Mackay council rejects Habana rural land subdivision

Councillors were advised to refuse two development applications changing the layout of rural land but instead they only rejected one. Here’s why.

While rural landowners northwest of Mackay can celebrate getting the tick of approval for new boundaries, rural property holders 20 minutes east have had their bid denied.

Mackay councillors were advised to refuse the two separate development applications put before them on Wednesday as both conflicted with the Mackay Region Planning’s Scheme rural zone code.

The first application proposed to shift the boundary line between two parcels of land, totalling 38ha, sectioned between Sorensens Rd and the Bruce Highway at Kuttabul.

The Kuttabul landowners wanted to transfer about 4300sq m of land formerly used for sugarcane growing to the block next door which currently has a family home and fruit trees.

The second application was a request to subdivide one rural-zoned 38ha lot in Habana bordering Reliance Creek along Farleigh-Habana Rd into two individual lots.

Documents lodged to council state a smaller 8ha parcel would “accommodate innovative and more modern farming” or become a “large residential lifestyle block” while the remaining 30ha lot would “maintain its existing operations”.

The Kuttabul application was approved after co-landowner Rex Munchow addressed councillors at the meeting.

Rex Munchow (standing) spoke to Mackay councillors on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, over why he thought they should support his family's application to change the boundaries on a Kuttabul property. Picture: Mackay Regional Council livestream

Mr Munchow said the council’s planning department had initially denied their request because the land was designated “locally significant agricultural land”.

“The area has not been in production since 2012,” he said to the councillors.

He said the land’s rocky soil, hilly terrain, short rows and history of poor yields made it unsuitable for sugarcane farming.

Councillor Laurence Bonaventura said he had “ample confidence” in the proposal with Cr Martin Bella adding the original boundaries were a “very bad decision”.

Minutes later, councillors unanimously voted in the opposite direction to this time agree with the officer’s recommendation to refuse the Habana subdivision.

Mackay Regional Councillor Martin Bella says subdividing rural property at Habana would be detrimental to agriculture. Picture: Daryl Wright.

Cr Bella said it would cause “extreme damage” to agricultural land and economies of scale.

This is despite previous outrage from Habana residents after council denied subdivision of their land while large housing estates, such as Richmond Hills, were developed nearby.

“To make farming viable, to make the same profit, we’re needing more and more (land) area because of increased input costs,” Cr Bella said.

The layout of the rural-zoned lot along Farleigh-Habana Rd at Habana.

“In this case, I believe it would basically make the whole area, if we were to subdivide, non-viable to agriculture, not (just) to cane growing.”

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