Second Redland Bay state school building to start despite no sewerage

A wrangle over sewerage has not deterred the state government from ploughing ahead and building a new state school south of Brisbane. Check out the VIDEO of the site.

A wrangle over sewerage will not clog up development of a new state school south of Brisbane.

Plans and designs for the primary school, to open in Redland Bay in 2024, are under way with a fence erected this week and the state government signalling a November construction start.

But the school will not be able to open before being connected to town sewerage, which is yet to be built upstream on the banks of the Logan River.

Developer Lendlease has been in negotiations with the state government for two years over funding and land on Longman Rd, off Beenleigh-Redland Bay Rd, for the facility which is expected to cost $100 million.

The plant was part of the conditions for the 10,000-lot Shoreline housing estate at Redland Bay, opposite the proposed school site on Scenic Rd.

The site of the planned new state primary school at Redland Bay, opposite the Shoreline housing estate. Pictures: JUDITH KERR

Redland City Council ruled that the Shoreline developers could use septic trucks to pump out the sewage for the first 200 houses before a reticulated town sewerage system had to be installed.

Fox and Bell managing director Greg Bell, who designed the Shoreline project, said he believed Lendlease was finalising tenders with the state government to build the treatment plant about 3km away at Longland Rd, Redland Bay.

He said the housing cap at Shoreline was “not a problem” as many of the first 200 houses built were display homes in which nobody was living.

Plans to build a McDonald’s within walking distance to the new school were also still being discussed.

McDonald’s Australia said it had not confirmed a site for a new restaurant in Redland Bay, but remained open to opportunities in the area.

“The decision on where to put a McDonald’s on land we own at Shoreline will be one for Lendlease too and even though McDonald’s was keen, I think everyone agreed that it was far too early to be talking about that,” Mr Bell said.

“With the sewerage, I believe they are finalising tenders and Lendlease said it is doing what it can to get it under way pretty soon.”

The current sewerage system for Shoreline.

Lendlease said it had no contractual relationship with the school site but was finalising contracts with contractors and an infrastructure agreement with Redland City Council.

It expected the treatment plant to take about two years to build, ruling out having the school connected to the town sewers at the start of the 2024 school year.

The Education Department said it was continuing to work with Redland City Council to solve the sewerage connection system issue before the school was set to open in 2024.

A department spokesman said the Redland City Council-owned City Water was responsible for sewerage management in the region.

Initially, the school will have 700 students with 1150 at total capacity.

The Education Department said the Shoreline housing estate was the deciding factor in building a second primary school for Redland Bay rather than a high school.

“Redland Bay’s newest state school will increase capacity in the local schooling network and provide enrolment relief to Redland Bay State School, Victoria Point State School and Mount Cotton State School,” the department said.

“There is currently sufficient capacity at Victoria Point State High School to accommodate anticipated enrolment growth in Redland Bay.

“The department monitors population and enrolment growth closely.”

A traffic impact assessment has been undertaken as part of the Ministerial Infrastructure Designation process which involves consultation with the local council and Department of

Transport and Main Roads.