New homes push opposed: ’When does development end?’

Housing push questioned as worries raised about Mackay’s growth. ‘Do we want to lose the lifestyle we’ve got?’

Mackay Regional Council has voted to approve new development concessions for new housing types such as townhouses, units and attached dwellings at the Wednesday meeting. Picture: Zizi Averill

DEVELOPERS will be incentivised to make big-city living a reality in Mackay, but some councillors are questioning how much the sugar city can grow without losing its heart.

Mackay Regional Council at the Wednesday meeting voted to approve new development concessions for new housing types such as townhouses, units and attached dwellings.

The proposal comes after Australian Bureau of Statistics data reported Mackay building approvals were a fifth of what they were in 2012-13.

The council voted to reduce infrastructure charges and delay payments for housing developments in priority development areas, including the waterfront PDA.

Councillor Michelle Green said the reforms would encourage the construction of new homes, which would create more affordable housing and greater housing diversity.

Cr Green said this would address the "dearth of development".

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Mackay Regional Council councillor Martin Bella concerned that there were no “trigger points” to end the facilitating development policy. Picture: Zizi Averill

Cr Martin Bella was concerned there were no "trigger points" to end the policy, saying too much urban development would make the region indistinguishable from the southeast corner.

"We should have a projected goal," he said.

"I'm not anti-development.

"(But) when does development end?

"Do we want to lose the lifestyle we've got?"

Cr Alison Jones said the concession program was a well-intentioned policy when it was first devised to combat a development shutdown during the mining downturn.

But Cr Jones said the region's recovery meant the policy was no longer a benefit but a liability for the council.

"We need to go back to basics … every fee waived is at a cost to ratepayers," she said.

Cr Jones said the concessions could remove $10 million from the council's bottom line.

She questioned why the council was still subsidising developers, given the improvements in the market.

Councillor Alison Jones said the concession program was a well-intentioned policy when it was first devised to combat a development shutdown during the mining downturn. Picture: Tony Martin

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Cr Laurence Bonaventura also advised caution when extending the policy in the future, particularly as construction was "booming".

"We will need to cut this back, and soon," he said.

But Deputy Mayor Karen May and Cr Justin Englert said the policy change would make Mackay more competitive.

"We don't want other regions to steal our lunch," Cr Englert said.

"If we don't have more people living, working and building here we will go backwards."

Cr Englert said Mackay could comfortably handle an additional 10,000 people with current infrastructure.

The policy was approved, despite councillors Marty Bella and Alison Jones voting against it.

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