Home resumptions are a cash grab: Sri

CONCERNS  have been raised that council intends to profit from the resumption of homes for Stage One of the Wynnum Rd Corridor Upgrade.

Cr Jonathan Sri at Lytton Road. He says council will make a profit from house resumptions by rezoning resumed land surplus to the road widening project. Picture: Elise Searson

CONCERNS  have been raised that council intends to profit from the resumption of homes for Stage One of the Wynnum Rd Corridor Upgrade.

Councillor Jonathan Sri (The Gabba) said council would rezone the prime real estate through East Brisbane not needed for the widening of Lytton Rd to allow multistorey apartments and onsell land to developers for a profit.

“Council’s published concept design explicitly acknowledges that much of the land resumed for the road-widening will be rezoned for development,” Cr Sri said.

“If the council packages multiple lots together and sells it as vacant inner-city land with river views, they’re likely to get a lot more for the land than the current owners will be paid for the resumptions.”

Cr Sri said looking at the concept design, 75% of the land on some resumed properties would be sold off to developers.

However, a council spokesman said there were no plans to rezone land acquired for the project.

“Surplus land bordering Mowbray Park will be delivered as parkland to ensure there is no net loss of parkland when delivering this upgrade,” the spokesman said.

“Any land not required for the project and not delivered as parkland will be sold, in accordance with council policy for surplus land.”

Under City Plan 2014, the land along Lytton Rd is zoned for residential use.

Council has identified 46 full land resumptions and three partial resumptions as part of the 700m widening of Lytton Rd between Latrobe  St and Canning Bridge after an additional property was resumed last week.

Council signed off on buying the office block for $6.1 million last week on hardship grounds because of disruption caused by the upgrade.

Negotiations on the final 21 property acquisitions are under way.

Stage one of the Wynnum Rd corridor upgrade was originally to widen Lytton Rd from four to five lanes, but the council upgraded the project to six lanes, costing $115 million, in a bid to halve traffic times.