Minister blocks appeal against Milton high-rise
Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe used his powers earlier this month to block a court appeal against a 31-storey building planned for Railway Terrace, Milton.
Mr Hinchliffe said last week he would “call-in” the application and make a final, binding decision about the development by 17 May.
Mr Hinchliffe said the development complied with the South East Queensland regional plan, which identified TOD (Transit Oriented Development) as a key policy in meeting Brisbane’s infill dwelling target, and therefore warranted his involvement.
The development is proposed by FKP Property Group.
The group Concerned Residents Against Milton’s Excessive Development (CRAMED) opposes the development and says it is not a TOD.
CRAMED spokeswoman Elizabeth Handley said more than 700 submissions opposing the development had been made to the State Government.
Many submissions argue the proposal conflicts with the City Plan and Milton Local Plan.
But the Brisbane City Council, which approved the development three months ago, said the proposal conformed with a draft Milton Station Neighbourhood Plan and the transit-oriented development principles of the South East Queensland Regional Plan.
Andrew Batts, Australasian TOD Coordinator for Arup, an international town planning company, said he did not regard the development a TOD.
“Whilst the Milton proposal supports many of the principles of Transit Oriented Development, on its own it should not be termed a TOD,” Mr Batts said.
He said the term, introduced in the late 1980s, was defined as ‘a method to create dense, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly, socio-economically diverse neighbourhoods centred on transit stations.’
“In the past decade, however, the term has increasingly been co-opted by the development industry to market any kind of moderately dense, urban infill development located near a railway station – such as the Milton project,” he said.
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