Let’s make QLD State, Federal Governments and Ipswich City Council listen to our concerns!

 

UPDATE 5 (28 April 2025)

 

It’s time for me to officially sign off.

 

Unfortunately, the meeting held last week at the Deputy Premiers office, Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning was a complete waste of time as the department bureaucrats approved the MID application the week earlier, which was only 3 business days after official community consultation closed on 11 April 2025.  

 

During the meeting Jock Power emphasised the decision was heavily in favour of the MID application due to the Ipswich City Council rezoning parts of Riverview to High Density Residential.

 

I would like to clarify this rezoning by the Ipswich City Council was done underhanded with no direct community consultation with directly affected properties owners and was only posted online requesting community feedback on the Draft 2024 Ipswich Plan.  I believe whilst there were approximately 500 submitted documents from the Ipswich and surrounding community on the Draft 2024 Ipswich Plan, I and other property owners of Riverview were not aware of the council’s plans to rezone our residential streets of Riverview to High Density Residential.  Riverview property owners are very accustomed to the Ipswich City Council rezoning our area underhanded as this has happened previously from Residential to Medium Business & Industry to accommodate other proposed DA applications on this same parcel of land. 

 

Even with the approval being granted, Riverview residents will still have the following issues as none of the nineteen (19) points of concern identified in my 30 page MID submission letter to the Deputy Premier, Hon Jarrod Bleijie MP, Minister of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning on 8 April 2025 were investigated and or addressed.  

 

1.     Poor Road Infrastructure at the intersections of McEwan Street and Endeavour Road, McEwan Street and Station Road

2.     Outdated Train Station Infrastructure (only walk over pedestrian foot bridge)

3.     Over development of land at 1-19 McEwan Street and the suburb of Riverview (refer to DA applications at Moggill Ferry Road and Old Ipswich Road etc)

4.     No access to Green Space for families to safely play around the subject site of 1-19 McEwan Street

 

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UPDATE 4 (8 March 2025)

 

MID Application MID-0125-0905 is now open for community consultation.

https://www.planning.qld.gov.au/planning-framework/infrastructure-planning/ministerial-infrastructure-designations

 

Local residents ask (if you are willing) to lodge a Submission on this MID application to advise the Queensland State Government of your concerns on this 7 Storey Building in our suburban community.

 

There are three ways to make a Submission –

 

1. Click ‘Make a Submission’ on the ‘Requests Open for Consultation’ webpage under MID Application MID-0125-0905

2. Email your Submission to ‘infrastructuredesignation@dsdilgp.qld.gov.au’

3. Post your Submission to PO Box 15009 City East QLD 4002

 

Thanks for your time.

 

P.S. There are currently 2 signs erected on the Paladin Project fencing surrounding the construction site, which is the Public Notification as outlined in the MID Guidelines and Rules.

 

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UPDATE 3 (21 February 2025)

 

Since the last update, construction is well underway on the 114 townhouses to be privately sold on the same parcel of land at McEwan Street Riverview as to the proposed 7 Storey Community Housing Building, however I hadn't heard anything from Riverview Development Holdings with regards to the progression of the 7 Storey Community Housing Building.  It was like radio silence for 5 months!

 

However, there has been a lot of disruption to the local properties surrounding the construction site with environment, traffic management, noise and safety issues, which the locals live with on a daily bases.

 

As I normally do weekly, I jumped on the State Governments Planning Qld website (refer link below) to check newly lodged MID applications and to my disbelief as of 14 February 2025 the official documents have now been submitted and MID-0125-0905 - Social Housing - McEwan St, Riverview has been lodged.

 

Link to view State Government MID's - 

https://www.planning.qld.gov.au/planning-framework/infrastructure-planning/ministerial-infrastructure-designations

 

My head is spinning as my lovely suburb of Riverview and 'My Castle' will never be the same again and this is where I need as much support from people to share and sign my Online Petition. 

 

We need the Federal, State and Local Governments to understand Riverview IS NOT going to be the dumping suburb again of Housing Commission or 'Social Housing' as it is now known of this size!

 

If you are wanting to voice your concerns personally and directly on the proposed 7 Storey Community Housing Building (MID-0125-0905 - Social Housing - McEwan St, Riverview application), please reach out to our current members of Government - 

 

Hon Shayne Neumann MP (Federal Member of Blair) - Phone 07 3201 5300 

Hon Lance McCallum (State Member for Bundamba) – Phone 07 3447 9100 

Cr Marnie Dolyle (Division 3 Ipswich City Council Councillor) – Phone 07 3810 8194 or 0499 018 360

Cr Andrew Antoniolli (Division 3 Ipswich City Council Councillor) – Phone 07 3810 7664 or 0488 079 375

 

I will be again rallying as many people in my local area for support and be having community meetings to discuss this matter.  

