Mundingburra Janelle Poole and JCU working with Attorney-General to dissolve charitable trust to build more houses

The state government is stepping in to help James Cook University dissolve a charitable trust standing in the way of developing 100 hectares of unused land for housing. Here’s why.

Mundingburra MP Janelle Poole with Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Service and Resources Division Hilary Kavanagh at James Cook University in Douglas. Picture: Nikita McGuire

The state government is stepping in to help James Cook University dissolve a charitable trust standing in the way of developing 100 hectares of unused land for housing.

Mundingburra MP Janelle Poole is working with JCU’s leaders to dissolve the charitable trust that was established when the university first opened in 1970.

It puts restrictions on the land being used for non-educational purposes.

The push to dissolve the trust comes after an announcement last week that 16 buildings, which are in a separate part of JCU’s land not included in the trust, will be demolished for that land to be sold.

Aerial view of the current JCU campus and surrounding land

Acting Deputy Chancellor of Services and Resources Division Hilary Kavanagh said releasing the substantial amount of land would be ‘very valuable’ in the current housing market.

“Half of the university’s land is controlled by the charitable trust, around 190 hectares, that prohibits us from doing a lot of good things, like converting it for residential purposes,” he said.

Mr Kavanagh said any development of the area, which begins at the back of the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library and extends across the Ring Road into land at the edge of Mount Stuart, would not affect the normal business of the university

JCU Residential Concept Illustration.

“If anything it will add value to our normal business and create a very active environment,” he said.

Mr Kavanagh said opening 100 hectares of the currently locked-up land would allow for developments that could be used by future students and staff of JCU as well as Townsville University Hospital staff and the future influx of defence personnel.

“Releasing the land to developers so that developers can maximise the yield on the land, that is create the maximum number of homes, so that we can ease the pressure on housing in our region and our city, which is really essential when you think about the growth in health and defence at the moment” he said.

“We think a lot of the residents may be future employees of the hospital or defence and they’re all part of this precinct so it’s easy and comfortable for people to travel. It has a really positive effect on the environment and reduces the carbon footprint that people create when they travel to work.”

Mundingburra MP Janelle Poole with Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Service and Resources Division Hilary Kavanagh at James Cook University in Douglas. Picture: Nikita McGuire

Mr Kavanagh said the process to unlock the land has been going on for ‘decades’ as part of the university’s Master Plan, the most recent release in 2017, and was hopeful to have it finalised with the help of the Crisafulli government.

“We’ve gone through different stages, through legal and government. (Assistant) Minister Poole and the Crisafulli government have been really helpful and really ambitious, realising the need for housing and the opportunity that the land presents …” he said.

“If we can achieve that in this calendar year, then that will be an enormous success for us, then we can move forward with developers on how best to use the land and how do we create the maximum opportunity for housing.

With JCU undertaking job cuts and staff restructuring in recent years, Mr Kavanagh said while the potential financial gain from selling off the land is still unknown, ‘meeting the communities’ needs was front of mind.

“The financial gain, if there is any, is in secondary order,” he said.

Attorney-General of Queensland Deb Frecklington during a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: Supplied

Ms Poole, the Assistant Minister for North Queensland, said this JCU campus was the only university in the country that has a charitable trust sitting over its land, defining what the university can and cannot do.

“Every time that the university wishes to make a change to the land use, they have to apply through the court which becomes a very lengthy process but also a very costly process as well,” she said.

Ms Poole said her office had written to Attorney-General Deb Frecklington, the only person with power to dissolve the trust.

“That is the first step. There is no cost involved in dissolving that charitable trust, so it’s just a matter of getting the ball rolling and signing off on it and then we can start the exciting process of opening up that land,” Ms Poole said.

Ms Poole said the push was an important step in the future planning of Townsville and North Queensland.

“We know that we have a housing shortage here in Townsville, the Crisafulli LNP government are working towards building those extra homes and this will open up so much of that land moving forward in the housing space,” she said.

Originally published as Mundingburra Janelle Poole and JCU working with Attorney-General to dissolve charitable trust to build more houses