Game changing plans to create a second rail corridor in Logan could save thousands of residents stuck without public transport
But some community members argue that the proposal is progressing too slowly
Investigations into the development of the Salisbury to Beaudesert passenger rail
which would run through the underserviced west side of Logan
Only now is the Queensland government revealing details of a $20 million business case that has identified heavy rail as the ideal mode of transport and outlined eleven stations
The proposal would see a train run from Salisbury in the north
The initial phase of study into the project was announced last week
The government said the next phase of investigation would involve protecting the corridor – which included conducting a corridor protection study before community consultation would begin in 2025
The project study said the analysis of passenger demand showed construction of the rail was “not required in advance of the mid-2030s”
It also claimed protecting the corridor from encroaching development was an “immediate priority”
But local resident and independent candidate for Algester
who has a professional background working in transport planning and project management
said protecting the corridor was “long overdue”
due to the government not setting the corridor that has been in the pipeline for a long time
some residents are stressed out because they might be impacted by the project,” Mr Bosley said
“I think it is very unfortunate that the government has allowed houses to be built early and people don’t know whether or not they are going to lose their house.”
He said the project was “well overdue”
and the rail corridor should have been formally declared “a long time ago”
“We need public transport because just putting more cars on the road is unsustainable and doesn’t serve the needs of people who don’t have cars,” Mr Bosley said
“I have listened to residents over the course of the two years I have been campaigning
and I am convinced that a strong majority want the project.”
He said the project should be partially ready – at least the Salisbury to Hillcrest section of rail – by the 2032 Brisbane Olympics
Transport planning specialist Dr Elliot Fishman
who is the director of the Institute for Sensible Transport
agreed public transport was needed to service the 25 per cent of the population that can’t drive
He said outer-suburban areas often had “very high levels of car dependence”
with around 90 percent of all trips done by car
“It’s often the case that the car is three-to-four times quicker than the next fastest mode of transport
so people will often use the car as their default mode,” Dr Fishman said
“We need to do a much better job of putting housing in places with good transport and improving public transport opportunities in areas that some researchers have described as ‘forced car dependent’ – where people use the car not because they love it
but because there are no viable alternatives.”
but a focus on urban development around the new train stations was paramount
“And those train stations need to have a reasonable distance between one another,” he said
“What we sometimes see in Australia with new rail lines is 3-4km between train stations
and that is a problem because what we get are situations where people live close to a rail line
but far away from a train station and so they still have the same levels of car dependency
“You need to have fairly frequent stops
and those stops need to have planning zone changes that enable higher-intensity development
so you get lots of people near those train stations to actually use the train.”
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The VIctorian Government’s lack of consultation and disregard of Knox City Council’s planning schemes has led the council to raise alarms over the development of 145 houses on a former school site in Boronia
The development plans for the former Boronia Heights College site
also previously known as Boronia Technical School and Boronia Heights Secondary College
were approved by the Department of Transport and Planning and Knox City Council was notified on Tuesday 2 May
whose Chandler Ward contained Boronia Heights College
said when the development plan was presented to the council last year
it was given a short period to make a response and there was no opportunity for public consultation
“Knox City Council has a housing strategy in place that does try to encourage the density of housing appropriate to the infrastructure and services in the area around to support it,” she said
“Our housing strategy would indicate probably about 25 dwellings across the site and a significant amount of open space
which potentially could have even included the oval that exists there because we are seeing a lot of pressure on sporting reserves across Knox.”
the school merged with Boronia Primary School and was renamed Boronia K-12 College
said he would like to see the council work constructively with the state government
“The way the council has described the development as dumping people
I think that language is really unnecessary,” he said
there are pharmacies nearby and it is half an hour’s walk into the activity centre of Boronia
The council should use these opportunities to advocate for more for our community rather than trying to shut the gate.”
Knox City Council went as far as labelling it as a “secret plan for Boronia Heights,” because no public notice of the proposed development was carried out
Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch said the council’s concerns include the intensity of the development
a lack of information about social and affordable housing
the protection of habitat zones and vegetation
bushfire risks and drainage needed to manage increased stormwater runoff
“We desperately need more social and affordable housing and it’s important for the residents of these future developments that they are located near services and public transport and not just dumped on vacant government sites,” she said
“What’s proposed is in stark contrast to the surrounding area
and there is a distinct lack of open space for a development that proposes to house so many people.”
