Toowong residents say development process broken and high density destroying suburb’s history, character

CONGESTION and controversy could sum up the story of a Brisbane dress-ring suburb as residents struggle with its rapid development. But the City Planning boss says it is “ideally placed” for growth.

Toowong is changing rapidly and not everyone is happy about it.

CONGESTION and controversy could sum up the story of this suburb’s rapid development during the past five years, according to residents.

Leaders of community campaigns against the Grace on Coronation, Endrim House and Goldicott House developments said Toowong was losing its character, infrastructure was not coping with high-density living, and Brisbane City Council was not listening.

Goldicott House campaigner Rebecca Kenny said there were not enough schools or green spaces to cater to the growing population, parking was difficult, traffic was congested and Coronation Drive was a “nightmare”.

“It’s like they said ‘let’s chuck in as many things as we can and see what happens later’ and now we’re seeing the later,” she said.

She said there was “something wrong in our (development) system”.

“If we’re at the point when we’re responding to a development application we’ve probably lost the battle,” she said.

Endrim House campaigner Benita Tiernan said two of Toowong’s heritage buildings could soon be “destroyed” and would take some of the suburb’s character with them.

Brisbane Residents United president Elizabeth Handley said residents were not being consulted in their suburb’s development “at all”.

“What makes that suburb such a lovely suburb to live in is slowly going to be destroyed,” she said.

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Leaders of community campaigns against the Grace on Coronation, Endrim House and Goldicott House developments said Toowong was losing its character.

CITY PLANNING BOSS SAYS SUBURB IDEAL FOR GROWTH

City Planning chairman Julian Simmonds did not answer questions from the Westside News about residents’ concerns that the development system was broken.

The councillor for Walter Taylor ward, which includes part of Toowong, said the suburb was “ideally placed” for growth.

“Over coming years residents will see significant growth in the local area, driven by the suburb’s access to high-frequency public transport, shopping centres and medical facilities,” he said.

“Council undertook extensive traffic studies during the development of the Toowong-Auchenflower Neighbourhood Plan in 2012 and traffic impacts are assessed as part of every development application.”

Development applications on heritage properties included expert assessment of impacts to structure and heritage value, he said.

Opposition City Planning spokeswoman Shayne Sutton said: “Over the years, I’ve talked to a whole heap of Toowong residents about a whole variety of issues like these and it’s very clear to me that their local representatives just aren’t listening to them.”