A community group is aiming to thwart plans for a bulky new inner-city tower on the Brisbane River, highlighting growing citywide tensions between the need to build more homes amid a historic housing shortage and protecting the wants of existing residents.
Dubbed Bloom, the proposed structure on the corner at 355 Coronation Drive in Auchenflower would have 90 units across 23 storeys and be just under 80 metres tall – considerably larger than most of the buildings in its immediate vicinity.
Many residents argue it would have a detrimental impact on their neighbourhood by blocking views, increasing traffic on already overcrowded roads, and altering the distinctive nature of the area.
“It’s fairly clear people … feel this proposal is just so far outside what is acceptable,” Matthew Tucker, secretary of the committee at the adjacent Coronation Towers, told this masthead.
He was speaking following a meeting of about 40 residents with Greens MP Michael Berkman. Neighbours expressed their concerns for more than an hour on Friday afternoon, and formulated a plan to prevent the tower from going ahead, potentially taking their fight to the Planning and Environment Court.
Residents also worried the building would shadow solar panels, be prone to flooding and cause unreasonable disruption during construction.
“It’s the wrong place for a high-rise building … it’s against the concept of the area,” John Weatherhead said, alongside wife Donna.
Paul Pingnam from Linear Apartments next door said residents were open to development, but believed the proposed scale was unreasonable.
“We know something’s going to go up there, we can’t stop it. I think everyone in this precinct knew one day that [would] be sold and redeveloped, but not 23 stories.”
The site is subject to the Toowong-Auchenflower Neighbourhood Plan, which specifies a maximum building height of eight storeys and 27 metres for blocks between 1200 and 1500 square metres. The developer is arguing there is a demonstrable benefit in going higher, which it is entitled to do under Brisbane planning laws.
Brisbane is facing a significant shortage of houses amid surging prices and an unprecedented influx of new residents. The council under Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has argued for a supply-side fix, and worked to attract new development.
Tensions similar to those in Auchenflower have emerged across the city, with some residents arguing large new apartment blocks risk overwhelming existing infrastructure and negatively impacting their communities.
Joe Adsett Architects is behind the Coronation Drive project. It argues the plans it lodged with council in February are appropriate, and the inner-city area is suited to increased density.
“The project is in the public interest because it delivers new housing in a highly appropriate inner-city location — close to public transport, established infrastructure, the Brisbane River, the Bicentennial Bikeway, employment, services and lifestyle amenity,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“Brisbane is facing significant housing supply challenges, and well-designed density in the right locations is an important part of responding to that.
“We understand that any proposal of this scale will naturally attract community interest and concern. Those concerns are taken seriously.”
The company also said the block had been earmarked as a “landmark site” in the neighbourhood plan.
“That designation is significant, as it recognises the site’s capacity to accommodate a building of greater architectural prominence, having regard to its location, scale and visibility,” it added.
“Good cities evolve by placing density where they belong; close to transport, infrastructure, employment and amenity.”
The tower would comprise 36 two-bedroom apartments and 54 three-bedroom apartments. It would also have a pool on the roof, dining area, private cinema, cold and hot spas, sauna, steam room and barbecue area.
Tucker did not believe the supply argument held water.
“The developer will be trying to play on the fact that there’s a housing shortage to get an approval, but they won’t be building affordable housing,” he said.
“It’s a matter of balancing all of the factors of needing more housing, needing more affordable housing, and the biggest thing is … protecting people that are already there.
“The answer is probably people do want development, but not development that’s overdevelopment.”
The community group said they were looking at options including fighting potential approval in the Planning and Environment Court, which could cost about $500,000.
Almost 200 people had submitted their views on the development to council by Friday, and residents were discussing running a parallel campaign calling for the Lord Mayor to intervene.
They were hoping to increase public submissions to more than 500 by leaning on friends and family.
A spokesperson for the Lord Mayor said development applications were currently being assessed by independent planning officers through the established planning process.
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