 

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UPDATE 2 (13 September 2024)

 

The surrounding streets to the proposed 7 level Community Housing Building at 19 McEwan Street is currently zoned 'Local Business and Industry', and this was rezoned from Residential back 30ish years ago without or limited community consultation. This rezoning allowed for a proposed development of a Super A Mart store to be constructed on both lots at 1 and 19 McEwan Street.

This construction did not go ahead and now 33+ years later, we have the same scenario!

I believe with the current zoning there is a height restriction of 2 storeys, however I have been informed there is a draft with the Ipswich City Council and now the Minister for approval to have it rezoned it to High Density Residential, which has a height restriction of 5-10 storeys.  STILL, the local community has not been consulted about this rezoning!

 

If the rezoning is successful to High Density Residential, it pretty much gives the green light to the Developer to move forward with their MID application, so I feel some responsibility still lays with the Ipswich City Council to stop this rezoning. 

 

Again, this is where I need your help to share the Petition and get as many signatures to show the Federal, State and Local Governments Riverview IS NOT going to be the dumping suburb again of Housing Commission or 'Community Housing' as it is now known of this size!

 

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 UPDATE 1 (21 August 2024)

 

Speaking with one of the Division 3 Councillors, Cr Marnie Doyle, she advised the Developer is now trying to fast track their proposal via a State Government scheme and this is why I have now reached out to the Minister of Housing, Local Government and Planning and Minister of Public Works - Hon Meagan Scanlon MP, Member of Blair - Hon Shayne Neumann MP and the Member of Bundamba - Hon Lance McCallum MP to setup a meeting with the local residents of Riverview.  

 

What now concerns the residents is that how much RED TAPE is going to be looked over by the governing bodies to have this proposed development approved???

 

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'My Journey'

 

Let’s all work together as a community and make the QLD State, Federal Governments and Ipswich City Council listen to our concerns!

 

The residents directly surrounding the development on McEwan Street Riverview Qld 4303 need your help!

 

Back in 2018 there was a Planning Application (Number 8854/2017/MCU) submitted with the Ipswich City Council proposing 116 townhouses, 4 apartments and 3 commercial tenancies. 

 

On 21 March 2018, I personally submitted a ‘properly made submission’ on behalf of four (4) other long term owner occupiers directly surrounding the new proposed development to oppose on the grounds of - 

1.     Increased local traffic without suitable controlled traffic management in place

2.     Vehicle lights shinning into the property of 18 McEwan Street while departing the 3 commercial tenancies (with 15 parking bays)

3.     Parking on local streets given the lack of internal parking of the proposed development

4.     Overdevelopment of the land

 

Whilst we were only a small group of owner occupiers (keeping in mind there are only 12 residential houses directly opposite the proposed development), we were not necessarily opposed to developing the land in some way, however it should be with community consultation. 

 

Ipswich City Council acknowledged our ‘properly made submission’ in writing on the 27 March 2018 in accordance with the requirements of the Planning Act 2016.

 

As per the Planning Act 2016, the submitter (me) will be formally notified of the Ipswich City Council’s decision in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act 2016 following the cessation of the applicant’s appeal period or upon lodgement of an appeal by the applicant. 

 

This is where the Ipswich City Council has FAILED me and the long term owner occupiers as there is no record of any further communication from the council and subsequently the above application was approved later in November 2018.  Given the lack of communication/notification from the Ipswich City Council all our rights to continually appeal/oppose the above application had been squashed.  

 

I believe the approval was granted for 114 townhouses and the land for the 3 commercial tenancies was left vacant plus there was no stipulations that the Developer put in place a controlled Traffic Management at the intersections of Station Road, McEwan Steet and Endeavour Road. 

 

Fast forward six years and given I heard nothing from my original ‘properly made submission’, I assumed the Developer was not moving forward on the Development, however early May 2024 fencing was erected around the boundary parameter of McEwan Street with Paladin Projects signage and all established trees on the land were removed.

 

After 20+ emails and frustrated phone calls, I feel the Ipswich City Council are not taking the residents concerns seriously and I was actually laughed at during one of these calls, which highly irritated me, and I felt belittled. 

 

Same goes with our local Ipswich City Council Councilor, Mr Andrew Antoniolli.  Andrew initially sounded interested with this matter, we spent 2-3 hours over my kitchen table talking about the situation and then NOTHING!  He has ghosted me!.

 

During some recent communications with Anthony Bowles (Ipswich City Council Development Planning Services Manager), he states McEwan Street is classified as a Arterial Road and is part of the network that carries a significant amount of traffic and 60 km per hour is deemed to be appropriate for that class of road, however the application was approved in November 2018 with no controlled Traffic Management in place at the intersections of Station Road, McEwan Street and Endeavour Road as it is not deemed necessary due to the volumes of traffic using the roads.

