18 August 2022

Submission on DA A005984925 for 10 Kurilpa Street, West End

Assessment Manager

Brisbane City Council

Development Services

Via email: [email protected]

To the Assessment Manager,

I am writing in relation to the proposed development at 10 Kurilpa Street, West End. As the State member of parliament for the area in which this development is proposed, I’m writing to reinforce the concerns that local residents have raised with me, and strongly encourage you to reject this application in its current form.

Given recent events, it seems more ill-conceived than ever before to build high-density residential housing on this flood-prone site.

Beyond the extremely concerning flooding hazard, I’d also like to point out the following issues: 

• Excessive bulk and scale: site cover exceeding the relevant plan limits and inadequate setbacks 
• Excessive height (9 storeys). The South Brisbane Riverside neighbourhood plan stipulates 7 storeys for a site of this size.
• Does not include the minimum required 10% deep planting requirement. 
• Has excessive site cover and inadequate boundary setbacks. 
• No community facilities have been provided. 

As the recent floods have shown us, a driveway of a basement carpark being above the defined flood level doesn't mean that water can't enter the basement carpark – either through other drains or through the walls. As the climate warms, we will see higher flood waters and more dwellings being affected. We must plan accordingly.

The Council’s flood map shows that parts of this block are barely 40 centimetres above sea level. As this site falls within Flood Planning Area 2, at the very least, the applicant should be required to provide a comprehensive Flood Risk Assessment.

The Greens are strongly in favour of well-designed, sustainable developments that align with neighbourhood plans and deliver affordable housing, as we’re in the midst of a housing crisis. We strongly urge the council to implement inclusionary zoning to expand the pool of public housing. 

However, development on a floodplain is reckless and dangerous. Thousands of my constituents were affected by the recent floods, and are currently bracing for another year of wet weather. Residents were stuck in apartments, displaced from their homes, without power, and unable to access work, study or other locations. Elderly and disabled residents were also particularly adversely affected. It is clear that developments like this worsen flooding events, and approving developments like this, in known flood-prone areas, is putting people, their lives and possessions at risk. To future-proof our city, I urge you to reject this development, and allocate this land as parkland. 

Please do not hesitate to contact my office on 07 3724 9100 if you would like to discuss this matter in more detail.

Kind regards,

Amy MacMahon

Member for South Brisbane