Redland council takes over planning control at South Bank-style Olympic venue

Redland council has taken planning control over a 62ha community and Olympic hub, billed as the bayside’s answer to Brisbane’s South Bank, and wants public comment but has not released costs.

The historic and protected Willards Farms is also at the Old Cleveland Rd site, which is earmarked to become a community hub and Olympic whitewater rafting venue. Picture: Redland City Council/Jacobs

Plans for an Olympic whitewater rafting venue and the bayside’s answer to South Bank have been put out for public review, but with no cost estimates and no design commitments.

On Friday Redland City Council unveiled more than 25 planning documents for the 62ha Old Cleveland Rd East, Birkdale site and asked the public to comment.

Under special planning laws, called a Local Government Infrastructure Designation, the council has taken full planning control over the site in an effort to streamline construction.

Documents released under the designation process included the masterplan, an environmental assessment, heritage impact statement and noise, air, traffic and ecology reports.

None of the reports gave details of precise costs to build the community precinct.

It is expected to house the 8000-seat Olympic whitewater rafting venue, with council allocating $12 million in this year’s budget for the project.

Public submissions are limited to how well the technical documents will inform future plans, rather than what will be delivered on the site.

The masterplan document, which the council approved in March, said capital investment in the precinct over the next 20 years was expected to be about $300 million.

The Birkdale site which is to be developed into a community hub and an Olympic park. Picture: Redland City Council/Jacobs

However, the document did not stipulate how much of that was state and federal money.

“Importantly for council, this figure includes the significant commitment by the federal and state governments to fund the construction of the Redland Whitewater Centre and Olympic standard Canoe (Slalom) course, leaving the only capital investment required by council to be the balance of the precinct and community facilities,” the masterplan said.

“With the numerous heritage, cultural and environmental values in the precinct, council is actively seeking industry and government partners.

“(It) will seek grants to support infrastructure investment, restoration, preservation and ongoing conservation works of the site to reduce the capital delivery and operating costs for the precinct.

“From a wider economic benefit perspective, community groups and local businesses also will be provided unique opportunities for co-design, co-investment, and part custodianship of bespoke projects across the 20-year time frame.”

The state government will undertake a separate design process for the whitewater project before it is “integrated” into the council precinct.

Vector Wero Whitewater Park in Auckland New Zealand. Picture: Supplied

Along with the Olympic venue, the council also wants the site to house a disaster training facility, public swimming lagoon, cultural precinct, restaurant hub, a showcase for a heritage farm and historic World War II radio receiver.

There would also be picnic grounds, walking trails, 800 car parks, an internal ring road, drop off bays and roads for buses.

The documents did not reveal what plans council had for 40ha of federal government land north of the site, currently used by Air Services Australia to monitor flights into and out of Brisbane.

Mayor Karen Williams said the Birkdale project was the largest the city had ever undertaken.

She said it was important for the council to have the Local Government Infrastructure Designation in place to protect and enhance the site’s cultural, heritage and environmental assets.

“It has lots of moving parts and it is essential we keep the community informed and able to have their input throughout all stages of its rollout,” she said.

“This Local Government Infrastructure Designation is a statutory planning process required to deliver the Birkdale Community Precinct.

“It is an important step in continuing to respect, protect and enhance the site’s cultural, heritage and environmental assets.”

A map showing the outline of the Birkdale precinct which will include an Olympic whitewater rafting centre.

Capalaba MP Don Brown said the council had a poor track record of providing infrastructure, including approval of a housing estate for 3000 in Redland Bay with no town sewer connections.

“If the council can’t look after the brown water, it shouldn’t be focusing on the whitewater,” Mr Brown said.

“The state is looking into the future because there have been problems where the council has not got the infrastructure in place for these developments.”

Birkdale councillor Paul Bishop said the council request for public comment was confusing.

“These declarations are quite new, so we need to be very careful with planning for such a sensitive site to ensure matters of environmental and heritage significance are protected,” Mr Bishop said.

“If we proceed with a designation that does not uphold values that are of special community interest we could lose irreplaceable assets.

“The nature of these documents is quite technical and less to do with future designs and costings for the site.”

Public submissions on the LGID documents for Birkdale Community Precinct will close on Monday, May 22.