Ausbuild presses on with plan to create almost 100 new homes at Warner

A court ruling means a new 300-home estate on prime koala habitat is set to go ahead despite community outcry and council rejecting the application. VOTE IN OUR POLL

A developer’s master plan to build almost 300 new homes on prime koala habitat north of Brisbane will likely go ahead after the court ruled in favour of the developer.

Ausbuild announced a plan to build 129 and 102 new houses over two lots at 54 Warner Rd several years ago.

The first of these applications, for the 129 new homes, was rejected by Moreton Bay Regional Council in February last year after the community expressed outrage and raised major concerns about the development.

Ausbuild Warner Road Development proposed footprint.

In December 2020 the Planning and Environment Court ruled in favour of the developer.

This decision followed a mediation process between council and residents.

Several changes were implemented during this process meaning there will be traffic lights installed at the intersection of Coorparoo St and South Pine Road and 10.85ha (45 per cent of the site) will be rehabilitated as riparian reserve for fauna and flora.

Shortly after Ausbuild lodged its second application seeking council approval to build another 102 homes on the adjacent lot.

Lot sizes are proposed to range from 325 sqm to 727 sqm.

Ausbuild Managing Director Michael Loney said they were “delighted”.

“We are looking forward to keeping our community up-to-date about when construction will start and other details as we get underway and hope to have some new families moving into the area in time for Christmas,” Mr Loney said.

“We’re in the business of building strong communities and delivering on infrastructure to do so.

Residents outside the council chamber after Ausbuild's Warner Rd development application was rejected. Picture: David Alexander

“We’ll have more announcements on improved benefits for Warner over the coming weeks and months.”

An Ausbuild spokesman said the dollar value of the project could be revealed due to commercial-in-confidence.

Warner Working Group member Christine West, lives alongside the proposed development site. She was heavily involved in organising the petition to council regarding Ausbuild’s first application.

Mrs West said it had been a long process but she was happy with the end result.

“We have got a lot more for the community than what was originally offered,” she said.

Mrs West said that despite this she would be lodging an objection with Moreton Bay Regional Council regarding the second stage of the development.

Ausbuild plans to create a new estate, with close to 300 new homes, at Warner.

“The second stage is on rural residential land which is different to the first stage, it was on industrial land,” Mrs West said.

“There are concerns about what happens when you start breaking up rural residential land.”

Mrs West said she would be asking council to hold off making any decisions about the application until the promised revised Planning Scheme and Neighbourhood Plans were completed.

“We are not against development we just want to ensure they are well planned and well thought out with environmental corridors throughout,” she said.