Brisbane and Redland councils named in deputy premier’s scathing housing crisis rant

The state’s unprecedented housing crisis has been slated back to the doorstep of two large southeast Queensland councils in a scathing attack by the deputy premier.

The state’s unprecedented housing crisis has been slated back to the doorstep of two large southeast Queensland councils in a scathing attack by the deputy premier Steven Miles.

Mr Miles singled out Brisbane and Redland city councils for failing to follow state government directions and refusing to deliver housing strategies to unlock land for housing.

He said both councils needed to do more to meet targets for the amount of land to be supplied.

“If the Brisbane City Council had delivered a housing strategy as they were directed to in 2019, we would not be in this situation,” Mr Miles said.

“If the Redland City Council, which has been directed to deliver a housing strategy, had not refused to do so, then we would have more land supply now.

“These two big southeast LNP-led councils just refuse to have a housing strategy.

“The delivery of land supply rests primarily with local government, and in a couple of areas local governments are not meeting their targets.”

Home builders wanting to buy land should avoid the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Brisbane, while Logan, Redland, Maranoa and Moreton Bay were also areas where building land was expected to be in tight supply over the next three years. Isaac, in Central Queensland, Gladstone and Banana Shire offered the most land supply over the longest period, according to State Development Department data.

In an effort to get councils to unlock greenfield sites, Mr Miles set up a “growth areas” team to crack the whip.

The team is initially concentrating on Caboolture West, where it is working with Moreton Bay Regional Council, developers and utility providers to open up land for housing for 70,000.

Brisbane City Council said the pandemic had delayed its Housing Strategy but it had started investigating opening up commercial areas for residential use while safeguarding low-density areas.

Brisbane was asked to address concerns about housing supply before 2020, when the then Planning Minister Cameron Dick asked for a detailed housing strategy.

“The coronavirus pandemic has seriously impacted Brisbane’s strategic housing demands and further research is being undertaken to fully understand changes to future housing directions,” a council spokeswoman said.

“The state government is required to review their plan every five years. We have requested a timeframe for this review, which may influence the delivery of council’s housing strategy.”

A Planning Department spokesperson said Redland had also been asked “on a number of occasions” to update its 2011 Housing Strategy which was based on 2006 population data and did not account for “significant population or housing challenges”.

“The requirement for council to undertake a housing strategy is to ensure there is appropriately zoned land to accommodate a diverse range of housing,” the spokesperson said.

A review last year of the long-term supply of land availability found the southeast region was “broadly on track” over the next four years.

However, it also found land supply was tightening with popular addresses south of Brisbane due to run out of greenfield sites by 2026.

Redland City Council has blocked development in Thornlands but allowed an out-of-sync housing estate, Shoreline, above, to be built in Redland Bay with no town sewerage.

The housing issue in Redlands came to a head late last year when the state government was forced to step in with a $15 million loan to developer Lendlease, so it could fast-track a sewage treatment plant for its 3000-lot Shoreline housing estate, where building had already started.

Lendlease and Redland City Council are still negotiating over the construction and payment for the facility, proposed to be built on pristine wetlands and drain into the Logan River.

Redland council said it tabled a report in July 2021 listing key reasons an updated Housing Strategy was not required.

“Council is achieving all its dwelling targets in terms of supply and demand and housing mix,” the council said.

“The state’s own Land Supply Development Monitoring report has confirmed that the Redlands has sufficient residential land supply to meet the dwelling benchmarks set out in ShapingSEQ, including the minimum 15-year supply and to 2041.

Projected population figures for 2041 from ShapingSEQ Regional Plan.

“Council responded to the minister’s notice, indicating that council did not agree that a housing strategy was required.”

Long-time Redland resident Evelyn Fennelly, who has land she wants to subdivide in Thornlands, said the council had blocked development in her suburb while allowing the out-of-sync housing estate, Shoreline, to be built in Redland Bay.

Ms Fennelly said even though Thornlands was listed as a potential future growth area in the state’s Southeast Queensland Regional Plan and council’s own planning scheme, Shoreline had taken priority.

Council's preferred land use for southern Thornlands with red for mixed industry and business; grey for rural residential; yellow for transport; blue for education and purple for larger scale home-based enterprises.

“The council refuses to let us subdivide the land into lots smaller than 100 hectares, which means it will remain rural even though there is a desperate need to build more houses in this area,” she said.

“The state government said leaving southern Thornlands as rural is a massive waste and told the council to resubmit its housing strategy.

“To flatly refuse to update its housing strategy or investigate more urban development options is reckless, especially when the council allowed an out-of-sync development with no sewerage to proceed at Shoreline in Redland Bay.

“The hypocrisy is astounding especially as the council is reaching out to the LGAQ for financial assistance to deal with the housing crisis.”

In January, Redland decided it would amend its City Plan for southern Thornlands and held public consultation to determine the best future use of the area.

The council has been working with the Planning Minister and his officers to ensure the proposed amendment complied with state planning policies and community wishes.

Mr Miles has established a review of the South East Queensland Regional Plan to assess all underused land in the urban footprint and pinpoint why and where land banking was occurring.