Apartment crackdown to preserve the Brisbane back yard

THE property council has taken aim at the Brisbane City Council’s new restriction on apartments and townhouses amid concerns it could lead to unaffordable property prices.

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THE property council has taken aim at the Brisbane City Council’s new restriction on apartments and townhouses amid concerns it could lead to unaffordable property prices.

The Courier-Mail revealed overnight that the council will now ban the construction of new apartments and townhouses in neighbourhoods zoned for single homes as part of the sweeping reforms.

Cookie-cutter townhouses will also be stamped out, with the council to restrict the repetitive design of new developments.

Property Council Queensland executive director Chris Mountford said he was concerned that restrictions in the city planning blueprint that would “make it harder to provide housing choice for a growing population”.

“We will need more of all types of housing — from studio apartments to traditional housing, and every housing type in between, if we want to avoid following Sydney’s path to eyewatering levels of unaffordability,” he said.

“The property industry is therefore concerned about aspects of the new ‘charter’ aimed at stopping forms of development like townhouses, or placing further regulatory hurdles under the auspices of ‘better design’.”

Mr Mountford also said the plan did not have enough detail on how infrastructure would be delivered in line with a growing population.

“The reality is that growth is inevitable,” he said.

“Good growth requires us to link infrastructure delivery to land use planning outcomes.”

EARLIER

LABOR councillors have branded new changes to Brisbane’s city planning blueprint as an “amazing backdown” from Graham Quirk’s council administration. The Courier-Mail last night revealed the council would now ban the development of new townhouses and apartments in single home areas in a bid to protect the city’s character.

They would also put a stop to cookie-cutter townhouses by restricting the repetitive design of new developments.

Opposition city planning spokesman Jared Cassidy claimed the administration had only been willing to adopt the ideas after spending millions of dollars during the consultation process.

“(Lord Mayor Graham Quirk) could have learned all of this without having to blow $3 million of ratepayers’ money,” he said.

“He’s spending millions of your money to tell you what you already know — Brisbane’s had a gutful of the orgy of overdevelopment on his watch.

“It’s good news for the communities that have been suffering at the hands of this pro-development council … in low density areas for years.”

Cr Cassidy said Labor had already taken many of these policies to the last election.

“This is another example of the administration picking up on a Labor policy,” he said.

“We’ve got plenty more good ones if they want.”

Cr Quirk was unable to reveal how much the council had spent consulting with residents on the changes, but defended it as “money very well spent”.

“The cost of having a conversation with the people of Brisbane around something as important as planning is worth it,” he said.

“This has seen the engagement of one in five householders that have submitted views to us across the city.”

OVERNIGHT: Suburban back yards will be safeguarded under a council push to limit the construction of apartments and townhouses to preserve the city’s unique character.

The crackdown will be included in a sweeping new charter of principles, to be ­unveiled on Friday, that will guide Brisbane’s development as it prepares for a massive population boom over the next two decades.

Brisbane City Council has committed to banning townhouses and units being built in areas zoned for single homes, including, for example, parts of Wavell Heights, Carseldine, Morningside, Kenmore and Manly.

It will also put a stop to cookie-cutter townhouses by restricting repeat designs in new developments.

A commitment has also been made to give residents a voice on the preservation of traditionally designed homes — like the iconic Queenslander — through a citywide Character Design forum.

Glen, Maxwell, Penny and Digby Spalding near their home at Morningside in Brisbane’s east. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the blueprint was about creating a city of neighbourhoods and protecting the Brisbane back yard.

“Council has listened to feedback and we will make changes, to preserve what we all love about our city,” he said. “Council will now implement these action items, with some already under way and others to commence over the coming 18 months.”

The charter of principles includes 40 “actions” and follows consultation with about 100,000 residents.

Penny Spalding has lived in Morningside on Brisbane’s south for 17 years and said her family was initially attracted to the area because of the quiet suburban location.

“We’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, mostly traffic congestion, which has led to parking issues,” she said. “I think it’s a great idea to limit high-rises here.”

It is understood the council will now change provisions in the Brisbane City Plan 2014 to toughen up approval processes in low-density areas.

Cr Quirk said the plan would ensure the city had the services and infrastructure to meet the needs of future generations. “Council will also develop a new alert system to make it even easier for residents to stay up to date with proposed developments for their neighbourhood,” he said.

Cr Quirk also revealed the council would establish a Brisbane Design Office to “implement a design strategy for the city and create a design rating scheme”.

“The Brisbane Design Office will also become part of the development application assessment process,” he said.

BLUEPRINT FOR BRISBANE

1. A stop to cookie-cutter townhouses by restricting repeat designs.

2. A ban on the construction of apartments and townhouses in single home areas.

3. Call on the State Government to give the council stronger enforcement powers and penalties to protect character and
heritage homes.

4. A new alert system to notify residents about developments in their area.

5. A Chief Design Office will be established to implement a design strategy for the city.