The Gabba Councillor does not support the Renewal Strategy for West End and South Brisbane
31 August, 2009
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elen Abrahams, Councillor for The Gabba Ward is not supporting the population targets and building heights proposed in the Renewal Strategy for West End and South Brisbane.
“The wishes of local residents have been ignored and so I can not support the strategy that is forcing building heights of up to 30 storeys onto a community that does not want skyscrapers”.
A survey of 1,200 people in 2006 showed that people wanted 5 storey buildings in redevelopment areas in West End. .
Last year, I held three community planning days attended by broad range of community members who supported maximum heights of 7 storeys for West End with higher buildings in South Brisbane.
These wishes have been ignored and instead 12 storeys high buildings are proposed where the community reluctantly supported 7 storeys. There was never any support for 30 storeys as shown when the community successfully opposed a 16 storey building earlier this year.
“It is just no possible to cram a further 25 000 people into West End peninsula and keep the much loved character of this area” said Cr Abrahams
“The Lord Mayor will destroy West End”
“I know that Lord Mayor does not understand or appreciate the character of West End but I am simply asking him to listen to the wishes of the residents who do” Helen Abrahams said.
What has happened to the Lord Mayor’s election promise when he was the Lord Mayoral candidate that his Neighbourhood Planning process would let residents have a say about the appropriate scale of development in their street and suburb?
For five years, West End residents have been saying that they want the character of the area, the diversity of buildings and people retained and a human scale for new development so keeping a sense of community.
[ends}Media Contact: 3403 2165