Article: Fresh hope for Wacol 'pipe dream'

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Fresh hope for Wacol 'pipe dream'

Fresh hope for Wacol 'pipe dream'
Marissa Calligeros
November 26, 2010 - 12:30PM

A company pushing to build an industrial, commercial and retail precinct three times the size of the Indooroopilly Shopping Centre on Brisbane's western fringe has recorded a significant win.

After approving the industrial component of the controversial $1.5 billion proposal, the Court of Appeal this morning referred the matter back to the Planning and Environment Court for a final decision.

The "Metroplex at Westgate" project - slated for the former Wacol Army Barracks site, near the Ipswich Motorway-Centenary Highway interchange - would include industrial facilities, warehouses and office space along with retail outlets to cater for the local workforce.

It would feature more than 44 hectares of gross floor area, including nearly 100,000 square metres of office space - double that of most Brisbane CBD buildings.

Metroplex Management has been engaged in a three-year court battle with Brisbane City Council over the huge industrial and commercial project.

The Court of Appeal today gave the development a partial green light, after the original proposal was rejected by the Planning and Environment Court last year.

Justice Roslyn Atkinson said the decision "should not, of course, be seen as suggesting any preference for the outcome of the appeal before the Planning and Environment Court".

The proposal was vigorously opposed by Ipswich City Council, Springfield Land Corporation and the Brisbane City Council, on grounds it did not comply with the Southeast Queensland Regional Plan.

Ipswich City planning chairman Paul Tully welcomed today's decision, saying he was in favour of a reduced plan, which did not include the 98,000 square metres of office space.

"The Court of Appeal didn't actually touch on the merits of the case - on what elements should or shouldn't be approved," Cr Tully said.

"Although I do expect that now the industrial part of the project will be approved. I don't have any objections to a scaled down version of the development, which is currently being considered by Brisbane City Council."

He said the original proposal would have destroyed the town centres of Goodna, Redbank and Springfield and exacerbated traffic problems.

Mr Tully has previously said the original proposal was 20 years premature.

"This was going to be one of the largest town centres in southeast Queensland with no one living there," he said in a statement.

"It was a developer's pipe dream and has ended up as the most expensive financial land investment blunder seen in Queensland for decades."

Metroplex general manager John Smallwood has remained confident of developing the site, which the group bought in May 2005 for about $48 million.

[ozbob]

Public transport access?  Now,  where is the Minister for Public Transport ... more chaos for the great hope of the west, the Ipswich Highway car park ...

[Stillwater]

That's what happens -- the public sector builds (at enormous cost), the extra capacity into the road/rail network and the private sector brings about development to flood the vacuum.  The mantra of the developers -- 'I build it and the government ensures they will come'.  I know developers make contributions to councils for roads, parks, extra capacity for the sewers flowing from their developments, as it were, etc (as they should), but mega developments like this should also make payments to state governments for the services they provide.  I think this has happened at Springfield, where the developer there is making a contribution to the construction of the Springfield Line, but he will get the money back through the bringing forward of housing estates etc than otherwise would be the case and the general enhancement to property prices due to public transport accessibility.

Now, on the other hand, what is the situation -- Caloundra South being a case in point -- where the state government is, in effect, the developer?  What conditions will the state place on itself to bring improved public transport services to that area?

[ozbob]

Where this 'megaplex development three times the size of Indooroopilly' is planned was the former Wacol Army camp.  I was stationed there in 1969.  It was then a public transport desert, and still is.  The Ipswich Highway car park is the along the front and the left flank is the Centenary Highway car park.  Down the track the right flank is the rather oddly named 'Progress Road'.  All in all a major basket case.

Obviously should this project go ahead all their traffic projections will be wrong (probably wrong anyway, but ...) and the chaos increased.  There will need to be access roads to enable feeder buses to and from Wacol railway station and possibly Richlands.  The highway car parks are significant barriers.

The railway lines are the true saviour of the west, but we know that.  Pity more are struggling with the concept ..  

[Stillwater]

Agree Ozbob. 

Re Ippy Line though .... there would appear to be a point on the line near Duncan Street at Redbank where the new motorway works bring the road that bit closer to the railway line.  On the other side, the line is constrained by the loop of the Brisbane River just downstream from the ferry crossing.  Does this 'pinch point', with road and river on each side of the line restrict the laying of parallel tracks in future?

