Residents call for Council to release detailed park plans

Brisbane City Council plans to transform Victoria Park into a 45 hectare urban retreat but local residents would like to see the detail behind the vision released before community consultation closes next month.

Brisbane City Council is planning to redevelop Victoria Park. Photo supplied.

BRISBANE City Council has ignored requests for copies of reports from its ‘team of experts’ consulted in the development of the Victoria Park Vision as the park’s neighbours call for answers on how the park will impact their already congested suburbs.

Victoria Park Residents Action Group (VPRAG), which is hosting a public forum on March 11, has called for more information from Council on the vision and the planning behind it.

Council released its Victoria Park vision for the 45 hectare site last year with a public Your Say portal open until April 28, 2020.

The News asked Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, Cr Peter Matic (Paddington) and Cr Vicki Howard (Central) for copies of the transport and infrastructure reports prepared for council in the lead up to its vision announcement.

As well the News requested details of the cost of the consultant fees for the vision plan and information about the report’s estimates relating to traffic impacts, infrastructure pressures and social impacts for Victoria Park neighbours including Herston, Kelvin Grove and Spring Hill.

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Victoria Park Residents Action Group spokeswoman Sue Bremner. Photo supplied.

VPRAG spokeswoman Sue Bremner said most residents “by and large” supported the plans but wanted detailed information about the planning conducted by Council to date.

“Over the years there has been the worry it (the park) would be sold off or carved up but as one of our group said golfers are very good neighbours … so we do have concerns. All we have at the moment is a big picture with no detail,” Ms Bremner said.

“We want to know what sort of modelling with regards to traffic and parking in the area (Council has done) and what’s going to happen to Herston Rd.”

Ms Bremner said residents were concerned pre-planning for the redevelopment had not been done.

“We’re surprised council hasn’t met with community groups. We are the people who live around the boundaries and we are going to wear it … the increased foot traffic, vehicular traffic and parked vehicles,” she said.

“It is residents’ liveability that is going to be affected.”

Ms Bremner said streets around the park were already “parked up every weekday between 8am and 4pm and if we had to deal with that on weekends as well … it’s not reasonable at all”.

“It is really concerning that they haven’t done any planning.”

VPRAG says streets around Victoria Park are already congested and raised concerns about the future impacts of the park redevelopment. Photo. supplied.

Ms Bremner said residents had been told by council officers the plan was at a visioning stage and “this is not the stage to do” detailed planning.

“There should be specific consultation with residents who live around the park boundaries,” she said.

There are solutions, there are always solutions but you have to be creative and first you have to acknowledge there is an issue.”

“We are really keen to sit at the table at the stakeholder meetings.”

Ms Bremner said the resident community groups had not been invited to join Council’s expert panel.

“Apparently community is not a stakeholder,” she said.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says Council will continue to work with experts on the planning for the Victoria Park redevelopment. Photo. News Corp Australia

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said “as part of the initial planning stage Council has also worked with a team of experts across planning, transport and traffic engineering, water, landscape architecture, cultural heritage, architecture and placemaking, and Council will continue to work with experts throughout the planning and delivery of this project”.

“I can guarantee residents there will be plenty more public consultation to come on this city-changing project, and I look forward to hearing their ideas,” Cr Schrinner said.

“This parkland will be designed by the people, for the people and I look forward to working hard to deliver this parkland for generations now and into the future.

uture Inner-city Super Park Victoria Park Vision - LAKE BARRAMBIN. Photo supplied.

Cr Vicki Howard (Central) said “the response from residents, during the initial stages of consultation, have been amazing with 5400 individual ideas submitted as part of the first stage of consultation”.

“As I’ve been out in the community speaking with residents it has been fabulous to hear the positivity and support for this parkland,” Cr Howard said.

Cr Peter Matic (Paddington) said Council was now in the “second

stage of consultation and it’s exciting to see the community building their vision for the parkland”

Council did not respond to questions for a list of the names of the consultants Council worked with to create the vision, the cost of the consultation with the team of experts, if costings for the park vision were prepared for Council as part of the vision or a request to provide copies of the reports.

Originally published as Residents call for Council to release detailed park plans