May 2020
The State Government has released its development application for the old Oxley Secondary College site for public consultation. You can view the proposed development application and reports online here. You can read my submission here: Oxley Secondary College PDA DA Submission.
The development number is DEV2020/1099 and street address 53 Seventeen Mile Rocks Rd, Oxley.
The current development application is for Stage 1 which includes:
- Stage 1A – 41 residential lots (houses) ranging from 590sqm to 3000sqm in size;
- Stage 1B – stormwater bio-retention area on the lower ovals; and
- Stage 1C retirement/aged care (commercial proposal currently under consideration for the State Government) and childcare centres (Yuingi and the Dept of Education are working on a plan for relocation to the new facility).
The scale of the proposal has the potential to impact significantly on the surrounding community, road network, drainage and open space. Once approved by the State Government the decision is final.
It is important that you speak up now. I remain concerned about the following aspects of the development:
- some 655 trees will be lost to roadworks, bushfire buffers and earthworks – 400 will be planted in the hillside slip area and street trees along the new internal roads. This is good but not enough;
- the traffic management plan does not include traffic lights for the round-a-bout and only a vague promise of a future upgrade. The State and Council need to be upfront with our community about plans to manage safety traffic and congestion at the round-a-bout and failures to provide these details is concerning;
- beyond a natural bio-retention basin, which takes up a huge part of the lower ovals, no stormwater improvements to the open drains of Council’s drainage network is proposed. Cliveden Ave will still flood, the stormwater drains are not being increased in capacity and flooding will still cause significant problems for Corinda residents below the site. Whilst I am not a drainage engineer, after 12 years as the local Councillor I have seen the ongoing impacts of development without adequate stormwater infrastructure; and
- intensity of development high rise retirement/aged care is not supported. Oxley just does not need more high rise and the scale of the retirement community proposed. A development application will be released for the retirement village in due course but we don’t know when or have any details on the State’s preferred developer yet.
The good news is the Bushland along the western boundary (apart from some tree loss) together with the hillside remediation are a new pocket park, and what remains of the lower ovals is protected. After a lot of pressure from me and our community over the past few years, this land will be handed over to Brisbane City Council by the State Government after the site has been fully developed.
Stage 2 of the development which includes additional housing and ovals, hillside and bushland remediation/works has not been released yet.
April 2016
The State Government has now released plans for the old Oxley Secondary College site and I want to encourage you to speak up and have your say. Consultation is open until midnight, 20 June 2018.
Key aspects of the plan are:
– 60% of the site to be kept as open space, recreation, bushland and community use including a community garden, community centre and new kindy; and
– 40% of the site for low density residential use.
You can view the plans here.
The really good news is that the State Government has agreed to my suggestion that the bushland and lower ovals be given to Council to form part of our protected bushland corridors and a green space for recreation and sporting purposes. I look forward to working with the community on the future of this site.
I am concerned about three things and urge you to think about these issues in addition to any of your own concerns if you make a submission.
1. The footprint of the residential development exceeds the current school building footprint putting significant vegetation at risk. I will argue to restrict any new lots to the existing built footprint to maximise vegetation retention.
2. The proposed retirement village site is medium density – five or six storeys. I believe this is too high and will argue that a more appropriate height is low to medium density – two to three storeys. This would better complement the adjoining low density and not block views.
3. Access to the residential area will be via Seventeen Mile Rocks Rd, which is good, but a detailed plan to upgrade the road entry to the site and manage traffic impacts should be developed and released for consultation.
The State is also seeking ideas for how the community space could be used and managed, so if you have ideas, do let them know. How do you think it should be activated?