Springfield residents are outraged as Cherish Developments prepares to take over a gully from council

IPSWICH residents are outraged at the prospect of a 440 lot development being built up against their fences, removing green space and a gully they believed was there for good.

Division over gully development

Springfield residents are up in arms as they face the prospect of bushland ­behind their homes being ripped up before them.

Several months ago, Billabong Place resident Jo Sparrow was woken up by surveyors hammering stakes behind her home.

Upon questioning them, she discovered the strip of bushland was earmarked to become part of a larger ­development by Cherish ­Enterprises.

Dr Sparrow and other residents bought their properties after research indicated the land was council owned and, therefore, not to be ­developed.

“We had a look at the plan and they were going to build 440 lots right behind us,” Dr Sparrow said.

She said there was no community consultation and residents also held concerns about how water from a gully within the parcel would be redirected.

“Look at Redcliffe with that rail link, all of that development happened then last storm season all of those homes were flooded,” Dr Sparrow said.

Councillor David Morrison (Div 1) said council took the land, to be used for drainage, from Cherish Enterprises in 1996.

“This gully that was taken for a drainage detention basin many years ago is no longer required for that purpose,” Cr Morrison said.

He said council officers gave the developer a consent to put a development application in over that land that includes the gully.

“The land at this stage still belongs to council, council has not decided whether that land is to be handed back to the developer or not but if council refuses it, the developer can certainly legally challenge council and all the indications are they would win that court battle because the land is not being used for the purpose it was taken,” he said.

Cr Morrison said any development plan proposed would need to include a plan to divert water that would currently run through the gully and council employed planners and engineers had asked for more information from the developer before deciding the fate of the land.

Cherish Enterprises project manager Johnson Lin said the site was always planned as future residential.

“I note some residents have advised they were advised by the sales agent that all the land behind their property would be open space forever,” Mr Lin said.

“The land was at the time was future residential and any title or plan search at the time would have indicated Cherish Enterprises as the legal owner.”

While the group would be taking 1.09ha from council, he said it was transferring more than 11ha back for parks and open space.

Should the gully be saved? Tell us at editorial@spring fieldnews.com.au

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