The Brisbane City Council has approved the construction of a controversial 15-storey luxury apartment tower on the same grounds as the heritage-listed Shafston House.
Dating back to 1851, the home is one of Brisbane's oldest properties and sits on a prominent block with a large sloping lawn down to the river at Kangaroo Point.
The estate was bought by Kevin Pan from Burgundy Group Property Development for $15 million in 2020, and in January, the state government cleared the unit project, pending council approval.
That final approval has now been given, paving the way for the construction of the high-end development.
A new 15-storey tower will include 37 three and four-bedroom luxury apartments sitting next to Shafston House – which will not be demolished.
Two other four-bedroom "riverfront terraces" will be built set into the ground closer to the river, in front of the existing historic Ward Building.
According to the council's decision notice, while "no works are proposed to the heritage buildings as part of this proposal", the development includes a preliminary approval for Shafston House, the Wards Building, Orderlies Building and Postal Depot to be used "as further units and private open space for residents onsite".
The decision notice said the lawn would be available to private residents "for a range of flexible uses such as picnics, reading and ball games".
The council's planning officers listed several reasons for approving the development, including that it "ensures the works do not damage or diminish the cultural heritage significance of the site" and "appropriately interfaces with the adjoining sites and nearby development".
While Shafston House is listed on the state and local heritage registers, the 9,958m2 site sits within Kangaroo Point's high-density residential area and is zoned for buildings up to 15 storeys high.
Some residents and heritage advocates are vehemently opposed to the project, saying the new buildings will overshadow Shafston House and degrade its heritage value.
Greens MP for South Brisbane Amy MacMahon has been a vocal critic, arguing Kangaroo Point needs publicly accessible green space and affordable housing, not luxury units.
Burgundy Group did not respond to questions about the approval, including when construction is likely to begin.
