Big trees, bold development plans and a community pushing back
Residents are calling on Brisbane City Council to reconsider development plans that would clear more than 100 trees from a suburban block, with concerns the environmental impact has been understated.
In May 2024, Taiwanese-backed developer Shayher Group submitted an application to convert two blocks at 32 Meiers Road and 50 Meiers Road in Indooroopilly into 26 residential lots averaging 471 square metres.
The site, within 10 kilometres of the Brisbane CBD, is occupied by former Sugar Research Institute buildings and includes a mix of vacant land and dense vegetation.
Jim Killen’s property borders the Meiers Road development. He says the current application will dramatically reduce the neighbourhood’s green character and remove vital habitat for a range of species. Credit: Courtney Kruk
The proposal prepared by Urbis included a tree retention plan that suggested the removal of more than 130 trees. Only 17 trees – eight street trees and nine in adjoining properties – were recommended to stay.
Jim Killen and Mandy Nielsen’s property on Cadiz Street borders the Meiers Road development.
Like many residents, they were frustrated the plan appeared not to consider existing vegetation, which they said included mature trees and vital habitat for a range of animals.
“We knew the tree heights had been significantly underestimated and were clearly wrong in most instances.”
Jim Killen
In the 25 years they had lived in the area, they had observed powerful owls, cockatoos, bats, bush stone curlews, boobook, tawny frogmouths, possums, snakes and many other native birds.
“If the development goes ahead as planned, they won’t have a home any more,” Killen said.
Jim Killen said many trees, including this Queensland Kauri, were dramatically undersized in the original arborist report. Credit: Courtney Kruk
After viewing the initial application, the couple told the council a number of trees listed for removal had been dramatically undersized, reducing their significance under the vegetation planning scheme policy.
“Having lived in the area for decades, we knew the tree heights had been significantly underestimated and were clearly wrong in most instances,” Killen said.
This included a 20-metre Queensland kauri, one of the largest trees visible along the skyline, listed by arborists at only 11 metres.
A revised tree retention report submitted to council appears to indicate the discrepancy was due to a tabling error.
The council requested further information from the application in August, with concerns the proposed lot layout did not suitably reflect the retention of mature vegetation as per the Toowong-Indooroopilly District Neighbourhood Plan’s objective to maintain the “green and leafy” character of the district.
The lot proposal for 50 Meiers Road averages 471m2. Credit: Shayher Group
The developer planned to plant some new trees, but Killen said there would never be the same amount of canopy cover, “no matter what people say they’ll do”.
A response to council’s information request in November noted the “retention of all existing vegetation within the lot is not considered necessary to maintain the character as viewed from the street and public spaces”.
Nielsen and Killen’s online petition to “save long pocket trees” had attracted more than 900 signatures by Friday morning.
The council said the proposal was still being assessed by its independent planning officers and “all submissions will be considered as part of this assessment”.
The dispute comes as the region continues to grapple with a housing shortage, amid sustained population growth that will see Greater Brisbane become home to a majority of Queensland residents within months.
The Queensland Conservation Council last year proposed large swathes of the region be off-limits to developers to protect the environment and maintain the community’s quality of life.
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