Residents win 10-year battle against Singaporean highrise

It took them a decade, multiple rallies and countless hours of work, but a group of Brisbane residents are celebrating after the State Government this morning blocked a plan for a hated highrise.

Buranda State School students and P&C president Craig Unthank (blue shirt, left rear) celebrate the win this morning.

IT took them a decade of hard slog, but this morning a little southside community demonstrated people power can trump a multinational property developer.

Deputy Premier and Labor MP for South Brisbane, Jackie Trad, announced the Transport and Main Roads (TMR) department would not proceed with the sale of four key blocks to Singaporean-based Wee Hur.

The 21-storey residential tower it proposed would have overshadowed adjacent, heritage-listed Buranda State School and construction cranes would have lifted massive concrete facades over the playground, if it had got the nod.

But now Education Queensland is likely to buy the floodprone blocks, on the banks of Norman Creek.

Ms Trad, who has fought alongside residents to stop the Campbell Newman Council approved project, said she was very pleased with the outcome.

She told residents gathered at the site that it would “in all likelihood’’ end up in EQ hands.

The school is constrained by a tiny block and the extra land would allow it to perhaps build sports fields or some sort for outdoor area for students.

Ms Trad said Wee Hur had informed the stock exchange overnight of the news.

“The Buranda State School community and local residents have campaigned long and hard against the Brisbane City Council’s decision to approve a 21-storey tower development for the corner of Cowley St and Logan Rd,’’ Ms Trad.

“The decision by the Department of Transport and Main Roads not to sell land next to the Buranda State School for a high-rise development is a huge win for local community action.

“There are many people who have worked tirelessly on this issue and I am delighted to have been able to play my small part in helping to deliver a fantastic outcome for our local South Brisbane community.

“As the local member I’ve worked closely with the Buranda State School P&C to publicly support their position against the development approval and advocate on their behalf at both Council and State Government levels to have it reviewed.

“Over the coming months, I will continue to talk with the school community and local residents to seek their views about the future of the site.’’

Greens candidate for Coorparoo ward, Sally Dillon, who founded the Better Buranda community group a decade ago to fight Wee Hur, said she was delighted.

“We would like it to become a park which could be shared by the community and the school. There are precedents for this sort of sharing in places like Newtown in Sydney,’’ Ms Dillon said.

“From a City Plan point of view, those blocks were meant to provide a statement entry to Stones Corner with a statement tree.

“A 20-storey building would not have provided that.’’

School P & C president, Craig Unthank, said the site was zoned for only about 6-8 storeys in City Plan but the Council administration headed by Campbell Newman, when he was the Lord Mayor, waived through 19 storeys.

The Land Court subsequently approved an extra storey.

“At the end for the day it (the win) shows what a community banding together can do,’’ Mr Unthank said.

“This took many many many years to achieve.’’

A TMR spokesman the Department “has determined not to sell the land owned by TMR at 236-242 Logan Rd to Wee Hur’’.

“Consequently, a construction licence will not be issued and therefore the Park Central One residential development proposed for Stage 2 of the Buranda Transit Oriented Development will not proceed.

“TMR and Wee Hur have proceeded with the sale to Wee Hur of TMR’s land at 96 and 104 O’Keefe St, which will form part of the next stage (Stage 3) of the Buranda Transit Oriented Development in the area adjacent to Buranda Train Station.’’

The Anthony John Group originally held an option to buy the four TMR-owned parcels and owned outright another three parcels.

It sold them, including the options to buy, to Wee Hur.