Far North region now bursting at the seams
WITH THE NORTHERN BEACHES AREA ALMOST OUT OF LAND, AND THE SAME SITUATION IN WESTERN SUBURBS ... IT IS IMPORTANT TO START TO LOOK AT THE NEXT OPTIONS.
THE year 2021 resulted in a significant uptick in the local property market which has in turn increased the amount of development occurring to levels not seen since pre-GFC.
This development is primarily in the form of residential subdivisions given the lifestyle choices of people who choose to live in the area, and if sustained, is likely to lead to the northern beaches area of Cairns all but built out in the next few years.
So what are the other growth area options for Cairns given our geographical constraints?
Well in the short term, the Mount Peter Growth Corridor is the obvious answer.
This land, situated between Edmonton and Gordonvale to the west of the Bruce Highway/Southern Access Corridor, is already being developed and is expected to accommodate approximately 60,000 additional residents.
With the northern beaches area almost out of land, and the same situation in western suburbs such as Redlynch and Kanimbla, additional pressure will be placed on this growth corridor as the only area able to accommodate any significant growth.
It is therefore important to start to look beyond this to the next options.
Cairns Regional Council has rightly started to place pressure on the state government to update the FNQ Regional Plan.
The Regional Plan is an overarching document which guides council’s own Planning Scheme and sets the strategic goals for the region, including future growth options.
The FNQ Regional Plan was prepared in 2009 and is now the oldest such plan in the state, so is in urgent need of an update, particularly now given the increased population growth and development we are seeing.
So where is this plan likely to, or should look to next for growth? The obvious answer is the land between Edmonton and Gordonvale to the east of the Bruce Highway.
There is a large expanse of land here to the south of Trinity Inlet which wraps around to East Trinity.
This land will be able to accommodate a significant amount of growth but will put significant pressure on the southern highway access into Cairns.
It would therefore make sense that a bridge across Trinity Inlet will ultimately be required as a secondary access at some point throughout the development of this area.
In addition to the above growth area, I believe that our leaders should be looking seriously at access to the Tablelands to open up a further growth area immediately west of the mountain ranges (Kuranda to Mareeba) to take pressure off the coastal fringe.
Having future growth limited to the south side of Cairns would limit market and lifestyle opportunities, not to mention forgoing the broader economic opportunities an improved Tablelands link would have. The Department of
Main Roads has been preparing the Northern Tablelands
Access Strategy for some time which investigates options for upgrades and/or new access routes across the range.
This report is apparently to be released within the next month and I can only hope that they are finally willing to be bold and pick a real solution to move forward with.
Whether it be a significant upgrade of the existing range road, tunnel or the Bridle Track option through Redlynch, it is essential for the long-term growth and prosperity of the region that a safe, efficient and high-capacity Bdouble route be established.
Given the lack of appetite from the state on this issue in the past I am doubtful, but hopeful of being surprised by a bold outcome of this report.
Finally, I need to mention the Barron delta.
This large expanse of land is so strategically and conveniently located that it is a shame that it is subject to flooding constraints.
Despite not being suitable for residential development, I believe again that our leaders need to be bold and look at higher and better use options to that of farming.
Tourism, recreation and perhaps some limited commercial or industrial development may be possible in this area where flooding is able to be appropriately managed. We should put all options on the table at this point to unlock the potential of this city.