Helen Abrahams hosted a meeting of West End residents at South’s Leagues Club on Saturday to go through the South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan and its implications in detail.
Under consideration are the development sites south of Davies Park along Montague Rd which represent thousands of new apartments and residents. Westender recently reported Councillor Abraham’s challenge to the Brisbane City Council to explain the discrepancies between the revised draft City Plan and the approved Neighbourhood Plan. At the time she specifically focused on the changes to designated parkland along Montague Rd at what was the Distance Education Building. Instead, parkland appears on the plan where residents of Raven and Rogers St currently live.
Lord Mayor Quirk has formally replied to Helen, claiming that he has never said there would be parkland along Montague Rd and that Council has never said it would resume houses and has no intention of resuming houses to create parkland any where in West End or elsewhere Brisbane.
Councillor Abrahams presented a number of versions of the plan and pointed out to residents in attendance that various recent statements by council had referred to many different versions of neighbourhood plans including an old Wollongabba plan that was superceded more than eight years ago. “We can only presume their intention is to confuse the issue,” she said, advising residents it is up to them to review the documents, avail themselves of the facts and ask council directly for answers to their questions.
“I will help you as much as I can, but many of these matters are more effective when there are lots of questions coming directly from concerned ratepayers,” she said.
President of West End Community Association, Dr Erin Evans, advised residents that WECA has a strong vision for the area, based on input from a wide range of residents and developed over many years and she looks forward to working with residents to see that vision become a reality.
The residents have organised working groups to facilitate responsea to council including opposition to the revised City Plan itself. More information is available through Helen Abrahams office and WECA.