Council says development on farmland hinges on road with no timeframe

Redland City Council has formally requested the Queensland government to consider adding eight rural blocks in Mount Cotton to the state's urban footprint, with the condition that any development on the land must be tied to the completion of the Coomera Connector highway. The move comes after the council voted last month to explore the possibility of turning the area into a mixed-use zone featuring an industrial park, a community hub, and a luxury hotel. The proposal includes the Golden Cockerel chicken farm, which has operated in the region for half a century. The landowners involved in the proposal include Warren Pryde, owner of the local newspaper, Dirk Karreman, owner of Karreman Quarries, and Darwalla, a poultry company that co-owns the Golden Cockerel farm. The development plans are being led by developer Stephen Williams, who has previously worked on projects such as West Village in Brisbane and Riverview in Ipswich. The council emphasized that development should focus on job creation and economic diversification rather than suburban housing. In addition to seeking inclusion in the urban footprint, the council has directed its request through Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie, urging that all development proposals be contingent upon the completion of the Coomera Connector. This highway, designed as an alternative to the congested M1 Motorway, has been under construction since 2016. The final phase of the project will pass through the Redland City Council area, close to the proposed development site. Despite the progress made on the Coomera Connector, officials have not confirmed whether stage two of the project, covering the southern portion of the highway, will be completed before the 2032 Olympics. Stage one of the project, running from Coomera to Helensvale, was completed in December of the previous year. The remaining sections, linking the M9 to Nerang, are currently under construction using a 50:50 funding split between state and federal governments. An additional $22 million has been allocated for planning work through the end of the 2026-27 financial year, again shared equally between the two levels of government. A council spokesperson referred inquiries to the meeting minutes detailing the request for the state to review the land's status within the urban footprint, but did not provide further clarification. “Council notes that the Queensland government is the decision-making authority on which land is included in the urban footprint,” the statement read. Meanwhile, Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie announced that Southern Thornlands is progressing well due to infrastructure investments facilitated by the state’s Residential Activation Fund agreement with the federal government. He noted that the funding aims to enable the construction of 8,000 new homes in the area. The state government is currently assessing the South-East Queensland Regional Plan, with submissions having closed earlier this month. A draft version of the plan is expected to be finalized by the end of the year. Despite these ongoing efforts, Bleijie’s office did not provide a response regarding the specific inquiry about Mount Cotton prior to the deadline.