Residents: ‘no sign of green city in Windsor Park’

Residents of an inner city suburb say it’s time industry was moved out as they continue the fight to stop a concrete plant from operating 22 hours a day six days a week.

Residents are calling on Council to reject an application from a concrete plant and begin to transition industry out of Windsor Park. Photo. supplied.

Windsor residents say they are sick and tired of being exposed to “relentless noise, dust and pollution” and want Council to fast-track the suburb’s transition away from being exposed to the impacts of existing industry.

Windsor Park Community Association spokesman Dominiqe Bird said community was still waiting to know the outcome of an application by Neilsens Concrete to extend its operating hours to 22 hours a day six days a week, which he said would be “disastrous for the community”.

The plant currently operates Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm and Saturday 6am-3pm.

“It is very concerning that it’s taken over a year for the council to come to a decision on this matter,” Mr Bird said.

“The application was submitted in September 2018 and we are still yet to see an independent environmental impact report from the council.”

“Our concerns regarding toxic sediment run-off into Breakfast Creek, relentless noise, dust pollution, pedestrian and cyclist safety have still not been addressed—and to add insult to injury, BCC have recently launched campaigns about revitalising Brisbane’s suburbs and creating a “green city” and yet we see no evidence of this in Windsor Park.”

He said the current zoning of high impact, general industry was not compatible with a residential area.

Windsor Park Community Association spokesman Dominiqe Bird wants Council to “green” the inner city suburb and remove light industry. Photo. Andrea Macleod

Mr Bird said the wait for a Council decision on the concrete plant development application had resulted in an “anxious year for the community”.

“Residents are very aware that this neighbourhood could be destroyed overnight,” he said.

“I’m not sure what else we can do. We’ve voiced our concerns, lodged hundreds of objections on the council website, signed petitions, emailed our representatives but with no change or further information available, we’re left completely in the dark.”

Mr Bird said State LNP MP for Clayfield Tim Nicholls, Cr David McLachlan (Hamilton), and now Cr Andrew Wines (Enoggera) all insisted they opposed the development application and asked “why, then, is it still being considered”.

Windsor residents are calling for Council to transition the suburb away from industry. Pic Andrea Macleod

Councillor Andrew Wines (Enoggera) confirmed he had joined Cr McLachlan by saying his preference “is to seek a refusal” of the DA.

Cr Wines said he held a public meeting in December “to ensure the community has the opportunity to let their opinion be heard and considered”.

He said he would pass the feedback on to the relevant Brisbane City Council officers.

The Neilsen Group applied to council in 2018 to extend its hours of operations to 24/7 however the company said in a response to the News last November that the application was “no longer a 24/7 application”.

Neilsen Group CEO Mario Panuccio said “it is now an application to run very limited activities outside of normal hours from Monday to Saturday, and not for all hours”.

An amendment to the application received by council on November 14 seeks that “the proposal for extended hours of operation for the existing concrete batching plant operations be reduced from twenty-four (24) hours per day and seven (7) days per week to twenty-two (22) hours per day excluding the hours of 2.00am to 4.00am and six (6) days per week, from Monday to Saturday only”.

He said the changes would reduce the “impact of delivery vehicles on local traffic at peak hour times and allow Neilsens to conduct the night-time road repair work that is preferred by the local community”.

A Council spokesman said ongoing operation of low impact industry at the site was supported in the Lutwyche Road Corridor Neighbourhood Plan.

The spokesman said “Council released the Brisbane Industrial Strategy in 2019 which highlights the importance of managing the impacts from industry on nearby neighbourhoods while ensuring businesses thrive and provide much-needed services, jobs and economic output”.

“The development application remains under assessment by Brisbane City Council’s independent Planning Officers against the requirements of City Plan and the Planning Act.”

The spokesman said the application was code assessable and did not require public notification but all feedback received by Council would be considered as part of the assessment process.

“As part of the assessment, the applicant has submitted reports on noise and dust emissions, which Council’s Environmental Management Officers will carefully consider,” the spokesman said.