Strong message for no high rise in West End
30 March, 2009
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Local residents gave Councillor Helen Abrahams, The Gabba Ward, a strong message for what they wanted to see in the South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan at a public planning workshop last Saturday.
More than 70 people attended the workshop and provided ideas and bottom-line demands as well as locating new parkland, bus routes, city cat terminals and new development areas on maps provided.
“I have a strong mandate from local residents for what they want in the Neighbourhood Plan. The message has been the same for each of the four face to face consultation exercises conducted in West End” said Cr Abrahams
“There was no support for high rise development” said Cr Abrahams.
“While some residents wished to lower the density, the majority of the comments supported the existing height limits proposed in the City Plan” said Cr Abrahams
“The residents called for more and improved parkland and public green space between new buildings”
“They called for a high frequency bus service to the CBD along Montague Road as well as a high frequency circuit bus around West End and South Brisbane. There was a strong demand for shady footpaths and more street trees.”
Community facilities, aged care facilities, a new school, affordable housing were all shown on the ‘plans’ for the area.
Most comments related to the Riverside South precinct – the land upstream of Davies Park.
People attending the workshop included long term residents in West End as well as unit owners in the new apartments along the River. This blending of “the old and new” was supported.
Overwhelming, there was support to protect the character of West End. Participants particularly wanted to retain the small scale retail areas of Boundary and Vulture Street, the multicultural character, diversity of housing choice including housing co-operatives.
One person captured this sentiment by saying “West End must not become the ‘SOUTH CBD’”.