“We like the lifestyle.”
As part of its Suburban Renewal Precinct Plan, Brisbane City Council has proposed rezoning a sizable area next to Wynnum Central Station.
Richard Dower and Marcia Burke feel Brisbane City Council has not been receptive to community concerns. Credit: William Davis
Apartment buildings up to 15 storeys would be allowed along some streets, with mixed-use developments and smaller towers permitted on others.
Council says this would boost local business, provide convenient public transport options to more people, and increase housing supply in the wider push to temper runaway prices.
“It will offer homes, jobs, shops, restaurants, entertainment and community facilities,” a council promotional leaflet says.
But many on Thursday night disagreed, with two distinct groups emerging. Some said they understood the need for more housing but believed the specifics of this plan were inappropriate, while others rejected any suggestion the village should be forced to change at all.
Outside Givney’s office the following day, resident of 68 years Linda Moffat outlined her thoughts in no uncertain terms.
“We don’t want it here at all,” she told this masthead.
“We want to leave our little village the way it is. We don’t want great big buildings turning it into the Gold Coast. Go somewhere else.
“No changes at all … I’d be real happy with that.”
Linda Moffat has lived in Wynnum for 68 years. She doesn’t believe it should be forced to accommodate more people.Credit: William Davis
Standing just a few metres away was Wynnum-Manly Community Group chair Tarnya Lowe, who organised the community meeting and subsequent protest.
She made the more nuanced argument that appropriate community consultation had not been carried out, and that without further investment, the plan would overburden existing facilities.
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“We’re really supportive of renewal attempts, and we’re pro-development, but what this plan doesn’t do is provide us with the infrastructure,” Lowe said.
“Schools already are at capacity … We don’t have a hospital nearby.
“I think building more houses absolutely can be done, but it can be done sensibly.”
Others raised concerns about how new towers – and significantly more residents – would affect the environment, sewerage system, traffic along Bay Terrace, shadows and crime.
If the group fails to scupper council’s plans, Wynnum would join Alderley, Mount Gravatt and Stones Corner as Suburban Renewal Precincts.
This masthead revealed last month that a private-sector group was exploring a similar plan for Stafford on the north side. Moorooka and Salisbury have also been considered as possible renewal precincts.
An artist’s impression released by Brisbane City Council to promote the Wynnum Suburban Renewal Precinct Plan.Credit: Brisbane City Council
Council argues these will develop into hubs well served by public transport, and go some way towards rectifying the housing shortage that has sent prices skyrocketing since the COVID pandemic.
One of the youngest attendees at Thursday’s community meeting was a lone voice in support of the proposal.
“I have had to move house four times since 2024, and I have to move house again in January because my apartments keep getting sold from underneath me,” she said.
“That’s not how people should have to live, and we have to because there isn’t enough housing.
Many residents at the Wynnum Municipal Hall on Thursday night were unimpressed by the proposal – and they made their thoughts known to both LNP councillors in attendance. Credit: William Davis
“I really think people need to think not just about themselves, but about … many of their grandchildren.”
David and partner Loan run the Banh Mi Deli on Bay Terrace. They endorsed the LNP argument that population density would benefit the local economy, though they said they did understand the concerns of many residents.
“For business, more people would definitely be good,” David told this masthead.
The Labor Party has been highly critical of development policy under the ruling LNP, repeatedly accusing council of becoming too cozy with developers and prioritising profit over community wellbeing.
Banh Mi Deli owners David and Loan said a population increase would be good for business, but they understood why some residents might have reservations. Credit: William Davis
Leader Jared Cassidy attended the Wynnum community forum and raised his concerns about why the suburb was selected ahead of others closer to the CBD, or with more public transport options.
“The work that went into identifying these locations for increased density has largely been done in discussion with the development industry, about identifying places where the highest yield would be,” he said.
“When developers talk about building apartment buildings, they think in terms of profit. When I think about delivering housing, I think in terms of human beings.”
Cassidy also flagged opposition to a lack of affordable housing mandates in the plan. This was similarly raised by several young people, who believed such targets could enable them to stay in the suburb in which they grew up.
The Wynnum foreshore includes an aqua park, walking trails and playgrounds. Credit: William Davis
Such mandates have proved controversial, with the LNP council and state government arguing that previous attempts in suburbs including Woolloongabba have shown the policy drives away investment and has the potential to push up prices further.
They instead make the case for a supply-side fix to the housing crisis, saying the best way to moderate prices is to flood the market with more homes and increased variety.
“What we’re looking at is sensible,” Councillor Adam Allan, chair of the city planning, suburban renewal and economic development committee, told an audibly unimpressed crowd on Thursday.
“The population of south-east Queensland is growing rapidly, and unless something extraordinary happens, that’s likely to continue.”
Some large apartment buildings have already sprung up in Wynnum, including these two on Bride Street. Under the plan, towers up to 15 storeys would be allowed on the street. Credit: William Davis
Protesters almost unanimously said they felt councillors were ignoring their concerns.
“With developers, it’s their job to make as much money as they can,” Anna told this masthead directly in front of the Wynnum ward office.
“The reason we have democratically elected councils is to put brakes on that and make sure the community is served best.”
Vanessa Taveras added that she believed the consultation to date had been a box-ticking exercise.
Vanessa Taveras felt the community had not been properly consulted over the plan. Credit: William Davis
“I feel like now that they’re seeing the community is up in arms, they’re like, ‘oh, now it’s going to impact my political agenda’ so they have their ears perked up.
“If they would have had that dialogue from the beginning, maybe we wouldn’t be here with these placards today.”
Givney stayed at the meeting until the end, despite the vocal – and at times inappropriate – criticism.
She pushed the potential benefits of the plan, but encouraged her constituents to raise any concerns they had via a council submission process open until midnight on November 23.
LNP councillor Alex Givney copped a heated reception at Wynnum Municipal Hall on Thursday, with about a dozen residents picketing her office the following day. Credit: William Davis
“If you’re not happy with what this plan looks like, put your feedback in and tell us what you would be happy with,” she said.
“My job is to be the connector between the community and the council.
“That’s my job, that’s what I got elected for, and if you’re not happy with it, I’m really sorry that you feel this way, but I am working my arse off for this community, and I do love it.”
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