Council approves Ferny Grove-Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan

A CONTROVERSIAL neighbourhood plan at the centre of a political dogfight has been approved by Brisbane City Council.

The proposed Cedar Woods development at Upper Kedron.

• Government backflip over Cedar Woods
• Newman says Kate Jones misled community

A CONTROVERSIAL neighbourhood plan at the centre of a political dogfight has been approved by Brisbane City Council.

Ferny Grove-Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan amendments passed at a council meeting on Tuesday night after spending a tumultuous few months as a political football.

The controversy was ignited during the 2015 election after Ashgrove MP Kate Jones pledged to call in the Cedar Woods development, within the Ferny Grove-Upper Kedron area, as an election promise.

Following the call in, the State Government in August last year ordered council to amend the Ferny Grove-Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan. Council supplied those amendments to the State Government in January this year.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said 685 submissions had been received during the consultation period that raised various concerns. Picture: Marc Robertson/AAP

However, in a response sent to council in April the State Government came under fire for ordering housing density to be increased by 50 per cent, which council claimed would have seen the 980 Cedar Woods lots approved during the call in to increase to 1500 lots.

It led to a stunning backflip by the State Government when council was later told it could scrap the directive before the plan went out for community consultation in June.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said 685 submissions had been received during the consultation period that raised various concerns, including site access and ecological values.

“Council has revised the plan to reflect not only the community feedback but ensures that there are clear directions for future development,” Cr Quirk said.

“Council will now seek approval from the State Government to adopt the draft Ferny Grove-Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan.”

The valley between The Gap and Upper Kedron. Picture: Jack Tran

Noting the area’s “very poor political history in terms of interference”, Cr Quirk said original amendments had been reintroduced to the plan after rejecting a State Government proposal about revegetation.

Opposition Leader Peter Cumming said Labor councillors wouldn’t support the amendments. However, he noted the local community fought hard to have the neighbourhood plan implemented after starting a grassroots campaign for the Cedar Woods call in.

“Real people who have put their time on the line and campaigned really hard to force the council to introduce this plan,” Cr Cumming said.

“It’s a bad deal for this area.”