Developer takes $1.8m profit from council buyout and lodges similar plans nearby

After making $1.8 million profit from ratepayers to stop townhouses in low density areas, the same developer has lodged similar plans a few blocks away.

Holland Park residents protest a townhouse development proposed for Eric Rd.

After making $1.8 million profit from ratepayers to stop townhouses being built in low density areas, the same developer has lodged similar plans a few blocks away.

Developer Yanqing Lou was handed $5.2 million in a council buyback of three house blocks at Carrara and Nurran streets, Mt Gravatt East, early this month to stop a townhouse development proposed for a low density housing zone

The 29 townhouse development was lodged under the company Quadra P.

Yanqing Lou also lodged plans in December for 25 two-storey townhouses at Holland Park after buying up four house blocks at 25, 27, 31 and 35 Eric Rd under the company YQ Property.

The Eric Rd blocks are also zoned for low density housing, however, like Carrara St, total more than 3000sqm and can be developed for medium density under the City Plan.

The council voted to stop such development in September but the changes do not apply until the amendment is approved by the State Government and formally adopted into the plan.

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Planners for the developer said both the land at Eric Rd and Carrara-Nurran streets were purchased before Council announced any review of their policy on townhouses in the Low Density Residential Zone.

“Our client secured (the Eric Rd) properties in February 2018 with the express purpose of developing the site as townhouses,” he said.

“The Brisbane City Council did not announce that there would be any change to their policy on townhouses until June 2018 as part of the Brisbane’s Future Blueprint.”

He said while the City Plan allowed for 34 townhouses on the Eric Rd site, the proposal was for 25 townhouses which equated to one dwelling per 274sqm of site area.

An artist's impression of the townhouse development at Eric Rd, Holland Park

“For approximately 20 years, the Planning Scheme has provided for this type of development on the subject site,” he said.

“Providing for townhouses in the Low Density Residential Zone is recognised by the planning profession as good planning policy, as it provides for housing choice that would otherwise be limited to vertically stacked apartments or single houses on freehold allotments.”

More than 120 submissions have been lodged against the Eric Rd development.

Both neighbouring residents and local Councillor Krista Adams (Holland Park) said they were concerned about the density of the proposed development and loss of trees in the known koala corridor and the impact it would have on amenity and traffic in the area, particularly with the neighbouring childcare centre.

Cr Krista Adams says the development application would have been halted if the State Government moved to approve urgent measures on Council’s planning amendment. Picture: Peter Cronin

Cr Adams said if the State Government had signed off on a Temporary Local Planning Instrument put forward to cover the planning amendment, it could have been used to halt the development application.

“Townhouses in low density were always meant for greenfield sites, but I think people are getting shocked now that developers are seeing the potential of buying up five houses and throwing in 29 townhouses which is a bit of a rude shock for the neighbours, which is why we are trying to get the amendment through or even a TLPI,” Cr Adams said.

“A TLPI would have meant that we could have used that as the reason to say no and if they took us to Planning and Environment Court we would have been on very strong grounds but we’ve got nothing at the moment.

“One of the biggest things that came back from the Future Blueprint was residents telling us that if you are in low density where there are houses, we don’t want to see townhouses.”

Opposition councillors put the motion for a TLPI forward in October, before the development application, but it was initially voted down by LNP councillors.

Nearby Cunard St resident Kylie McKiernan said Eric Rd was already congested with traffic from the childcare centre and nearby smallgoods factory and the Holland Park Mosque.

“We have counted 60 cars an hour during peak hour sometimes,” she said.

“Trying to get out of Cunard St into Eric Rd every morning, it is like you’re playing Russian roulette sometimes.

“This development is going to be a huge impact on our day-to-day life. We’re not against all development, just this medium density development in a low density area.

“The increase on parking, the issue on traffic safety, the loss of vegetation in a koala corridor is what we are objecting to. There are so many things wrong with this development that we are not going to let it go without a fight.”

An artist's impression of the townhouse development at Eric Rd, Holland Park.

The proposed two-storey townhouses.