The fight to save 68 Carrara Street and 8 Nurran Street in Mt Gravatt East has had another boost.
It was after the Brisbane City Council finalised the purchase of three of the four properties earmarked for development, through the Council’s Bushland Acquisition Program.
This means the lots will continue to provide safe passage for local koalas, green tree frogs, and other wildlife. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk stated that all of the land chosen for purchase contributes to the rich tapestry of Brisbane’s ecology, with acquired sites including koala movement corridors, locations with rare and endangered plants and animals or freshwater and wetland habitats.
“This 4,320 square-metre parcel of land sits right in the middle of a koala corridor that runs between Toohey Forest, Whites Hill Reserve and the Mt Gravatt Lookout and will prove invaluable to the local koala population that is known to move through this area,” Cr Quirk said.
There has been a huge campaign, led by the Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group, to protect Carrara and Nurran Street from developments which would threaten the green spaces in the community.
Apart from its impact on wildlife, locals are worried the development will overcrowd the neighborhood. This means more cars and more congestion in case the proposed development was approved.
Above all, locals cited that the development is not consistent with the low-density living that they all expected when they bought a property in Mount Gravatt East.
Mt Gravatt East Development
The development application which campaigners feared threatened its future was for a 29-unit multiple dwelling. As part of the plan, the developers proposed wider access driveway and realigning the boundary between 6 and 8 Nurran Street.
In preparation for the development, the developer had already cleared the site. This earned the ire of residents, stating that 1ha of land was bulldozed without notice to local residents.
Upon acquisition of the land, the Council will revegetate the parcels of land with a range of plants, including fast-growing Eucalypt.
Stay up to date with proposed developments in the suburb by following the Mount Gravatt East Townhouse Development Action Group on Facebook.