Brisbane City Council’s plan for apartment towers is dividing this suburb

Gravatt Mountain’s main drag – a cluster of shops, real estate agencies, restaurants, cafes and fitness studios along Logan Road – hasn’t changed much in decades.

The former “no-frills” Franklins supermarket has been razed and the former Miter 10 has been fitted out with hardware stores, medical services and a restaurant.

But little has changed in the last four decades on one of Brisbane’s few surviving suburban high streets.

Brisbane City Council now plans to create homes for thousands more people around the high street and allow apartment towers 12 to 16 storeys high in an effort to develop infill to counter urban sprawl.

Unlike other areas marked for massive urban renewal projects, Gravatt Mountain does not have a train station and is not within walking distance of the South East Busway.

But the LNP-led council, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, argues that allowing apartment towers would completely transform the area, revitalizing the struggling high street and attracting additional services over the next 20 years.

“Mount Gravatt Center will transform into a vibrant and distinctive urban village,” says a brochure promoting the Suburban Renewal District.

The proposal received mixed reactions from local residents; some argued that the suburb was not equipped to cope with the rapid influx of new residents.

Concerns were expressed about public transport overload, increased traffic congestion, lack of usable green space and the lack of affordable housing mandates.

The Coles at Mount Gravatt Plaza is officially called Coles Mountain View. Stop in the plaza’s parking lot and look up at the top of Gravatt Mountain.

It’s a unique feature of the suburb and one valued by locals, who say the mountain views from Logan Road and surrounding streets have a calming effect.

Some worry that apartment towers 12 storeys high and up to 16 storeys high atop Mt Gravatt Plaza will destroy this unique feature.

“This is not NIMBYism, and I’m actually really pro-development,” said teacher Jasmine, who asked to be identified only by her first name.

The new mother has been voicing her concerns online in recent months with a Facebook page called “Livable Mt Gravatt”, which has attracted nearly 100 residents with similar reservations.

“I’m actually trying to make sure that the place I’ve devoted my life to for my family is going to have the best outcome possible,” he said.

“I totally disagree with the plan… but I think the amount of density is way more than the location can handle.”

Gravatt Mountain is approximately 13 kilometers south of the CBD.

The average age here is 35. Almost half of households have children and two-thirds live in a detached house. Only one fifth of apartment residents live in apartments.

Blake Shaw understands that more flats are needed to prevent urban sprawl, but questions why the council is opting for such dramatic density in a relatively small area.

“We definitely need to build more homes, and infill makes sense,” he said.

“If they’re serious, they need things like bike lanes on Logan Road so people can get around and consider things like green space as well as improvements to the bus network.

“I guess it all feels a bit reactive rather than proactive.”

Under the new plan, apartment towers five to 12 stories tall would be allowed along Logan Road between Creek and Nursery roads, while a 16-story tower would be allowed on Mount Gravatt Plaza.

Suburban streets behind Mount Gravatt Plaza near the Mount Gravatt Showground will be realigned to allow for three-storey apartment blocks.

Shoppers on the high street on Thursday afternoon showed a little more optimism about the regeneration plan.

“I think it’s a really good idea because it’s a dead zone,” said Naomi, who has lived here for 20 years and asked that her last name not be published.

“I know a lot of people don’t want change, but you have to have change… the people who live here will bring this area to the fore.”

Restaurant owner Art, who runs Thai Smile Cooking, also said increased density would be “absolutely good” for business.

If approved, Mount Gravatt Center will join Wynnum, Alderley and Stones Corner as the Suburban Regeneration Zone.

This imprint revealed in October that a private sector group was exploring a similar scheme on the north side of Stafford.

Moorooka and Salisbury are also being discussed as possible regeneration sites.

The council argues these would become hubs well served by public transport and would go some way towards addressing the housing shortage that has caused house prices to soar in Brisbane since Covid-19.

Unlike other designated urban renewal areas, “Mount Gravatt Center” does not have a train station or major bus route; This is a fact that does not go unnoticed by many residents.

Jasmine said she felt the concerns she raised were not taken seriously by the LNP council or the Labor opposition.

“In fact, the entire political system [makes me] “I’m exhausted and it’s just destroying my faith in politics and the people who are supposed to represent us,” he said.

“I think the consultation process has been smoke and mirrors… based on my involvement in that process as a member of the public, that is not enough given the changes they are proposing.”

Public presentations are underway on the Gravatt Mountain Suburban Renewal District Plan Accepted until Sunday night.

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