The Department of Transport and Planning was contacted for comment
A secret development comes to light as members of the community rally against the decision
The state government has approved plans for high density housing at the former Boronia Heights College grounds without any notice to the public of the plan and with the most minimal of consultation with Knox Council
which has left residents in the surrounding area frustrated and angry
The grounds in the matter are at the foothills of the Dandenong
Harcourt and Forest roads; a gem of a place that is described as precious and irreplaceable by Boronia locals
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has recently approved plans for the eight-hectare former Boronia Heights school site to be transformed into a residential area with 145 homes
Community member Roger Davey is one of those concerned about the sites’ potential future
and is banding together with other locals to stand against the decision
He said the site is a nice piece of greenery amongst the surrounding residential developments
and has provided him and his dog Snowy a great place to go for walks and enjoy the greenery
“Tearing down the park and building houses on it would mean there is no more ‘green’ in the area
There are kids enjoying the bike tracks they’ve built
and a football field that is needed in the community,” he said
Mr Davey suggested the government should do similar to its actions in the Western suburbs where they are planting 500,000 trees to contribute to urban cooling
Council was recently advised that the development plan was approved by a delegate for the Planning Minister on 2 May 2023
Deputy Mayor Cr Jude Dwight said the plan suggests almost 150 homes to be built on the land
however the Knox Housing Strategy and Foothills policy would support about 25
It will see about half of these across the old oval area which Council has previously requested be retained due to the increasing pressure on our sport and recreation reserves
Cr Dwight said the main concerns for residents are not just about the environment and its current potential
but also traffic congestion with an increased population in the area
“The site will have just one access road through from Harcourt and Mountview Roads
and loading up already congested intersections with Albert Ave and Forest Rd,” she said
The state government’s Plan Melbourne 2050 identifies Boronia’s activity centre as a Major Activity Centre where higher density housing should be supported by Council
as is appropriate to the transport infrastructure and community services available while taking the pressure off the foothills and surrounds
Knox City Council Housing strategies and policies have been developed with extensive community consultation
however the government is disregarding both its Plan and Council strategies with this development
creating higher density housing in the major activity centre and foothills area
“The consequences of this kind of approach is the eventual erosion of foothills protections in areas where our drainage
stormwater and road infrastructure and existing vegetation simply cannot support it,” she said
The state government maintains that affordable housing is the number one driver however there is very little detail about how this will be achieved aside from the “bulk-build” approach
Ms Dwight said inclusionary housing is a far bigger issue
which solutions require greater consideration than what is evidenced in the development plan and must be negotiated with Council to achieve strong outcomes
“Council’s open space developer contribution is not being met and there is little protection planned for the sites of biological significance and the fauna they are home to,” she said
Both Ms Dwight and Knox Mayor Cr Timmers-Leitch have both requested a meeting with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny
in which Ms Dwight said no response has been received to date
Cr Timmers-Leitch said in a press release that it was very disappointing that there was no public notice and minimal consultation before approving the plan largely unchanged
“Council first raised concerns about the proposal in August last year
and requested that the Minister not approve the development plan as proposed,” she said
There are concerns for the site including the intensity of the development
lack of information about social and affordable housing
bushfire risks and drainage needed to manage stormwater runoff
and there is a distinct lack of open space for a development that proposes to house so many people,” said Cr Timmers-Leitch
These concerns were addressed in an interview between Cr Timmers-Leitch and ABC Radio’s Virginia Trioli earlier this month
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport and planning said the community had their say on the Boronia Heights School site when the rezoning of land went to public notice in 2017
Knox Environmental Society (KES) are among several locals with concerns for the environment at the Boronia Heights site
KES President Richard Faragher said it’s not just the wildlife that will be at risk of these developments
“There are other sites where contractors have come through and just taken out the flora and fauna
replanting other species that we have no idea what they are or where they’ve come from
and some species are now dead from that work,” he said
Mr Faragher said the fact is you can put houses anywhere
you’ll have people moving through the bush area making a real mess of them
“The thing about these areas is once they’re developed that’s the end of them,” he said
Overall the consistent issue is the lack of knowledge about the plans for the site amongst community groups
residents and other locals alike from the government
we can’t get anyone to just sit down with us and talk about the importance of linking up the habitats for the ground flora
He said KES did the original campaign in 2018 and got 10,000 signatures from just going to local stores and shopping centres around the Knox municipality
which was presented to the government by Heidi Victoria
KES also presented to the government Land Standing Authority committee in 2018 about the importance of the rare and threatened species in that area
all of which has been ignored with the approval of the development
According to the Department of Transport and Planning
the land in question was rezoned from Public Use Zone to Neighbourhood Residential zone and introduced a number of overlays including a Development Plan Overlay in August 2018 via an amendment to the Knox planning scheme
