Habana residents vent anger over subdivision stifling

Residents say the rural zoning rules are protecting land that won’t be used to grow sugarcane ‘ever again’

Habana resident Bev Sologinkin says zoning rules prevent her from cutting her acreage in half. Picture: Heidi Petith

HABANA residents are frustrated they cannot subdivide their land despite large housing estates being developed nearby.

Bev Sologinkin said she wanted to split her block so her family could live on the land her dad once farmed.

"It's not like we want to break it up into 15 blocks," Mrs Sologinkin said.

"We have 40 acres (16 hectares).

"I just want to give half to my daughter."

But as fellow Habana resident and Mackay Regional Council Councillor Laurence Bonaventura explained, many blocks were subject to rural zoning rules that preserved agricultural land under state planning policies.

 

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Mrs Sologinkin said the rules made her feel angry when she considered farmers were allowed to turn their properties into large housing developments nearby at Nindaroo and Richmond Hills.

The Richmond Hills development, built on former farming land, pictured in June, 2018. Picture: Contributed

But council's development services director Aletta Nugent said the Mackay Regional Planning Scheme protected agricultural land from further fragmentation by requiring a minimum lot size of 100 hectares.

"In the rural zone, agricultural land is protected to ensure good quality agricultural land is available for production," Ms Nugent said.

"The zone also aims to ensure there is no conflict between rural activities and incompatible non-rural activities, such as rural residential, which has no connection to the agricultural areas.

"Sugar is the region's oldest industry and suffers from the loss of productive land each year due to a range of factors, such as changing agricultural uses, economic impacts or the sale of farming land to non-farmers.

"Areas that are not currently under cane could return to being used to produce cane and could also be used for other agricultural purposes."

 

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But Habana resident Phyllis Abela said the council had already "sacrificed" more suitable farming land at places like Pleystowe in the Pioneer Valley.

MRC councillor and Habana resident Laurence Bonaventura.

Cr Bonaventura added the long term trend of enlarging machinery had contributed to the decline of sugar cane production on many Habana lots.

"(Those lots are) never going to grow sugar cane ever, ever again," Cr said.

"Yes, you can run a couple of head of cattle but it's not profitable to run as a business."

He said residents were seeking case-by-case exceptions on "lifestyle" blocks where farming was deemed unsuitable.

"We want structured development.

"What we don't want or need is urban streets a plenty here with thousands of people."

 

My Town is about telling the stories of Mackay and surrounds that matter to you.

 

This story was thanks to the My Town series - a Daily Mercury and Mackay Regional Council initiative.

Next up, reporter Zizi Averill will be at the Eimeo Pacific Hotel with Councillor Michelle Green from 10.30am to noon on Tuesday, September 22.

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