Palaszczuk Government accused of delaying planning reforms

Brisbane City Council says the Palaszczuk Government has been “dragging their feet” on ticking off key reforms that would ban developers from building apartments and townhouses in low density neighbourhoods.

THE Palaszczuk Government has been accused of delaying Council reforms that would ban Brisbane developers from building apartments and townhouses in low density neighbourhoods.

The LNP council administration will tomorrow introduce a temporary apartment ban in single home areas — unable to introduce a permanent measure until it is ticked off by the State Government.

The move would prevent developers from building apartments and units on blocks of land that are more than 3,000 square metres in single home areas, with the temporary measure to be in place for two years.

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Brisbane City Council claim they first sought approval for a permanent ban from the State Government in September, but were told last month the process was now on “pause”.

City Planning Chairman Cr Matthew Bourke accused the State Government of “dragging their feet” and said, in the meantime, the council would introduce a temporary local planning instrument.

“It is very frustrating it has been 157 days since we first wrote to the State Government seeking their approval to a City Plan amendment that would protect the city’s character,” he said.

“We will not let the character of our suburbs be lost because of the State Government’s lack of timely progression.”

Councillor Matthew Bourke said the Palaszczuk Government were dragging their feet on key planning reforms. Picture: Peter Cronin

But the government has hit back at the claims, saying the council only officially lodged their proposed changes in November.

A State Development Department spokesman said they were now considering the amendments, after the council lodged their final documentation last Friday.

Labor’s city planning spokesman, Cr Jared Cassidy, welcomed the introduction of the temporary measure, insisting that they first called for it in October last year.

“It’s good that it’s happening now, but the question is how many of these applications have gone in between October last year and February this year while the LNP have been dithering through this process,” he said.

The State Government will still have to approve the two year protection order that will be brought before Council on Tuesday.