Lord Mayor intervenes on ‘illegal’ elite riding school drama

An email from Brisbane’s Lord Mayor has bought more time for an “extremely popular” horseriding facility at the centre of a neighbourhood dispute.

A clash over the legality of a well-known Brisbane pony club has divided a community and even caught the personal attention of the Lord Mayor, as a neighbour rallies for it to be shut down.

Brisbane City Council slapped Kurshonbrooke Lodge with a show cause notice in November 2019, seeking to inquire about whether the facility was being used as a ‘riding school’ without council approval.

The property was approved in 1993 for use in “agriculture,” but the letter said that approval “does not include any residential use, any use of a stable or roadside stall, or any use which is part or the use of a … riding school.”

But in an email chain dated December 5th 2019 obtained by the Courier-Mail between council’s compliance team and neighbour Penny O’Neill, a council officer stated that the show cause notice was put on hold “due to the wishes of the Lord Mayor (Adrian Schrinner).”

An aerial photo of Kurshonbrooke Lodge. Picture: PD Online.

“This has been done so the property owners of 747 New Cleveland Rd have an appropriate amount of time to lodge an application for the lawful operation of Kurshonbrooke Lodge,” the email continued.

“Shutting down this horse riding business without giving them the opportunity to apply for approvals is not the fair or smart thing to do,” it said.

The Courier-Mail doesn’t suggest any wrongdoing on the part of Cr Schrinner.

Chandler ward councillor Ryan Murphy said the intervention was “standard process,” as the riding school’s owners had filed a development application for the land.

The front of the Kurshonbrooke Riding School in Gumdale. Picture: Google Streetview

“If an application is lodged any show cause notices over the site are put on hold until a decision is reached,” Cr Murphy said.

“The application remains under assessment with a decision expected to be reached soon.”

A subsequent development application by Kurshonbrooke Lodge admits that the property was used since 1993 for “riding tuition and education,” “thoroughbred racing and training,” and “day and overnight camps.”

“Over the last 27 years, children from the following education facilities have attended Kurshonbrooke Lodge,” the application said, before listing over 30 private and public schools, including Brisbane Girls’ Grammar, Somerville House and Coorparoo State School.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is quoted in the email as having intervened personally to ensure the riding school had time to file an application. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar.

Neighbour Penny O'Neill, who ran as a Labor candidate for the local council, said she opposed allowing its operation to continue. Picture: Penny O'Neill.

He said 264 submissions were made to council over the riding school, 90 per cent of which were positive.

Kurshonbrooke Lodge declined to comment.

But neighbour Ms O’Neill said the riding school’s operation had never been approved by council in 1993.

She said she was concerned about the environmental impact of run-off from the stables impacting local waterways and her own property values, and said the riding school “should have never been started.”

The riding school was used by Sommerville House, Brisbane Girls Grammar and over two dozen other schools. Picture: File.

“It’s completely inappropriate development,” Ms O’Neill said.

“It’s not appropriate development in a sensitive environmental area with significant biodiversity overlays including koala habitat,’ she said.

Ms O’Neill, who ran as a Labor candidate for the Chandler Ward at the last local government election, said she only ran for office after her ordeal with council and the riding school, and denied that she was biased.