’The absolute last thing we need is for the cane fields to be opened up for development’

Developers are keen to get their hands on this land, but locals say it will cause traffic chaos. Now a council candidate has made it a key election issue.

THE cane fields north of the Gold Coast should be off limits to developers, warns a farmer and council candidate.

Veteran Gold Coast developer Norm Rix has called for the State Government to release agricultural land so the Coast was not building tower developments to cater for an extra 350,000 residents by 2041.

But Division 1 candidate Mark Hammel said the northern Coast could not handle the traffic it was already enduring due to the amount of development at Pimpama, Ormeau and Yatala.

Division One candidate Mark Hammel at his family's cane farm at Alberton in the northern Gold Coast. Picture: Luke Marsden.

“My family has run a sugar cane, strawberry and sweet potato farm in Alberton since 1880 and we have longstanding relationships with many farmers in the area, so I know all too well what the feeling is on the ground when it comes to the proposed development of the cane fields,” Mr Hammel told The Bulletin.

“The absolute last thing we need is for the cane fields to be opened up for development, with zero planning around the effect that will have on the entire area. We can’t handle the traffic issues we have in Division 1 now — our roads area already congested — let alone add more houses on the scale that is being talked about here.”

Mr Hammel said much of the area was also heavily flood affected and not suitable for residential development.

Traffic attempting to enter roundabouts at the Pacific Motorway at Pimpama north of the Gold Coast.

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“Instead, we should use this to our advantage and plan for massive environmental wetlands and green corridors — we should make Division 1 a lifestyle destination for living and tourism — that should be part of the planning,” he said.

“The cane fields shouldn’t be just another area to build more houses. We have an incredibly unique opportunity to do something amazing with 6000 hectares of land smack bang between Brisbane, Surfers Paradise and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

“Let’s think bigger than just more houses and focus on delivering something unique that remains an asset to the city, like the farming region currently is.”

Mr Hammel believes the landowners and surrounding communities, especially at Jacobs Well and Cabbage Tree Point, should have the most say in what happens to the cane fields if farmers decide to leave.

Jacobs Well area covered in sugar cane fields. Picture by Scott Fletcher.

“While there are farmers and families keen to exit the area and the industry, it must be respected that there are others who have made the decision to invest in the area and diversify their business and want farming to continue. Taking this all into account, council and the State Government must take a balanced view,” he said.

“Council can and should drive the plan of what this area would look like if or when cane farming is no longer commercially viable. Council would then take this plan to the State and ask for the southeast Queensland plan to be amended to reflect it. Council through the community and residents who live in Division 1 should be setting this plan for the cane fields — not developers.”