Article: Bligh gives Stanley and Vulture street block at Woolloongabba ...

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Bligh gives Stanley and Vulture street block at Woolloongabba to urban development body

Bligh gives Stanley and Vulture street block at Woolloongabba to urban development body

    * by Craig Johnstone
    * From: The Courier-Mail
    * April 25, 2010 6:21PM

THE Bligh Government has handed its powerful urban development body a key parcel of land in inner-city Woolloongabba, saying the area will be transformed into a vibrant residential precinct within 10 years.

The 10ha block, bounded by Stanley and Vulture streets and stretching between the Gabba and the commercial precinct near the Mater Hospital, has long been coveted by developers keen to exploit its proximity to South Bank and other city hubs.

The Urban Land Development Authority was supposed to have moved in to develop the land two years ago.

But it has taken until now for Premier Anna Bligh to hand control of the block to the authority, which could release some parts of the site to the market as early as next year.

The land is a potential site for one of the metro stations being planned as part of the $14 billion Cross City Rail project.

Ms Bligh said the land, currently occupied by the Government's Goprint and Landcentre buildings, was only a kilometre from the Brisbane CBD but was "under-utilised".

She said the planned development was a "dream location" for cricket and AFL fans.

"But it will also be attractive to city workers, hospital staff and anyone who wants to live in a well-planned community close to the action," she said.

It will be the latest acquisition for the authority, which has planning powers over large tracts of land in Bowen Hills, Hamilton and Fitzgibbon in Brisbane's north.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has criticised the authority in the past for being unaccountable and undemocratic.

The Woolloongabba land has been declared an Urban Development Area, which locks Brisbane City Council out of having any planning influence over the area.

The authority will now have the power to make bylaws affecting the land as well as to close and open roads, remove unapproved development and build its own infrastructure.

Ms Bligh said participants at last month's Growth Management Summit called on the Government to "get on with delivering higher density development around major transport hubs".

"This site is a perfect opportunity to create a great new community," she said.

"It will include affordable housing and have a diverse mix of apartments, shops, restaurants and other commercial buildings."

[ozbob]

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Anna Bligh
26/04/2010

KEY SITE AT THE 'GABBA' TO BECOME VIBRANT PRECINCT

A 10ha parcel of land at Woolloongabba will be transformed into an exciting, inner city place to live, work and play, Premier Anna Bligh announced today.

"The block, adjacent to the Gabba, and bordered by Stanley and Vulture Streets has been declared an Urban Development Area (UDA), which means the Urban Land Development Authority will now take control of planning the site," Ms Bligh said.

"This site is just 1km from the Brisbane CBD but at the moment it's underutilised and unappealing.

"Last month we released the proposed route alignment for the Cross River Rail which confirmed a future rail station in the Woolloongabba area.

"This means the site will be extremely well served by public transport because there already is an existing busway to complement the planned rail station.

"It's the right time for the ULDA to get on with the detailed planning to transform this area into a vibrant place people will want to call home.

"Participants at the Growth Management Summit said we should get on with delivering higher density development around major public transport hubs, and this site is a perfect opportunity to create a great new community."

"It will include affordable housing, and will have a diverse mix of apartments, shops, restaurants and other commercial buildings.

"We expect there will also be short term accommodation for people recently discharged from the nearby Mater and Children's Hospitals but who still need to be nearby.

"One of the planning priorities will be to make this site well connected to greater Woolloongabba, the Mater Precinct, Southbank and the city with walkways and cycle tracks.

"The Woolloongabba UDA is just ten minutes' walk from Southbank and 15 minutes' stroll from the Brisbane CBD.

"It's right beside the Gabba and a short walk to the Stanley and Logan Rd retail and dining precincts.

"Planning will also include better pedestrian access to the Gabba to cater for major events and to make public transport more attractive.

"Woolloongabba UDA will be a dream location for cricket fans and AFL lovers to live. But it will also be attractive to city workers, hospital staff and anyone who wants to live in a well planned community close to the action.

"This and our other UDA's are an example of this Government's determination to meet the challenge of population growth by putting in place better planned communities," Ms Bligh said.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the State Government's Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA) would complete a concept master plan for the area within 12 months.

"In the meantime, an Interim Land Use Plan will protect the area from premature or inappropriate development,'' Mr Hinchliffe said.

"The ULDA is looking to identify sections of the site for possible early release to the market in 2011."

"We expect the area as a whole will be transformed over a 10 to 15 year period.

"The ULDA now has to prepare a development scheme that will include commercial and retail uses as well as a mix of building heights and home designs and prices for owners and renters.

"The plan will also investigate and finalise the number of residents to be housed in the area.

"The Authority will consult closely with the local community when planning for the UDA."

"Not only will the ULDA have to include planning for the new rail project and other residential development, but it has a great opportunity to work on transport issues such as better connectivities between the Gabba and the Mater precinct.

"The State's Goprint and Landcentre buildings currently occupy the bulk of the site-along with the Pacific Motorway, freeway ramps and some small privately-owned parcels of land on the corner of Stanley Street and Melton Road," Mr Hinchliffe said.

Before any changes involving the workforce occurs there will be consultation with the relevant staff and the unions.
The proposed UDA boundary also complements Brisbane City Council's Woolloongabba Central, Kangaroo Point South and South Brisbane Riverside neighbourhood plans.

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[Jon Bryant]

Any development of this site needs to address/fix the fact that it is located between a on ramp and off ramp of a freeway plus the surrounding roads are totally unsafe for pedestrian use and are not consistent with A high density low car use development.  The road system across the whole South Brisbane, Gabba and Kangaroo Point need to be returned to a human scale. 

[WTN]

The roads around that area can become traffic jams during peak hour.  I pass the Gabba and onto the busway and I'm amazed at how many cars are on Stanley St/Ipswich Rd.  So much so it sometimes holds up buses with multiple red lights.

If they're going to redevelop the area then they may as well redevelop the busway intersection too.