Clock resets on CSR’s quarry project at Warner

The clock has reset on a controversial housing development at a quarry in Brisbane’s north, while developer Ausbuild prepares ramp up its plans for a major housing development on land adjacent to the site.

Warner Road green space which is included in Ausbuild’s development site proposal. (AAP/Richard Walker)

THE clock has been reset on CSR’s plans to establish about 500 houses at its clay quarry at Warner.

Developer Ausbuild meanwhile is preparing to ramp up its plans for a major housing development on land adjacent to the CSR site.

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CSR lodged a development application last September for its quarry at 107-109 Kremzow Rd while there was still uncertainty surrounding Moreton Bay Regional Council’s major amendments to its planning scheme.

Warner Investigation Area development map with Ausbuild and CSR properties highlighted.

The amendments would have changed the zoning of land in the Warner Investigation Area from Rural Residential, Industry, and Limited Development to Emerging Community.

The amendments were ultimately rejected by the State Government in October last year, and CSR on December 14 lodged a new application with the council.

It is proposing about 500 lots of various sizes at a density of 20 dwellings per hectare, along with roads and parks.

Access to the development will be from Old North Road and Kremzow Rd.

Land off Warner Road, Warner, that Ausbuild wants to develop into housing. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Seven hectares of uncleared vegetation at the southern end of the site was to be protected.

A spokeswoman for the company said the major change with the new application was that it is now a stand-alone project and no longer being developed concurrently with the proposed Mordar site.

“Previous connections with the neighbouring Mordar and Ausbuild sites are no longer in place,” she said.

The new application has also reset the timeline on the proposal with community consultation to begin again.

CSR’s planning report stated that the council approached the company in late 2015 to discuss a structure planning process for the Warner Investigation Area (WIA).

Members of a community group in 2017 concerned over development plans for Warner. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

This took into account all three development sites in WIA — CSR, Mordar and Ausbuild.

“Since that time, CSR has engaged in consultation and negotiation with Council and other land owners regarding the WIA,” CSR’s planning report stated.

In June 2016, CSR applied to the Federal Department of Environment to extend its quarry operations and subsequently clear a large section of trees from the site under its mining lease.

The government determined on July 22, 2016 that the application was “not a controlled action” and deemed there were no matters of national environmental significance on the site, such as koalas.

Subsequently, CSR could go ahead and clear the trees to expand its quarry.

Ausbuild’s Warner Road Residential Development application to the Department of Environment stated that CSR cleared 8.52ha of remnant vegetation and 7.99ha of regrowth vegetation from the quarry site.

Warner CSR quarry before tree clearing.

A council spokesman confirmed that, in general, it was easier to get land developed for housing if it has already been cleared of trees.

CSR has since carried out mining operations on the cleared land, with a view that the operation will soon close and the land need to be remediated ahead of any housing development.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment found in September 2017 that Ausbuild’s proposed development would likely have “significant impacts on listed threatened species and communities”, including koalas.

Therefore Ausbuild’s project was deemed “a controlled action” and must be assessed under the

Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) before it could proceed.

Ausbuild unsuccessfully applied for a reconsideration of the decision on the grounds that the neighbouring CSR site was not deemed to be a controlled action.

The company has since been working on an alternative plan for the site.

Warner CSR quarry after tree clearing.

Both companies — Ausbuild and CSR — are now preparing strategies to consult with the community over their developments.

The neighbouring Mordar development has been delayed.

CSR has set up the Warner Working Group which has already met with some residents and Ausbuild will on Monday release a web page for its proposal to develop land along Warner Rd.

“The website’s intent is to provide a location for factual content and for us to share our proposal with the community,” an Ausbuild spokesman said.

“The site will share content regarding Ausbuild’s proposed development, the economic benefits, transport and infrastructure, impact on environment and wildlife and showcase some housing solutions.

“We’ll also be launching a communication portal encouraging the community to share their thoughts and for us to provide qualified responses.”

Ausbuild’s initial proposal was met with fierce opposition in the community with Facebook groups Save our Community Warner and Warner/Eatons Hill Residents Discussing New Development set up in response.

The pages have almost 5000 followers combined.

A core group of residents have been actively fighting the proposal by lobbying the local and state governments and informing others about what is happening in their neighbourhood.

Ausbuild has caveats on a number of properties along Warner Rd, including the two large blocks on the northern side that join with the CSR property.

This land is owned by Jacey Holdings, formerly Kevin Isles Group Holdings.

On the southern side of Warner Rd, Ausbuild has caveats on eight properties, one dating as far back as 2014.

The property at 117 Warner Rd, which is part of the Ausbuild development site, was sold on February 20 last year to ADC Group No. 8 Pty Ltd for $3.75 million.

The site was valued at $450,000 on June 30, 2017.

ADC Group No. 8 Pty Ltd is an Ausbuild company and a spokeswoman said they would apply to the council for a rural residential development on that block for homes ranging in size between 4000sqm to 6000sqm.