Category: General news

Councillor Helen Abrahams, The Gabba Ward said that Council must go back to the drawing board with Draft Kurilpa Riverfront Master Plan following 300 guests at industry lunch laughing at the proposed excessive development.

There is no innovation in this Plan. It is simply copying the highly designed riverbank features of SouthBank but with 11,000 residents and 8,000 workers in more than 30 high rise buildings. There are 25 buildings shown between the River and Montague Road.

“There was mirth in the room when the number and heights of the proposed tower buildings was shown” said Helen Abrahams

Essentially the plan shows a fringe of parkland along the river that already exists then three or four tower buildings deep to Montague Road.

West End residents were concerned when they were not involved in the early stage to identify what was needed to ensure this area would be where people would wish to live. They had good reason to be concerned.

This is a Plan by developers for developers. Little thought has been given to the needs of the new residents. If a person who can afford to eat out every night, they might be interested. But that is not what makes a wonderful place to live.

Residents need parks, schools, community halls, children care centres, outdoor sports and clubhouses. If this Plan becomes are reality there will be a mass exit every morning to take the kids to school.

It is a myth to think that families with children do not live in apartment buildings as a survey of West End State School has shown.

The two new parks demonstrate the lack of balance with the Master Plan.

One is about the same size as the new SouthBank park near Stokehouse Restaurant which is packed with people every weekend as it is not large enough. The second is 1 hectare but include buildings and excessive pathways. The parks are only 5% of the plan area.

The Lord Mayor’s City Plan 2014 provides KPIs for parkland. The amount of parkland for recreational purposes for 11,000 is over 11 hectares or over 40% of the site. It sounds a large area of park but it illustrates how many people are being squeezed into this area of the city.

This plan should take the opportunity to deliver a park of city wide importance such as Newstead Riverside Park, or Rocks Riverside Parks.

Brisbane City Council and the Queensland State Government launched the Kurilpa Master Plan at a Brisbane Development Association/ Business South Bank lunch today.

The Master Plan covers an area of approximately 25 hectares which is bounded by the Brisbane River, Montague Road, Grey Street and Hocking Street.  The site currently houses major industries including Parmalat, Hanson Concrete, ACI Glass.

The draft master plan has been developed to provide the framework for Kurilpa’s transformation from industry and factories to a world-class riverfront destination with the potential to accommodate 11,000 new residents and new parklands.

The draft master plan outlines the vision for Kurilpa and identifies five strategies and supporting sub-strategies to guide Kurilpa into the future.

BSB encourages members to review the plan and provide comments to either BSB or to Council via its on-line survey.

Click here to view the Master Plan Draft.

Back in the 1980s the former National Party premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen cut a deal with private developers for South Brisbane’s land once Expo88 was completed. It was a secret affair done for special interests. In the end the people of Brisbane rejected being cut out and they campaigned for the continuation of a great community asset. The result was Southbank.

The Kurilpa Riverfront Master Plan site in Brisbane is 1 1/2 times the size of South Bank. It has a total area of 25 hectares. It is a once in lifetime opportunity to develop the last, large-scale holding within Brisbane’s CBD.

The impressive scale demands an imagination of a similar scale. As in 1988 ordinary people of Brisbane must challenge this Liberal National Party government to get beyond narrow sectional interests to create Brisbane’s next South Bank. This should be a redevelopment that belongs in the twenty-first century.

Sadly the LNP State Government led by Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney and the City Hall controlled by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk have chosen to ignore requests from the West End Community Association to provide the same level of information and access afforded the developers across the last ten months. We can only speculate as to their choices and motives. However we do not need to accept their conduct.

The Kurilpa Master Plan should grasp the opportunity to deploy a light-rail network, powered by clean, renewable electricity. It’s a high capacity mode of transport that is not vulnerable to escalating operating costs derived from diesel prices. Those trams will not be consigned to the on-going traffic jams as buses are now.

The scale of the greenspace and open space should be ambitious. On yesterday’s draft its apparent that much of the present Riverside Park is being cannibalized for further commercial and private development. The opening ambit claim by the LNP will have 96% of the 25 hectares gifted to developers. Far from a gift for the community, the amount of open greenspace is only 6 % of the Brisbane City Council KPIs for public greenspace. This is appalling and the public will not accept being short-changed in such a way.

