum community forum and expressed concern about why the suburbs were chosen ahead of other suburbs that were closer to the CBD or had more public transport options.
“The work to identify these locations for increased density was largely done in conversations with the development industry about identifying locations where the highest yields would occur,” he said.
“When developers talk about building apartments, they think in terms of profit. When I think about delivering housing, I think in terms of people.”
Cassidy also expressed opposition to the plan’s lack of affordable housing mandates. This was similarly expressed by several young people who believed that such goals could enable them to stay in the suburb where they grew up.
Wynnum waterfront includes a water park, walking trails and playgrounds. Credit: William Davis
Such powers have become controversial, with the LNP council and the state government claiming that Previous ventures in suburbs including Woolloongabba showed that the policy was driving away investment and had the potential to push prices even higher.
Instead, they argue for a supply-side solution to the housing crisis, saying the best way to soften prices is to flood the market with more homes and increased diversity.
“What we’re looking at makes sense,” Councilman Adam Allan, chairman of the urban planning, suburban renewal and economic development committee, told an unimpressed crowd Thursday.
“The population of south-east Queensland is growing rapidly and unless something extraordinary happens, this is likely to continue.”
Some large apartment buildings have already popped up in Wynnum, including these two on Bride Street. According to the plan, towers up to 15 floors will be allowed to be built on the street. Credit: William Davis
Protesters almost unanimously said they felt council members ignored their concerns.
“The developers’ job is to make as much money as possible,” Anna told this imprint directly outside the Wynnum ward office.
“The reason we elect councils democratically is to curb this and ensure that the community is best served.”
Vanessa Taveras added that she believed the consultations to date were a box-ticking exercise.
Vanessa Taveras felt the community was not properly consulted on the plan. Credit: William Davis
“When they see the community standing up, it’s like they say, ‘oh, this is going to affect my political agenda,’ and they prick up their ears.
“If they had continued this dialogue from the beginning, maybe we would not be here today with these banners.”
Givney remained until the end of the meeting despite vocal and sometimes inappropriate criticism.
He emphasized the potential benefits of the plan but encouraged his constituents to voice their concerns through a message. The council application process will continue until midnight on November 23.
LNP councilor Alex Givney held a heated reception at Wynnum Town Hall on Thursday, and around a dozen residents picketed his office the next day. Credit: William Davis
“If you’re not happy with what this plan looks like, add your feedback and let us know what you’d be happy with,” he said.
“My job is to be the connector between the community and the council.
“This is my job, this is what I was elected to do, and if you’re not happy with it, I’m truly sorry you feel that way, but I work my ass off for this community and I love it.”
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