Public notice of the rezoning of the land was undertaken in 2017 and 67 submissions were received and a public hearing was held on 18 April
It said the school site is part of the Victorian Government’s Inclusionary Housing Pilot which will create up to 100 new social housing homes in liveable communities across six sites
“We know how important accessible and affordable housing is and that is why we need to use land we already have while protecting the natural environment and character of local neighbourhoods,” the spokesperson said
Former MP for Ferntree Gully Nick Wakeling said the Government had no intention of stopping the development or engaging in proper consultation with the public
which means they can essentially do whatever they like with the place
and don’t have to go through the same planning approvals like independent contractors do
“Whatever they build on that site will affect the local community
who haven’t really got any idea on what they’re planning to build,” he said
Mr Wakeling said this issue is very much in line with that undertaken by the government at “Lake Knox”
having no adequate community consultation before confirming plans to replace the artificial dam at the site
risking the habitat of the vulnerable blue-billed ducks
Another concerned community member Maurice Perry
who is a member of both Save Lake Knox and Save Boronia Heights Memorial Park groups said the government should consider acquiring land closer to transport and shopping centres for their proposed ‘social housing’
however those who are affected by the current housing crisis may not be able to afford the sites there
and the government is only proposing 10 per cent of the development as social housing,” he said
the site is home to a football field that was once part of the Boronia Heights Technical College
which Mr Perry said is regularly used by the community for sports and leisure activities
“There’s already a shortage of football fields in Victoria
and this field would be ideal to support that with a bit of extra drainage
“The space has a lot of potential for barbecues
and the local kids regularly ride their bikes with it being the only place in the area for them to do so,” he said
Mr Perry said the Save Boronia Heights Memorial Park group is still trying to stop the Victorian Government housing development on the old school site
and will be holding a public rally outside Woolworths in Boronia on Saturday 8 July at 10am
“Our plan is to meet out the front of Woolies with infographics and pamphlets for the community
and share some of the alternative uses for the site.”
“We are hoping to have representatives from the Knox City Council on site as well,” he said
If members of the community have concerns about the plan
they should contact the Minister for Planning as the Responsible Authority
Knox City Council has raised the alarm over the development of 145 houses on a former school site in Boronia
due to the Victorian Government’s lack of consultation and disregard of its planning schemes when approving the plans
Boronia Heights Secondary College and Boronia Heights College I am very concerned about the state government’s proposed redevelopment of this now-empty site
The land has some fantastic old Stringybark trees up the back of the back of the property
in its Sanctuary parallel to Mount View Road and along the access path from Harcourt Road
non-indigenous native trees were planted by students and teachers
The Lemon Centered Gums that were planted in the 1980s have since grown into magnificent specimens
all these trees have long provided some excellent habitat for a wide variety of birds including Grey Butcherbirds
Also of historical and cultural importance is the ANZAC memorial and the Lone Pine from the Gallipoli Peninsula
The government is proposing 145 houses for the site whereas Knox Council has suggested 25
Logic suggests that most of the trees that make this land special would be cut down under the state government’s proposal
175 houses seem excessive and should be revisited before it is too late
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The Andrews government has dismissed a council’s concern about overdevelopment in Melbourne’s east to approve construction of almost 150 homes including social housing on an old school site in the Dandenong foothills
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny approved plans for the eight-hectare former Boronia Heights school site to be transformed into a residential area with 145 homes
Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch says residents should not simply be “dumped on vacant government sites”.Credit: Joe Armao
Knox Council Mayor Marcia Timmers-Leitch criticised the plans as an overdevelopment and said future residents would suffer from a lack of services and public transport
She said the housing project was at odds with the council’s strategic plan for the Dandenong foothills
the kind of density that they’re proposing is just not appropriate for that area,” she said
“We desperately need more social and affordable housing
but it’s important for the residents of these future developments that they are located near services and public transport and not just dumped on vacant government sites.”
Knox Council rejected a proposed development for the old school site
The council raised concerns about bushfire risk
and management of increased stormwater run-off
Timmers-Leitch said higher-density housing should instead be built in Boronia’s key activity centres, in line with the Plan Melbourne initiative to build 1 million homes in Melbourne’s middle-ring suburbs
But a government spokeswoman said the Boronia Heights school site was “well located” and the development was part of its Inclusionary Housing Pilot to create 100 new social housing residences across six sites in Melbourne
“We know how necessary accessible and affordable housing is – which is why the delivery of this project in a well-located area
two kilometres from the Boronia station and adjacent to a bus stop
will make an important contribution to the existing community and supply of new homes,” the spokeswoman said
The spokeswoman would not confirm how many of the 145 homes would be social and affordable housing
The site is currently covered by a bushfire overlay
said he was disappointed the council was not supportive of the plans
“I think it’s a good thing; people have got to live somewhere,” he said
“This is an opportunity for council to be lobbying the government for more services like public transport.”