Embrace the Green necklace

We have a chance to create Brisbane’s next great Botanic Gardens. This can be another glorious space for the people that completes a green necklace.

Adding this new sub-tropical riverside park can connect the original Botanic Gardens and South Bank, to the Roma Street Parklands. Our sub-tropical capital would be surrounded by the most wondrous network of parks and open spaces.

Brisbane can do better. In fact, Brisbane deserves better. And as with the original South Bank concept this outcome will require a concerted effort from all of the people in Brisbane.

Member for South Brisbane Jackie Trad has raised serious concerns that the LNP State and Council Administrations are leaving Brisbane residents behind after the pay-to-view launch of the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal Draft Master Plan.

Ms Trad attended the launch of the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal Draft Master Plan as a guest of Business South Bank but was angered that the State Government and Brisbane City Council hadn’t provided an opportunity for locals to be given a briefing or have their questions answered.

“I am appalled that the vast majority of Brisbane residents were denied the opportunity to attend the launch and learn about the plan with a ticket to the event costing $150,” Ms Trad said.

“The Newman State Government & Quirk’s Brisbane City Council have been developing this plan for 10 months, but are giving the people of Brisbane only six weeks or 30 business days to have a say.

“Consultation with the community should be at the heart of this plan, but instead it seems to be an afterthought.”

Ms Trad said while the inclusion of parkland in the plan is positive, it is offset by a proposal to significantly increase the number of high rise buildings in the West End peninsula.

“I know locals hold serious concerns about the impact this massive development will have on already stretched local services,” Ms Trad said.

“When I asked for details on the population projections at today’s launch, Councillor Amanda Cooper merely answered that there were projections but refused to detail the actual population numbers.

 

“Ultimately the Kurilpa Master Plan is incomplete and until I am confident that locals are happy with it, Labor will press the restart button to ensure all interests are included and reflected in any final document.

“The secretive and privileged LNP has handicapped a legitimate process and arrogantly undermined public confidence in this project.”

Ms Trad said the last LNP State Administration in the 1990s had exactly the same development-focussed plan for South Bank, but the people of Brisbane had a different vision.

“In 2014, it’s hard to imagine Brisbane without South Bank and I think most Queenslanders would shudder to think of what the Nationals and their developer mates would have left behind if their plan had gone unchecked.

“With this second opportunity to redefine our City before us, I call on Premier Newman and Lord Mayor Quirk to restore confidence in this project by listening to the people of Brisbane first.”

Local, fresh food providore, Food Connect, has noticed fitness gurus and wellness activists championing the move to raw food lately. As a result it has released a product specifically aimed at raw food fanatics in the region.

To celebrate the launch of our raw food box, Food Connect is giving 10 lucky customers the chance to win an exclusive RAW DINNER EXPERIENCE here at the Food Connect Homestead on Thursday 11th September.

To enter the draw to win a ticket to this intimate dining experience, all you need to do is purchase a Food Connect Raw Box between Thursday 14th August and Sunday 7th September.  Winners will be notified on Monday 8th September.

This fabulous raw dinner party will be catered by Brisbane’s best raw food gurus, including Jamie-Louise from ORAWGI, and you’ll receive personalised hints and tips on how to prepare from your raw food box.

The Raw Food Box is not just for those who only eat raw. According to happiness manager, Emma-Kate Rose, it’s great for a diverse range of people who are transitioning out of a heavy animal protein diet into something more plant-based, or people who are experiencing illness, to those who simply want to learn a healthier way of eating.

She said that people who buy the box will be treated to the seasonal delights of many of our high quality items essential for the Raw Food diet.

The major difference is that the box avoids root veggies and other cook-only items without giving up the great value, surprise and convenience of getting a seasonal set box.

Among other tips on the website is a recipe for Raw Vegan Pad Thai

Need a hand with going raw? Here’s a delicious raw vegan recipe to get you off to a good start with your new Raw Box. Click here for deets.