Plan to boost Oxenford’s population put on hold due to lack of State infrastructure funding
A plan to increase the population of the northern Gold Coast suburb of Oxenford by more than 4000 people has been ditched in a surprise move by council.
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A plan to boost Oxenford’s population by 4000 residents has been dumped after a unanimous vote by councillors.
The future planning backflip occurred because there was no guarantee the State Government would provide a large chunk of the $56 million required in upgrading its roads.
After eight years of research and community consultation, City officers recommended a proposed uplift of 1739 dwellings and a population of 4385 people for the northern suburb.
But at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday Helensvale-based councillor Naomi Fowler gained support of all councillors in putting the plan on the backburner.
Northern-based councillor and former Deputy Mayor Donna Gates spoke strongly in favour of stalling the plan, saying residents were often critical of council approving developments when “the network can’t cope with it”.
“It (the population increase) will make a huge difference that cannot be catered for at this time in my view,” Ms Gates said.
Ms Fowler thanked officers for their work but said Oxenford residents had endured significant uncertainty for almost a decade, leaving them anxious about the future of their homes, families, and community.
More than 50 per cent of the transport upgrades would fall on the State-controlled network including a four lane duplication of Tamborine-Oxenford Road and multiple major intersections, she said.
“Yet, there is no commitment, no funding, no planning and not even alignment from the State at this time,” Ms Fowler said
“We know the Department of Main Roads considers many of the City’s proposed upgrades as interim measures only, not preferred solutions. This all tells me, we’re just not there yet.”
The vote by councillors means any future uplift is only endorsed if the State steps up.
The Bulletin understands the Government has not received an application for funding from the council for a Residential Activation Fund for this project.
“The Crisafulli Government is delivering a place to call home for more Queenslanders, while protecting the lifestyle of local communities, through a record investment in housing and infrastructure,” a spokesperson said.
“That includes a $2 billion Residential Activation Fund to fund infrastructure that unlocks new homes.”
City planning committee chair Mark Hammel supported Mr Fowler’s concerns, saying one of the most important parts of the planning work was ensuring infrastructure could be funded.
“The report estimates around $56 million worth of infrastructure, in today’s value, will be
needed to support future development in the Oxenford Investigation Area – things like roads, parks and stormwater upgrades,” he said.
“Of that, around $24 million of infrastructure is already identified in the Gold Coast’s Local
Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP2), which is our long-term planning tool to co-ordinate
infrastructure delivery as the city grows.”
It has been proposed the $56 million would be funded with a mix of infrastructure charges levied on development and general rates, Mr Hammel said.
Explaining the original plan, he added: “Developers will be expected to pay their fair share through infrastructure charges, and we’ll also be continuing to advocate for appropriate State investment, particularly around public transport, roads and schools.”
Mr Hammel said he was not a supporter of the “historical” investigation areas and the City was undertaking a “network approach” to find suitable areas for bigger population increases.
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