‘Precedent setting’ City Plan amendment would save homes from development

Brisbane City Council is proposing a precedent-setting amendment that would protect “tin and timber” homes being wiped out for townhouses and apartments in a southeast suburb.

Developers would be barred from bulldozing “tin and timber homes” to build townhouses and apartments in Brisbane’s east under a first-time amendment to the City Plan.

Brisbane City Council will recommend a first-time rezoning amendment to the City Plan in order to protect the “character” of Camp Hill from developers’ wrecking balls, pending the results of a community consultation period that begins on Monday.

The potential rezoning of Camp Hill which would see the suburbs changed from “low-medium density residential” to a “character residential” in the Brisbane City Plan – meaning any dwelling houses built in or before 1946 would be retained by law and development would be limited to one or two storey houses.

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Demolition at a development site in Camp Hill during 2018.

The draft amendment follows a spate of protesting and petitioning – which began in May 2018 – from Camp Hill residents about a “wave of overdevelopment” in the suburb.

“Locals are sick of being ignored … seeing their area stripped of its character and turned into a developer’s paradise,” Local councillor Kara Cook said.

“This decision could potentially preserve hundreds of older homes that will be appreciated for generations to come.”

Morningside Councillor Kara Cook at the site of the controversial Camp Hill development.

Brisbane Deputy Mayor City Planning Committee chair Krista Adams said this amendment was the first City Plan amendment to be put to community consultation.

“Two prior rezoning applications for parts of Norman Park and Carina did not receive enough support from landowners to progress this far,” she said.

Council will seek Community feedback about the rezoning of Camp Hill from August 24 to September 20.

“If Council deems the changes to be appropriate and supported by residents any proposed amendments will then be referred to the State Government for approval,” Ms Adams said.

A survey of 449 Camp Hill property owners in 2018 saw 53 per cent voting in favour of the rezoning.

Ms Cook again urged residents to “have their say on this precedent setting consultation”.