By Tony Moore
The traffic from a new north-south road connecting Upper Kedron and The Gap - which will be built as part of a massive new suburb in Brisbane’s western suburbs - could become a major concern for Brisbane City Council.
Mt Nebo Road – the southern edge of where the project is proposed in The Gap – is currently only a single lane road, bounded by forest on one side and D’Aguilar National Park on the other.
Longtime resident Lawrie Fegan is worried about proposed development in Brisbane's north-west.Credit: Tony Moore
Mt Nebo Road connects with Waterworks Road, running through Ashgrove and The Gap.
As revealed on Tuesday by Fairfax Media, Western Australian developer Cedar Wood proposes building 1350 homes over 10 years on the 227 hectare block between The Gap and Upper Kedron, with entrances from Mt Nebo Road.
An initial report from the developer says the connection road "will be created between Canvey Road and Mount Nebo Road, and is indicated to be a District Access road”.
“All traffic generated by the development will gain access from Canvey Road,” the report says.
However The Gap residents still believe the project will pump extra traffic onto Mt Nebo Road, which flows down through The Gap.
Sources say 40 per cent of the new suburb’s traffic will use Mt Nebo Road, although neither Brisbane City Council, nor Cedar Woods would comment.
Lawrie Fegan, a 25-year resident of The Gap, said he was worried what impact the new suburb would have.
“I thought they might keep this corridor – between here and Mt Nebo – free of high density housing,” Mr Fegan said.
He said traffic would be a problem if the much of the traffic used Mt Nebo Road.
“That will add a lot of density – especially in peak hours – down to Waterworks Road, down there in The Gap,” he said.
“It’s pretty chock-a-block down there at peak hours now anyway.”
Cedar Woods says in its development proposal that it has begun investigating buses for the new suburb.
Potential traffic problems arising from the development is expected to be one of the major issues assesed by the council when it considers the proposal. On Tuesday it said it would not comment on the matter while the assessment was underway.
Mr Fegan said the proposal was a “bit of a gobsmacker”, but said he believed the land would eventually be developed.
He was surprised to learn the developer would be required to set aside 91 hectares – or 40 per cent - as parks and natural reserves on the 227-hectare site.
“It will be interesting to see if they do honour that commitment,” he said.
Environmental consultants 28 South said the site was not a significant site for flora and fauna because it had been cleared.
“We have completed extensive koala surveys,” its report says.
“Koala occurrence was found to be low across all parts of the site, and it is considered unlikely that the site is critical as habitat or movement corridor for this species.”
Mr Fegan said he was also worried at how close the proposed suburb would be to the popular Bellbird Grove picnic spot on Mt Nebo Road, which is part of D’Aguilar National Park.
The largely-cleared bushland areas – with a wide corridor of remnant dry sclerophyl forest – is classed as one of major greenfield development sites within the Brisbane local government area.
The 1350 blocks of land – at different densities and in 10 different parcels of land – would be developed over 10 to 15 years.
The timing would depend on how quickly the first two stages – involving 356 homes - are developed.
The new suburb proposal includes a basic convenience centre with shops, offices, restaurant and community uses such as childcare facility.
It also proposes building fauna underpasses on the main roads within the new suburb.
The previous owner of the land – which has been used for cattle and before that for pineapple farming – developed an agreement with the council to protect certain vegetation on the land.