Council approves major childcare centre and community space despite protests from local residents

A southside neighbourhood is asking questions over the approval of a controversial application after the developer revised plans to make the project code assessable.

Brisbane City Council has approved the controversial development application for 60 Rosebank Square, Salisbury.

A SMALL community on Brisbane’s southside is “gutted” and simultaneously “outraged” that Brisbane City Council has approved a controversial development application in their neighbourhood.

Since late last year, Salisbury residents have been fighting to stop the 60 Rosebank Square project – a multi-level building which includes a 70-space childcare centre, community space, language school and shop.

Residents have strong feelings about what they say is “large and inappropriate” development – holding local rallies and lodging hundreds of submissions against the project with council.

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Salisbury residents rally earlier this year in protest of the Rosebank Square project. Photo: Dave Roach.

Residents believed the facility would generate significant noise, pedestrian and vehicle traffic that would detract from the local amenity.

More than 200 submissions opposing the development were made to council since the application was lodged on January 11. The designated community consultation period was between April and May.

But amendments to development plans by site owners Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation of The Republic of China changed the development from “impact assessable” to “code assessable”, meaning that while resident feedback about the project was taken into account by council, there is no right of appeal.

The Rosebank Square development at Salisbury has been approved, despite traffic concerns from nearby residents.

Tzu Chi Foundation spokesman Patrick Lu said council’s approval on October 31 was “another positive step for our services to be provided to various communities”.

He said the foundation was finalising construction timelines.

“We’ll still have our internal procedure to go through before we can determine our program on this matter,” he said.

Salisbury resident Dave Roche, who has been the driving force behind the campaign against the development, described the news as a shock.

“Residents are gutted and outraged,” he said.

Residents said they had consulted town planners and architects when compiling their objections to the development.

Mr Roche, who lives on the boundary of the development site, said that while the fight had been deeply personal and emotional for residents, they had dealt with the facts by consulting town planners and architects over the development application.

“I can’t believe it, there is so much wrong with it (the application) and due process has not been followed at all in the eyes of my community,” he said.

Opposition councillor Steve Griffiths (Moorooka) said the circumstances surrounding the LNP administration’s approval of Rosebank Square were “unusual” and “bizarre”.

Cr Griffiths said it was unusual for council to give a development application the tick of approval on PD online but not accompany it with details or a list of conditions.

“I received word about this from a local resident,” he said.

“I am looking into this.”

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner’s office has been contacted for comment.