Pensioners’ anxious wait as council prepares Rochedale South site for development
A southeast Queensland pensioner says he feels like a city council is waiting for him and his neighbours to die so it can bulldoze their public housing home for commercial redevelopment.
A southside pensioner says he feels like a council is waiting for him and his neighbours to die so it can bulldoze their public housing home for commercial redevelopment.
■ MILLION-DOLLAR MANSION LEFT TO RACK AND RUIN
■ ANTIQUES BUILDING LEFT TO RACK AND RUIN
■ HALLOWEEN IN DERELICT BUILDING
■ RATEPAYER ANGER OVER VACANT BUILDING
Rochedale South resident George Wright said he and other tenants feared being turfed out of their public housing units after Logan City Council revealed it was selling a next-door community complex for redevelopment.
Mr Wright, who has lived at the Nerida St units for 20 years, said the council had not contacted him about renewing his lease which expires in December.
“I am 84 and I just want to know where I will be living next year,” he said.
“We were told last year that the council was going to sell and redevelop the site, which added up as they had not re-tenanted four of the 12 units and it felt like they were waiting for us all to die.
“Then we were told that we were safe and they were only going to development the Meals on Wheels part of the site.
“But my lease runs out on December 31 and I have not been contacted by the council — so if I do have to look for a new home, it will be cutting it short.”
The Nerida St property includes a community hall and, until recently, was the base for Blue Care and the Rochedale Springwood Meals on Wheels kitchen.
Blue Care moved out in June and Meals on Wheels will move to a newly-built state facility at Underwood Park this month.
The 12 council-owned units were included when Logan City Council held secret meetings in August to discuss its residential real estate holdings.
At one of the closed-door meetings, the council decided to appoint a property manager who would be able to sell or rent all of its residential property holdings excluding the Nerida St units.
The appointment followed public scrutiny of the council in October last year when it was revealed a multimillion-dollar Park Ridge mansion, owned by the council, had been left to rack and ruin and vacant for years.
The council has also been under fire for failing to rent out a million-dollar property, known as the Antiques building at Loganholme, leaving it instead to decay for a decade without collecting a cent in rent.
Logan Ratepayers Association took up the plight of the Rochedale South tenants and lodged a formal complaint about a council asset being “underused and wasted” after four units were left vacant for more than three years.
President Rod Shaw said there were still concerns about the tenants’ futures despite council claims the units were no longer in the redevelopment plans.
“We have been assured that the tenants can stay, but for how long and when will they see the terms of any new lease?” Mr Shaw said.
“It’s mismanagement by the council to leave this valuable real estate empty for so long.
“Apart from the loss of revenue, there is also a desperate need for such accommodation in the community with victims of domestic violence and homeless people looking for housing.”
Mr Shaw said he believed it was only a matter of time before the council bulldozers would roll in and build more units on part, or all, of the site to help pay for the new community facility at Underwood Park.
A Logan Sports, Leisure and Facilities manager said the council put a hold on re-letting Rochedale South units when the site was being sold.
“Council has subsequently resolved to only sell the portion of land on which the community centre is located and not the pensioner units,” he said.
“Correspondence has recently been sent to all of the residents of the pensioner units reassuring them of this fact.
“Council will continue to work with the Department with the aim of ensuring that units are made available to support those in need of accommodation.”
Mr Wright said he had not received any correspondence form the council guaranteeing his tenure and a spokesman from the Housing Department said the property was not part of the social housing system.
“Inquiries should be directed to the property and tenancy manager at Logan City Council.”
Logan City councillor responsible for the area Lisa Bradley was not returning calls.