 

So which one is it, a busy arterial road or local road not needing Traffic Lights?

 

I have asked again recently for Traffic Management at the intersections of Station Road, McEwan Street and Endeavour Road, reduced speed limits on McEwan Street (as it is constantly used as a raceway), yellow No Parking Lines on McEwan Street and every request is purely rejected by Ipswich City Council employees with no real evidence to confirm their rejections as I feel the Ipswich City Council keeps using outdated traffic data going back to 2017.

 

Back in November 2018 when the 114 townhouses were approved by Ipswich City Council, there was not the business footprint in the area like it is today and with the other recently approved and or submitted development applications in Riverview currently with the Ipswich City Council, how can our local roads withstand the increased traffic without some controlled Traffic Management at the intersections of McEwan Street, Station Road and Endeavor Road?

 

Details below of some of the applications (which I’m aware of) – 

 

1.     198 dwelling (2/3 bedroom) Aged Care Facility on Moggill Ferry Road

2.     52 Residential Lot Subdivision on Old Ipswich Road

3.     16 Residential Lot Subdivision on Riverview Road

4.     Plus, other smaller Residential and Industrial Subdivisions in the immediate Riverview area

 

Please head to https://developmenti.ipswich.qld.gov.au/ to view/save any current planning applications with the Ipswich City Council.

 

Also, head to https://www.planningalerts.org.au/ to set up free alerts for any planning applications submitted in your local area.

 

With all the above (Oh, there is a lot more I could type with regards to my journey), it has caused myself and my elderly mother a lot of anxiety and to be honest, I had given up on the continued fight with the Ipswich City Council, however the recent letter received from Human Habitats just pushes us over the edge.

 

The letter is dated 14 August 2024 (received by registered mail on Friday 16 August 2024) gives us 10 business days from the date of their letter to respond with our commentary.   Even though the below Material Change of Use has been in the pipeline with the Developers and construction company, Paladin Projects for some time (given the detailed plans and Architect draws of the building facade attached to the letter), they have given a selective number of residents a letter giving us 10 business days to respond.  I am aware of only myself and two other resident being notified of the Developers intensions of lodging a Ministerial Infrastructure Designations (MID).

 

The Developer is proposing to convert to land where the original 3 commercial tenancies were (cnr Station Road and McEwan Street) into a 7 Level, 57 unit (37 x 1 Bed and 20 x 2 Bed), 57 car park spaces for residents, 6 visitor car spaces with communal space Community Housing building. 

 

I have personally done hours of driving the local streets and conducted an analysis of buildings in both residential and commercial CBD of Ipswich. And yes, during my analysis it identified 2 community housing buildings either established or under construction with more than 2 levels. Details below and I have 17 other buildings (80% mostly in the CBD of Ipswich) in my analysis – 

 

1.     Under construction – Basin Pocket (Backing on the Bremer River)

100% residential area

4 Levels

41 Units (34 x 1 Bed and 6 x 2 Bed)

Catering for older Queenslanders

(a lot of this information was located on QLD Government website)

 

2.     Established – South Street Ipswich

6 Levels 

No residential (100% commercial buildings surround) 

 

We understand the Developers are only in the business of making money and there is a need for community housing, however how can they justify erecting a 7 Level building in a residential area where the majority of houses surrounding the development are single level dwellings?

 

The directly affected owner occupiers do not believe a 7 Level (2 levels communal space/parking and 5 levels of units) aesthetically align with the Riverview area and the heritage Ipswich in general. Whilst there are buildings in the CBD of Ipswich greater than 7 levels, all these buildings are in 100% commercial settings and nothing greater than 4 Levels are in residential areas.

 

This is where I need your help!

 

Can you please sign my petition to make the Ipswich City Council, Human Habitats, State/Federal Governments and the Developers (Riverview Development Holding Pty Ltd) listen to the local residents of Riverview, residents family members and surrounding suburbs.

 

Again, we were not necessarily opposed to developing the land in some way, however it should be with community consultation.

 

If you would like a copy of the Human Habitats letter, plans and Architect drawings of the proposed 7 Level building, please reach out and I will forward you a copy.  Should you wish to voice your concerns directly to , please reach out as below -

[Redacted] - Phone [Redacted] or Email [Redacted]

 

If you are wanting to voice your concerns on the rezoning, please reach out to your Division 3 Ipswich City Council Councillors below – 

Cr Marnie Dolyle – Phone 07 3810 8194 or 0499 018 360

Cr Andrew Antoniolli – Phone 07 3810 7664 or 0488 079 375

 

If you are wanting to voice your concerns on the proposed 7 Storey Community Housing Building/Tower (pending MID Application with the Queensland State Government), please reach out to your State Member for Bundamba below – 

Hon Lance McCallum – Phone 07 3447 9100 

 

Thanks for your time in reading my petition.

 

Regards

Louise