‘We had no idea’: Parkinson locals angry at consultation on housing estate

A newspaper ad on page 57, a sign on a road pedestrians rarely use and no letterbox drop for 100 homeowners. These southside locals say public consultation rules are so poor they had no idea an 81-lot estate was coming – until it was too late.

Parkinson residents have blasted public notification rules for developments after finding out about a planned 81-lot housing estate weeks after the closing date for a legal challenge.

The estate, fronting Beaudesert Rd on Brisbane’s southern limits, had been in negotiations with Council since 2016.

It went through two owners before neighbours heard anything about it, despite the property being only metres away.

A Council spokeswoman said the original owner had complied with all rules on public notification, including placing a newspaper ad, putting up a sign on a boundary and direct mailing all neighbours. Letterbox drops were not a requirement.

Residents protest near the proposed Parkinson subdivision.

The new owner, developer HB Land, said it bought the property only three weeks ago, long after the 81-lot development application was approved and also after the period for appeals to the Planning & Environment Court had expired, in April.

Lakewood Estate homeowner Nori Hirayama said the ad was on page 57, on one day only.

He said the sign was put up on a fence on the Beaudesert Rd boundary, where the speed limit was 80kmh and few pedestrians ever walked past.

The former land owner was required by law to direct mail all adjacent landowners.

One side of the property is a main road, another is bush, a third is land owned by Energex and the fourth is another property that belonged to the former land owner.

It mailed Energex and itself, but was not required to contact anyone else even though Lakewood Estate was less than 10m away and contained at least 100 houses.

“We always knew it was going to be developed — we don’t have any problem with that,’’ Mr Hirayama said.

The sign notifying residents of the proposal. Locals say few, if any, pedestrians ever walked past this part of the property.

“What really annoys us is that this was going on for years and we were told nothing about it by anyone.

“We’re concerned about the impact on traffic as our estate is only one street in, one street out.

“It already backs up in peak hour to the (Toorak St) roundabout. You get about 150 cars using it in the morning and evening.

“Council had to put in a right turn lane to Algester Rd a few years ago, but the State Government is upgrading the Algester Rd/Beaudesert Rd intersection so there will be even more cars using Algester Rd.’’

Labor Opposition Leader in Council, said the matter came after residents in nearby Pallara, also in local LNP Councillor Angela Owen’s Calamvale ward, had lobbied her for years for a bus service.

Cr Cassidy said residents felt ignored and claimed they deserved better.

Aerial view of the site. Most of the trees will be retained as the area is suitable for koalas.

But Civic Cabinet Chair for Planning, Adam Allan, said Labor’s “continual opposition to the construction of new homes’’ was serving only to worsen the affordability crisis and threatened to lock future generations out of the property market.

“The public consultation met the requirements of the State Government’s Planning Act, including signage at the site, advertising in The Courier-Mail and notifying the owners of the adjoining lots.

Locals are concerned Toorak St will become even more congested.

“The State Government’s Planning Act does not require a letterbox drop to the wider community be completed.

“If Cr Cassidy is concerned the current state guidelines are not good enough for residents, I encourage him to raise this with the state minister.’’

Cr Owen said the DA went through a formal public consultation process which gave residents the opportunity to make submissions — in support or against the proposal.

“Parkinson is a growing suburb and when residents are looking to move into the area I encourage them to do their due diligence and review the publicly available information about what is planned for the area,’’ she said.

“This is available through the free online planning platform development.i and would also be available through conveyancing works completed by solicitors when purchasing a property.

“My residents have been listened to. I have been contacted by five residents about this particular application and provided information to each one.

Traffic banks up to this roundabout, on the corner of Toorak and May streets, during peak hour.

“I have also agreed to meeting requests from residents.

“As this new housing has been proposed for many years now, I have already delivered an additional turning lane on Algester Rd to reduce traffic backlog towards Toorak St and cater for the future growth in the area.’’

HB Land CEO Michael Vinodolac said HB Land bought the property from the previous owner with all necessary approvals, including a traffic management plan, and long after the public notification and appeals process had ended.

The State Government did not permit access from Beaudesert Rd and the only other access, apart from Toorak St, would have to traverse adjoining land owned by another developer.

It presently was unimproved and had no streets.

Construction on the 81-lot estate was due to start in the middle of next year.