Developers say koala habitat improved on Carina site

Developers of the former bakery site at Carina say trees have been chopped as part of asbestos clean-up and future plantings will improve koala habitat.

A render of the Fursden Rd, Carina townhouses.

PRELIMINARY works going ahead on the Carina Fursden Rd redevelopment site are approved asbestos removal as part of the decommissioning of the bakery.

Frasers Property General Manager - Residential Cameron Leggatt said the site had to be cleaned up regardless of planning outcomes for the development.

“They are removing asbestos there and had to cut down a few trees,” Mr Leggatt said.

“We’ve got all of our approvals from Brisbane City Council for that work. The balance of the development is still in the planning phase but those works in terms of removing the asbestos, whatever the planning outcome may be, they are works that have to occur to clean up the site.

“The reason we had to chop down the trees, there is not a lot of asbestos, but it is fragmented and it is in the top soil up and around the base of the trees.

“The first step before we can demolish the old structure is to clear up that asbestos on the western side at Kate St.”

As reported in the South-East Advertiser last week, development plans for 197 units and 20 residential lots at 179-193 Fursden Rd was publicly advertised on November 21 and submissions close today, December 13.

Cobbity Farm Bakeries is still using the site as a distribution point and is expected to relocate to a new facility in March-April.

Mr Leggatt said Frasers intend to commence demolition in April to May and build a sales office with a sales launch in the second half of 2019 and commence works.

The communal open space allowance on the site has increased to 26.4 per cent of the site. This includes the retained vegetation in the north-east corner of the site opposite Minnippi Parklands,

“We engaged an ecological assessment which was undertaken by an independent expert. There was no evidence of any koalas or remnants of their habitat in the site,” Mr Leggatt said.

“The site is industrial use currently in the full extent. The highest value vegetation and the greatest connectivity is in that north-east corner so that is where we have focused on trying to get a connection in term of amenities. We’ve given greater space into that area. BCC open space requirements is around 5 per cent for a new development and we are sitting in excess of 25 per cent.”

That part of the site will be revegetated to connect with Minnippi Parklands.

A sketch plan of the Fursden Rd, Carina development highlighting the open space and pedestrian connectivity.

Cr Ryan Murphy (Doboy) said council had made objections to the size of the development, asked for increased planting and to retain a mature gum tree on the site and other vegetation and requested more parking and more pathways to connect to the public transport network.

“So far it looks like they will meet us on all of those requests,” Cr Murphy said.

“The north-east part of the site is the only part covered by a biodiversity interface area subcategory. That is where those koala trees interface with the Minnippi Parklands.

“At the moment it is heavy industry. When it transitions from heavy industry to residential, there is a really good opportunity for koalas to move back into the bushland at the north-east of the site.

“What I want to see in this area is a transition away from industrial use and towards a residential use that is less intensive. It is no good for the gliders, it is no good for the koalas to have this enormous volume of bakery trucks barrelling down Fursden Rd day in, day out at all hours of the night, particularly when you are dealing with nocturnal animals. We’ve had a residential area here for some time now. I think it is a good thing to see we are finally closing the chapter on the bakery.”