Brisbane City Council will push ahead with its draft Nathan-Salisbury-Moorooka neighbourhood plan despite more than 700 residents petitioning the local government to rethink its vision.
Two petitions were lodged over the summer 2021-22 period outlining residents' concerns that they were not adequately consulted on extensive high-rise developments proposed for the suburbs and that the draft strategy was focused almost entirely on building such developments.
The petitions asked Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner to formulate a new draft plan more aligned to the community's expectations.
However, in a meeting of the council's City Planning and Suburban Renewal committee on Tuesday it was recommended the draft plan proceed to the next stage for review by the state government.
Salisbury resident Jon Marshall said he was not surprised at the decision and that "a lot of the people in the community will be disappointed, not just me".
He said it "wasn't particularly hard to find people who were in agreement with the fact [the council] didn't consult the community properly".
"I think they need to be a bit more sensitive about the area, about how to increase density without compromising the environment," Mr Marshall said.
"I'm particularly worried about the environment being harmed. There are also safety concerns for the children of Salisbury State School with areas highlighted for development around there and the focus around the train station."
Mr Marshall said an industrial area surrounding Commerce St, Salisbury, despite being a heritage-listed precinct, would be a better place to build high density housing.
"There's so much opportunity for that over there without harming the existing character of the suburb," he said.
Moorooka Ward Labor Councillor Steve Griffiths was also concerned that only 30 people were publicly consulted on the neighbourhood plan.
He also worried about the loss of character housing from encroaching development with the full support of the council.
"The plan did not enable comprehensive community consultation. Residents were effectively gagged," he said.
"I support more housing stock and affordable housing, but not at the loss of character housing. We need solutions, and we need to not put people into slums.
"I would like to see all current character housing preserved and more liveability – infrastructure such as libraries and parklands."
Consultation went above requirements
Despite the objections, City Planning and Suburban Renewal committee chairman and LNP Councillor Adam Allan said the council had provided more consultation than required by legislation.
"The intent is to progress with the Nathan-Salisbury-Moorooka Neighbourhood Plan as proposed," he told the meeting this week.
The recommendation was carried four votes to two.
A draft letter intended for the petitioners also said Moorooka and Salisbury train stations had previously been identified as "future growth nodes" in the Brisbane City Plan 2014.
Areas around Lillian Avenue, Orange Grove Road and Moorvale shopping centre, with access to high frequency public transport, were also earmarked as part of the suburbs' growth corridors.
The council said more than 16,500 emails and 11,700 letters were sent to residents and three information sessions were held in the community.
More than 1,100 surveys and 250 emails were submitted as part of the consultation process and 350 comments were pinned to an interactive map.
"This feedback is now being considered and further technical investigations are being undertaken," the letter also read.
"The next phase of the project is the preparation of the draft statutory neighbourhood plan which will include specific proposals such as changes to zones or overlays in City Plan."
Another round of public consultation was scheduled to take place after the plan was reviewed by the state government.
