Mt Warren Park servo to go ahead despite Logan council refusal

A former Mater prize home site will be turned into a service station, despite a southside council initially refusing it

An aerial map of Rochester Drive, Mt Warren Park; angry residents who say a servo is not needed and the busy roundabout.

A former Mater prize home site will be turned into a service station, despite a southside council initially refusing the development and amid huge outcry from local residents.

The block of land at Rochester Dr, Mt Warren Park was a salubrious address when it was the top prize in the lottery in the 1980s.

But since then, the site has been plagued with sewage and traffic problems and the house removed before developers launched plans to build a 7-Eleven service station.

Logan City Council refused the service station development application in August 2019 after it received 37 objections from residents.

In its August 2019 refusal, the council said there was no community or economic need for the servo which it said did not comply with a low-density residential zoning and would not cater for the daily needs of locals.

But 14 months later after a year-long court case, the council agreed to allow the 7-Eleven outlet to be built, angering residents who said their objections were ignored and they still had not been informed of the court case outcome.

The residents said they were considering options after the council backdown claiming there were already 17 petrol stations within 7km.

Mt Warren Park resident Belinda Thompson said residents had not expected the council to rollover and allow the servo.

The busy roundabout where the council will allow a 7-Eleven service station to be built.

She said residents at Noyea Riverside Retirement Village on Rochester Dr were already contending with traffic banking up from the often congested roundabout, blocking the village driveway.

“We put in submissions objecting to the plans and then the council refused the application,” she said.

“But then the case went to court and now the council has agreed to the service station — but we were never told why.

“We want to know what happened to our objections and how the council came to an agreement in court when only a year ago it had backed the residents and refused the application.

The development site marked in red next to the roundabout which is one of the main thoroughfares into Beenleigh.

“We also want to know if the roundabout will be upgraded to lights, what traffic management will be put in place and where the entry will be.”

The council rejected claims it had made an out-of-court “deal” with the developer and said the Planning and Environment Court made the decision after council officers held without prejudice meetings with the developer.

“Due to confidentiality requirements of the court, we are not at liberty to discuss this aspect of the appeal,” the council said in an email to residents.

“Council does not relay the decision of a court. The judgment is available to view on council’s website.

“There is no mechanism for council to compensate residents for perceived impacts of a court decision.

“The entry to the development is from a state-controlled road. Any roadworks will be at the discretion of the state, however the approved plans show conceptually the driveway configuration.”

Work started on the site in October after Judge Michael Williamson QC approved the development application on July 23.