Redland mayor calls for schools, busway, rail before 8000 homes at Thornlands

Redland Mayor Jos Mitchell has warned of ratepayer backlash after the state unlocked 900 hectares of land for housing without urgently funding for roads, transport, and services.

Redland mayor Jos Mitchell has hit back after the state government unlocked 900 hectares of land for housing in her city without briefing her.

Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell has sounded the alarm over infrastructure shortfalls after the state government declared 900 hectares of Southern Thornlands a Priority Development Area (PDA), paving the way for 8000 new homes.

Speaking on Sunday, a day after the land was designated under state government laws, Mayor Mitchell warned Redlands was unprepared to absorb such large-scale development without urgent state intervention.

She pushed for public transport upgrades, calling for a state-backed commitment to extend the Eastern Busway from Carindale to Capalaba and the duplication of the Cleveland rail line along with better links between Redlands and the Logan Hyperdome.

A traffic jam at a Redland intersection near the planned housing estate at Thornlands. Picture: Judith Kerr

“It would have been nice to have been included as the mayor of the city – there had been rumours that there would eventually be a decision on this area – but I was left out while others in council were kept up to date,” Mayor Mitchell said.

“This is a Queensland government decision and in order to service the growing population this development will bring, we need infrastructure and transport connectivity.

“The types of infrastructure that we need are going to be two major intersection upgrades.

“We’re going to need upgrades of our arterials in and out of the city.

“This is really important because they’re already under stress.

“We’re going to need investment in connectivity for our public transport, and personally, I really want to see a commitment to the metro,” she added.

The two road upgrades that the council is pushing for are at Boundary, Duncan and Mount Cotton roads from Thornlands to the Gateway Motorway and a full upgrade for the Cleveland – Redland Bay Road corridor.

The council’s longstanding position opposes releasing additional greenfield land for development, arguing that the city already has enough zoned land to meet housing targets under the current City Plan.

In a formal statement, the mayor said the PDA represented the largest proposed development ever seen on the Redlands Coast, more than double the size of the city’s Shoreline estate, which remains unsewered.

The Thornlands Priority Development Area includes mainly semirural and rural properties.

The area is anticipated to accommodate up to 20,000 people and approximately 8000 dwellings including 20 per cent social and affordable housing.

It will include lots that are less than 300 sqm, as well as duplexes and other higher-density housing options.

Mayor Mitchell urged the state to fully fund the critical infrastructure the new housing estate will require stressing the importance of new community infrastructure such as schools, parks, wastewater systems, and emergency services, and warned that the costs must not fall on Redland ratepayers.

Shoreline in Redland Bay where thousands of houses will be built relying on trucks removing the sewage. Picture: Judith Kerr

“There is a need for this area to incorporate viable new enterprise areas to provide employment opportunities for new residents,” she said.

“The Queensland Government must make a commitment that the full cost of delivering critical infrastructure both within and outside the PDA will be at no cost to Redland City Council and our ratepayers.”

Despite its objections, council has pledged to work with Economic Development Queensland to secure the best outcomes for Redlands and push for adequate funding and infrastructure delivery.

Originally published as Redland mayor calls for schools, busway, rail before 8000 homes at Thornlands