[ozbob]

There is room for triplication/quadruplication no problems, some minor realignments will be needed.  If you go out by rail you can see that some of the structures are all ready for the track amplification, which judging by 'pipe dreams' will be needed a lot sooner ..

[SteelPan]

I'm really not over any of these issues, so I'm not going to comment on this specific matter. 

What I believe is relevant, is that growings cities do embrace more of these "regional hub" type projects.  I believe Macquarie Park/North Ryde is such a concept development over the last, say 10-15yrs, in Sydney - with a rail line of course.   Like it or not, this type of thing is going to be more and more on the table for Brisbane in the years ahead - as Ozbob noted, rail is THE important and sadly often missing item from the discussion!

[#Metro]

Is the location really that bad? Wacol station to the left, richlands station to the right.

A bus could be extended from Inala, Richlands to Wacol.

The development I think are "pipe dream" are the ones slated for Ripley and Yarrabilla! These locations have NOTHING there, absolutely NOTHING.
They are just paddocks with grass in it at the moment. At least this has two train stations nearby.

[WTN]

I think Bob has mentioned the Ipswich and Centenary carparks which make feeder buses difficult - unless we turn car lanes into bus lanes.

[ozbob]

Feeder buses must be done into this development if it does go ahead, and the planning for that (a public transport plan) must be part of the deal.  Access from Richlands and Wacol stations via Progress road would be achievable but they would need bus lanes added. Have you been along Progress Road of late during the week?  Truck alley big time ... with swarms of horseless carriages mixed in ...

There is a lot of opposition to this project from the Council - Ipswich, the development as seen as a threat to Goodna, Redbank particularly.  The mob out at Springfield are touchy about it too.

I think not a threat in the longer term especially as it now seems to be a predominantly industrial deal.  But must have a proper transport plan.  It will impact on both the major highways as well of course, but the smart people will catch the train and use the wifi and leave the roads in the area to the trucks.

[#Metro]

depends on the road layout really. A feeder bus could go Wacol Rail-Richlands Rail-Inala. The distance is not too far it seems
http://www.nearmap.com/?q=@-27.586160,152.936382&ll=-27.58616,152.936382&z=15&t=k&nmd=20100911

But yes, looks like bus lanes would have to go in, and a proper plan for PT. Maybe they could get it right this time and put in grid streets and busway lanes like Almere?

[#Metro]

There is a lot of opposition to this project from the Council - Ipswich, the development as seen as a threat to Goodna, Redbank particularly.  The mob out at Springfield are touchy about it too.

Sigh. It would only be a "threat" if people used it- lots and lots of people used it.
Oh wait, maybe they meant to use the word "success" instead of "threat" there....

Of course springfield does not want it. Springfield has no rail station and this one has two!

[albiwan]

It is easily possible to travel from Wacol Station to Darra Station alongside the Motorway via the prison service road. I drive this way to Riverhills from Darra as a mean of traffic avoidance in peak times.

[ozbob]

It is easily possible to travel from Wacol Station to Darra Station alongside the Motorway via the prison service road. I drive this way to Riverhills from Darra as a mean of traffic avoidance in peak times.

Shhssssssh,  don't tell 'em Albiwan!   

But this is the other side than the development, but it is relief route for those in the know, not sure though for how much longer.  Seems traffic building along there as well ...

[albiwan]

Agreed that it is a great secret but all good things must come to end! It is the underpass which allows access north to south between Boundary road Richalnds and the service road between the prison and the Darra " barrcacks" I was concentrating on. Wish I knew how to attached the nearmap...........

[ozbob]

--> http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-27.579332,152.936361&z=16&t=h&nmd=20100911

You can see the road system Albiwan is referring to. The bush area for the 'pipe dream' is seen roughly between Wacol and Richlands rail.

Buses could run into the development from both rail stations along the progress Road corridor, but it is a busy road.  The other road system with the underpass could be adapted from Wacol particularly.  The Ipswich highway is a major barrier.

[mufreight]

--> http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-27.579332,152.936361&z=16&t=h&nmd=20100911

You can see the road system Albiwan is referring to.   The Ipswich highway is a major barrier.

Did someone mention that railways tend to seperate communities, what about this for a division.