a professor of urban policy and director of the Centre for Urban Research at RMIT University
said conflict between local government and state government needed to be resolved at a strategic planning level
“It needs to be a collaborative approach with the effort put in at the planning stage
Dodson added development should not happen without community input
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here
The Andrews government has dismissed a council\\u2019s concern about overdevelopment in Melbourne\\u2019s east to approve construction of almost 150 homes including social housing on an old school site in the Dandenong foothills
She said the housing project was at odds with the council\\u2019s strategic plan for the Dandenong foothills
the kind of density that they\\u2019re proposing is just not appropriate for that area,\\u201D she said
\\u201CWe desperately need more social and affordable housing
but it\\u2019s important for the residents of these future developments that they are located near services and public transport and not just dumped on vacant government sites.\\u201D
Timmers-Leitch said higher-density housing should instead be built in Boronia\\u2019s key activity centres
in line with the Plan Melbourne initiative
But a government spokeswoman said the Boronia Heights school site was \\u201Cwell located\\u201D and the development was part of its Inclusionary Housing Pilot to create 100 new social housing residences across six sites in Melbourne
\\u201CWe know how necessary accessible and affordable housing is \\u2013 which is why the delivery of this project in a well-located area
will make an important contribution to the existing community and supply of new homes,\\u201D the spokeswoman said
\\u201CI think it\\u2019s a good thing; people have got to live somewhere,\\u201D he said
\\u201CThis is an opportunity for council to be lobbying the government for more services like public transport.\\u201D
\\u201CIt needs to be a collaborative approach with the effort put in at the planning stage
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories
Sisters: St Paul de Chartres Sisters Theresia Nguyen and Maria Goretti Tran at their perpetual profession at St Paul de Chartres Chapel
SISTERS of St Paul de Chartres Theresia Nguyen and Maria Goretti Tran said their final vows at their perpetual profession held at the order’s chapel in Boronia Heights on August 15.
Sr Maria Goretti and Sr Theresia made their professions on the Feast of the Assumption surrounded by fellow religious sisters
“I think today is a great opportunity for us to say thanks to God and for all the people who have been caring for us a lot – especially our congregation
our families and friends,” Sr Maria Goretti said
“And for those who have come here to witness this joyful celebration
it is graceful and is (a) very special occasion to remind us that we’re all beloved daughters and sons of God.
we hope that this occasion will be a spark in everybody’s souls to a greater love that God has called us; God has called each one of us in different ways to come closer to Him.”
Sr Theresia agreed and said she looked forward to the future
“(We have) so many difficulties in front of us
so we have confidence in God and in people.”
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge celebrated the profession Mass
Archbishop Coleridge said it was easy to forget how extraordinary and revolutionary the words of the Magnificat were
“(God is) overturning the world as we know it
turning it upside down,” the Archbishop said
death-dealing world on its head and that’s what he does here this afternoon at Boronia Heights
Archbishop Coleridge said the Magnificat looked forward to the moment of Easter
these two young women are called by God and sent into the world as little signs of Easter,” he said
“But what we celebrate here today is God’s decision – before ever they made a decision – God decided to choose them to be witnesses to Easter.”
Archbishop Coleridge gave thanks to Sr Maria Goretti and Sr Theresia
“Today we thank you … for saying yes to the God who said yes to you long before ever you spoke,” he said
Sr Maria Goretti said even though she and Sister Theresia were short of stature
who could turn everything small into something great “out of His abundant love for us”
“We owe our special thanks to our congregation
particularly to the district of Australia,” she said
nurtured and cultivated in this holy soil.
“We are proud to be members of the (St Paul de Chartres) family
and our hearts abound in gratitude to the congregation and to all the sisters – especially to our sisters in the district of Australia who are our burden-bearing
laughter-sharing and forever caring sisters and friends.”
The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929
accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local
national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians who have walked upon and cared for this land for thousands of years
We acknowledge the continued deep spiritual attachment and relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to this country and commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation
Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
The Andrews government has almost disposed of a property portfolio worth more than $90 million
following an expressions of interest campaign which closed in September
The six development sites – five in metropolitan Melbourne and one in Wodonga
near the New South Wales border – are all under offer
though details of the incoming owners have not yet been documented
The sites were listed as part of the government’s Inclusionary Housing Pilot – which seeks the private sector to build affordable housing alongside private housing
The most valuable property, the former Boronia Heights College at 40 Mount View Road, Boronia (pictured
was expected to sell for more than $35 million
and would be appropriate for a medium-density townhouse project
Closer to town, a site in Parkville near the high-profile Evo apartment building, was speculated to be worth about $25 million last year. The 1.15 hectare site at 87-103 Manningham Street is zoned Residential Growth 1
and could also make way for an apartment building
Other properties within the portfolio which are also under offer are:
Across town, the Department of Education and Training is selling the Wantirna Heights Primary School at 56 Kingloch Parade
The 1.25 hectare block carries a price guide of more than $10.5 million
A former property analyst and print journalist
Marc is the publisher of realestatesource.com.au
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