Cairns Regional Council Mayor reveals 2024 state election priorities
Up to 18,500 new homes in Cairns could be fast-tracked with a special declaration by the state government, but it would likely mean taxpayers foot the bill for infrastructure charges.
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Up to 18,500 new homes in Cairns could be fast-tracked with a special declaration by the state government, but it would likely mean taxpayers foot the bill for infrastructure charges.
Earlier this week Cairns mayor Amy Eden met politicians from both sides in Brisbane delivering what the Cairns Regional Council had adopted as the city’s state election priorities.
“I’m committed to forging strong working relationships with all levels of government and all sides of politics,” Ms Eden said.
“We’re lucky to have some great local MPs and candidates vying for a seat at the upcoming election.
“We get more done when we work together, but I’ll also call out any shortfalls or inadequate funding when it’s warranted.”
It comes as Ms Eden appointed two specialist council advisers this week on salaries of up to $154,000 in a bid to boost government expenditure for the city.
Topping Ms Eden’s list of demands was housing which included meetings with Urban Development Institute of Queensland, Economic Development Queensland and QShelter while addressing immediate builds in the southern growth corridor.
“We are seeking a priority development area declaration for the Mount Peter southern growth corridor to accommodate up to 18,500 new dwellings,” she said.
A PDA is a site declared by the state government to facilitate the development of land in Queensland for economic development or community purposes and overrides local government planning instruments, while considering if there is a need for accelerated development.
It’s understood an outcome of a PDA linked to a residential development could transfer the cost of trunk infrastructure such as water, sewerage and roads from developers to the state government.
In May a proposal to build a 706-lot residential development at Mount Peter was rejected by CRC, with councillors pointing to a lack of trunk infrastructure as the main roadblock to future development.
Ms Eden also expressed ambitions to become a major events destination, while Cairns MP Michael Healy has instructed his department to look into building a Queensland Academy of Sport to make the city into a tropical Sporting Centre of Excellence.
“We want support to establish a high-performance facility to complement the upgrades at Barlow Park,” Ms Eden said.
“Among many other benefits, this is all part of our vision to make Cairns the women’s sporting capital of the nation.”
She said she also reiterated already existing requests for state funding in relation to various community, cultural and sporting infrastructure, including the Cairns Community and Multicultural Centre at White Rock, and “continued the push” for roads funding.
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