Canberra discussions over strategic Birkdale land begin
Council has begun strategic negotiations in Canberra for the purchase of the large Commonwealth land holding in Birkdale.
Redlands Coast
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Redland City Mayor Karen Williams met with Federal Department of Finance representatives earlier this week in Canberra to discuss the “gifting” of Commonwealth land at Birkdale to the city.
Last month Cr Williams handed Prime Minister Scott Morrison a copy of the Redlands Birkdale land petition with 6,500 signatures seeking the land be sold or gifted to the Redland City Council for “educational facilities, recreational uses, environmental corridors”.
The Birkdale site divestment is being managed by the Department of Finance.
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Cr Williams said the meeting “was a very promising conversation”.
“I’ve written to various ministers, including opposition ministers to discuss gifting the land to us,” Cr Williams said.
“.. our main motivation is to make sure it doesn’t become another housing estate and we continue to have an off market discussion.”
She said it was “fair to say we’ve made the first steps to progressing those negotiations” towards Council obtaining the land.
Beyond policy and politics with Redland City Mayor
Calls for Birkdale land to be future national park
Greens candidate for Bowman Emerald Moon said last week she would fast-track preserving the 80 hectares as future national park to create open space for the rapidly expanding coastal region.
“The Birkdale land has environmental and cultural significance and the Greens and I support the local community’s call for it to be designated as national park land to preserve it for future generations,” Ms Moon said.
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The Birkdale land, at 362-388 and 392 Old Cleveland Rd East, Birkdale, was slated in last year’s Federal budget to be sold to developers to build 400 homes prompting community and Council to call on the Commonwealth to sell or gift the land to the local community.
According to Council’s website, “it has been in discussions with ACMA and Airservices Australia (the adjoining land owners) to determine acquisition possibilities of the land that is surplus to operational requirements. The discussions remain ongoing.”
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