Labor MPs slam claims State demanded 500 more homes at Cedar Woods development

LABOR MPs have slammed claims the State Government made demands over a controversial Brisbane development, calling them “absolute crap” and a “blatant lie”.

The site of the Cedar Woods development at Upper Kedron.

LABOR MPs have slammed claims the State Government demanded an extra 500 homes be crammed into Brisbane’s controversial Cedar Woods development with one calling them “absolute crap”.

Cr Steve Toomey (LNP — The Gap) said Brisbane City Council had been told to boost the number of homes allowed in Upper Kedron under the Ferny Grove-Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan to about 1500.

Cr Steve Toomey said Brisbane City Council had been told to boost the number of homes. Picture: Patria Jannides

“This is a clear breach of trust with our community,” Cr Toomey said.

Ferny Grove state Labor MP Mark Furner, whose electorate covers Upper Kedron, said Cr Toomey’s claim was a “blatant lie” and called on him to “stop playing grubby gutter politics”.

Mark Furner denies Cr Toomey’s claim. Picture: Darren England

Cr Toomey told the North-West News: “The State Government has instructed that the low density residential Cedar Creek South area of the plan is increased by 33ha, consequently reducing the small-acreage ‘urban edge’ area by 33ha.

“The density of the Cedar Creek South area was also increased from 12 lots/ha to 15 lots/ha ...

“The development will now be around 1500 homes, a 50 per cent increase on the original 980 homes that (Ashgrove state Labor MP) Kate Jones said was an ‘unsustainable mega suburb’.”

Mr Furner said: “I’ve not seen any paperwork, any correspondence, that suggests there needs to be 1500 homes.”

Ms Jones described the LNP claims as “complete and utter crap”.

Kate Jones labelled the claims “utter crap”. Picture: Peter Wallis

“I have been 100 per cent consistent in saying I do not think our local infrastructure can support the new plan released by Council to expand the urban footprint at Upper Kedron,” Ms Jones said.

Planning Minister Jackie Trad joined the fray, taking aim at comments by Brisbane City Council Planning chairman Julian Simmonds (LNP).

At last week’s BCC meeting Cr Simmonds said the State Government had directed it to increase the housing density to 1500 homes.

Ms Trad said the claim was “totally false”.

“Decisions about lot numbers and yields are made by council in response to development applications,” she said.