Cairns council rejects plans to build 706-lot Edenbrook Estate in Mt Peter

A bid to build more than 700 homes in Cairns’ only growth corridor has been rejected, despite a housing shortage putting extreme pressure on rents.

Cairns Regional Council has rejected a bid to build a 706-home residential estate (in the red zone) in Mount Peter. Picture: Supplied

A bid to build more than 700 homes in Cairns’ only growth corridor has been rejected, despite a shortage of housing putting extreme pressure on rents.

Councillors voted unanimously in Wednesday’s meeting to reject a preliminary approval that would pave the way for a 706-home development in Mount Peter, following the advice of planning officers.

Fortress Group’s proposal to build ‘Edenbrook Estate’ involved plans for two parent lots comprising a total area of 65 hectares, with an average lot size of 496sq m.

However Division 1 councillor Brett Moller said the development, if allowed to proceed, would have a “significant impact” on council’s ability to service the area.

“Where it’s located on Mount Peter Rd, south of the (existing) residential development and MacKillop College, there’s a lot of greenfield sites in between this particular site and where the current development is,” he said.

Cairns Regional Council Division 1 councillor Brett Moller. Picture: Brendan Radke

“It’s a very homogenous housing type, it doesn’t provide for a great deal of diversity or choice.

“I’m very strong for economic growth and development in the southern corridor – Edmonton, Gordonvale and Babinda.

“These communities need to grow organically with economic opportunity, but it’s got to be with good planning outcomes at the right time.”

However Nathan Lee Long, the Urban Development Institute of Australia Cairns branch president, said the decision would “stop industry in its tracks”.

“Council needs to wake up and take hold of the opportunities … deliver more housing, more choice and (ease) pressure on rents,” he said.

Nathan Lee Long also ran for council in the recent election. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Unnecessarily adding to the lack of housing in Cairns is forcing up rents and house prices.

“Council has raised concerns with the cost of delivering the required infrastructure to Mount Peter and the burden on ratepayers. We understand this, however council is failing to see the extreme costs to the residents of Cairns if this infrastructure is not delivered now.”

Mount Peter was declared a master planned area in 2008, which means state and local governments agreed on plans to provide homes for 50,000 people – about half of the Far North’s predicted population growth – in the area over the next two to three decades.

But despite that the UDIA Cairns branch says council has long failed to play their part and ensure the land has necessary infrastructure to service new homes.

Cairns Regional Council Division 2 councillor Matthew Tickner. Picture: Brendan Radke

Division 2 councillor Matthew Tickner, who’s background is in urban planning, said the development application site sat outside the council’s planning scheme.

“We need to ensure that we’re not allowing developments that will put a significant impact into the communities that surround it,” he said.

“I echo the words Cr Moller made on the layout as well … developers really need to be coming to the table with some new ideas on how we shape these areas.

“We can’t keep continuing to carve up cane paddocks and run long stretches of roads and carve them into tiny little parcels and expect that this will work in the long term – it won’t.

“Our southern corridor is the most important area for Cairns going forward and we have to ensure that we get it right.”

The rental vacancy rate in Cairns was at a record low 0.5 per cent in April, according to SQM Research.

The latest data shows the average weekly cost of rents was $605 for a three-bed house or $452 for a two-bed unit.

Originally published as Cairns council rejects plans to build 706-lot Edenbrook Estate in Mt Peter