Heights of stupidity says Greens chief
Report & Photos: Rob Lockyear
Brisbane City Council's plan to lift building height restrictions was appalling and counter productive, Queensland Greens co-founder Drew Hutton says.
Mr Hutton slammed the proposal and called on the Labor Party opposition to fight it.
"The lifting of height restrictions has more to do with the political influence of developers and the importance of their donations to political parties than it does to rational policy making," Mr Hutton said.
"It's a betrayal of the inner-city residents who will be forced to conduct a viable community life with major high rise development dotted throughout their community."
Mr Hutton said the influence of developers on Brisbane City Council did not end with the Liberal majority.
"Both Liberal and Labor parties are heavily indebted to donations from developers," Mr Hutton said. "They're both in it up to their ears."
A fiery council meeting last week passed a motion to permit high rise buildings and increases population densities in Fortitude Valley, South Brisbane, Kurilpa, West End and Woolloongabba.
The motion said inner-city high rise was better than "greenfield development and unsustainable urban sprawl".
Urban Planning and Economic Development spokesperson Cr Amanda Cooper said the move was vital to meet the Queensland Government's target of 145,000 new dwellings in Brisbane.
Labor opposition launched a strong attack on Cr Cooper but unanimously supported the motion when the ruling Liberal Party accepted a Labor amendment that the high rise approval be "subject to good design, demonstrated sustainability, community benefit and a fast-tracked neighbourhood planning process".
Cr Milton Dick fiercely criticised Cr Cooper's motion as bad planning policy that ignored the views of residents.
"There is no required infrastructure, adequate public transport, roads, required sewerage and electricity planning. The list goes on," Cr Dick said.
Deputy Mayor Graham Quirk said Labor's amendment was unnecessary as the new buildings would not go ahead without proper planning and consultation processes.
Central Ward Councillor David Hinchliffe criticised what he saw as a lack of information in the plan.
"It didn't say how dense, it didn't say how high and that was what was fundamentally wrong with it," Cr Hinchliffe said.
"It was proposing a bank cheque to density."
Neither the original motion nor the amendment contained any specific building height restrictions, but it is understood 30-storey buildings will be approved at Kurilpa along the river.
Mr Hutton slammed the proposal and called on the Labor Party opposition to fight it.
"The lifting of height restrictions has more to do with the political influence of developers and the importance of their donations to political parties than it does to rational policy making," Mr Hutton said.
"It's a betrayal of the inner-city residents who will be forced to conduct a viable community life with major high rise development dotted throughout their community."
Mr Hutton said the influence of developers on Brisbane City Council did not end with the Liberal majority.
"Both Liberal and Labor parties are heavily indebted to donations from developers," Mr Hutton said. "They're both in it up to their ears."
A fiery council meeting last week passed a motion to permit high rise buildings and increases population densities in Fortitude Valley, South Brisbane, Kurilpa, West End and Woolloongabba.
The motion said inner-city high rise was better than "greenfield development and unsustainable urban sprawl".
Urban Planning and Economic Development spokesperson Cr Amanda Cooper said the move was vital to meet the Queensland Government's target of 145,000 new dwellings in Brisbane.
Labor opposition launched a strong attack on Cr Cooper but unanimously supported the motion when the ruling Liberal Party accepted a Labor amendment that the high rise approval be "subject to good design, demonstrated sustainability, community benefit and a fast-tracked neighbourhood planning process".
Cr Milton Dick fiercely criticised Cr Cooper's motion as bad planning policy that ignored the views of residents.
"There is no required infrastructure, adequate public transport, roads, required sewerage and electricity planning. The list goes on," Cr Dick said.
Deputy Mayor Graham Quirk said Labor's amendment was unnecessary as the new buildings would not go ahead without proper planning and consultation processes.
Central Ward Councillor David Hinchliffe criticised what he saw as a lack of information in the plan.
"It didn't say how dense, it didn't say how high and that was what was fundamentally wrong with it," Cr Hinchliffe said.
"It was proposing a bank cheque to density."
Neither the original motion nor the amendment contained any specific building height restrictions, but it is understood 30-storey buildings will be approved at Kurilpa along the river.
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