Proposed 193-home subdivision near Mount Low salt flats

Wheels are in motion to turn a Mount Low cattle paddock into a 193-home suburb, increasing pressure on the need for a rush-hour bottleneck fix. See the proposed development.

Public consultation signage on the fence line of the Mount Low cattle paddock.

Wheels are in motion to turn a Mount Low cattle paddock into a new 193-home suburb.

The proposed subdivision was released for public consultation on November 1, and signs have gone up along the paddock’s fence line.

The exact location of the proposed subdivision is the cattle paddock that runs from the back of existing Mount Low properties to the salt flats, along North Shore Boulevard.

If approved, this subdivision will be built adjacent to a strip of land set aside for the second Bushland Beach access road via Lionel Turner Dr.

The subdivision will also involve the construction of a new intersection on North Shore Boulevard.

Satellite view of the proposed subdivision (in red) and the land set aside for the second access road (blue)

In 2022 many Bushland Beach residents were pushing for the immediate construction of the Lionel Turner Dr extension, and fast-tracking the access road was also one of Team Jenny Hill’s election promises in 2024 - which turned into a crushing loss for Team Hill.

Public consultation signage on the fence line of the Mount Low cattle paddock.

Independent Brodie Phillips is the current councillor for Division 2.

Mr Phillips said it was great to see developers investing in Townsville as the region needed the housing, but he was well-aware of traffic concerns.

Public consultation signage on the fence line of the Mount Low cattle paddock.

“Some of the feedback is that this subdivision shouldn’t be approved until the Woolcock St intersection bottleneck is fixed,” Mr Phillips said.

“I am writing to our state member, the minister for main roads and the premier about this (bottleneck), it is a state-controlled road and they are responsible for the upgrade.”

A flood map of the proposed area. The subdivision includes plans for a park and pump station.

Alongside the application for 193-houses, Burdell currently has the ‘Solace Village’ land release, Mount Low has another application pending for an over-50s ‘home park’ of up to 350 homes, and another land release is occurring in Bushland Beach.

All of these housing projects, if approved, will funnel traffic into the North Shore Boulevard/Woolcock Street morning rush ‘bottleneck’.

Townsville City Council will be receiving public feedback on the cattle paddock subdivision until November 22.

BUSHLAND BEACH ACCESS ROAD

- Responsibility of the Townsville City Council

- Set to be designed in the 2024-25 financial year by council

- Involves extending Lionel Turner Dr down to North Shore Boulevard

THE WOOLCOCK INTERSECTION

- Responsibility of Queensland Main Roads

- An upgrade has been designed, according to Mr Phillips, but the design has not been released

- Needs support from the Queensland Government

SECOND MOUNT LOW EXIT ROAD

- In October 2024 council voted to reopen Svensson Rd

- Currently a dirt road, Svensson Rd will be upgraded and paved by Maidment Development Group

- The road will connect Mount Low houses to the Veals Rd intersection in Jensen, and the ring road on-ramp

Interested readers can see the subdivisions documents themselves by searching ‘683 North Shore Boulevard, Mount Low’ on the Townsville City Council website.

Originally published as Proposed 193-home subdivision near Mount Low salt flats