Funding for Good Neighbourhoods
05 July, 2008
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Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has allocated $14.65 million over four years to give more neighbourhoods a say in how their community develops.
The Lord Mayor today announced that residents of Morningside, Mitchelton and Richlands would have the opportunity to get involved in the popular Neighbourhood Planning scheme.
Neighbourhood Planning falls within the Lord Mayor’s Future Brisbane program area which had capital funding tripled to $33 million to keep pace with development.
About $100 million is allocated for Future Brisbane this year to help it implement the State Government’s SEQ Regional Plan, which requires Brisbane to plan for significant population increases.
“Council handles about 4500 development applications a year,” Cr Newman said.
“Those applications are for everything from untouched green-field sites to CBD high-rises. And every application can spark potential conflict between community groups, neighbours and developers which is why Neighbourhood Planning is
“A central tool for us is our Neighbourhood Planning policy, which allows people a greater say than ever before on how their area should be developed.”
The Lord Mayor will devote $14.65 million to the Neighbourhood Planning program over the rest of the Council term.
New Neighbourhood Plans would also be developed for Morningside, Mitchelton Centre and the Richlands/Wacol/Ellen Grove corridor during the financial year.
“We will also spend $16 million over the next four years on the City Centre Master plan and $9 million on the Oxley Creek Taskforce,” Cr Newman said.
The lack of affordable housing has also been targeted in the Lord Mayor’s Budget.
“We will provide a remission of 35 per cent on infrastructure charges to keep downward pressure on house prices. This will cost $26 million this year,” Cr Newman said.
“Council will also spend $950,000 a year to encourage the development industry to provide affordable housing to address the issues of homelessness.
“We are also spending $200,000 to target illegal boarding houses, where large numbers of people – usually students – are crammed into residential neighbourhoods. They are forced to pay high rents and such boarding houses impact on the quality of life in the suburbs.”