‘No’ to storage facility

Council votes against proposal for Bushland Beach

A proposal to build a large self-storage facility next to residential properties at Bushland Beach has been sensationally blocked by people power and concerned councillors.

The Parmac Property Group had lodged a development application with Townsville City Council to build the 145 unit facility on a 8165sq m vacant block in a low-density residential zone at 5 Goicoechea Drive, Bushland Beach.

The land fronts both Goicoechea Drive and Mount Low Parkway, directly southwest is the Bushland Beach Coles Shopping Complex, west of Peggy Banfield Park and south of a soon-to-open childcare centre.

Concerned residents protested and flooded TCC with 278 submissions and two petitions with 800 signatures objecting to the proposal, saying it was rezoning the land, that it was an “industrial” development, that it was unnecessary, and could increase traffic while decreasing the visual amenity and property values.

During Wednesday’s full meeting of council, the public gallery was packed with Bushland Beach residents, who anxiously awaited the outcome on the proposal.

Recommending that the proposal go ahead with a “raft of conditions” to ensure that it didn’t detract from the surrounding area, a council planning officer said the storage units would meet an estimated local demand of 341 units.

Parmac Property Group representative Bryan Fitzgerald spoke in favour of the “meritorious” proposal saying they had spoken to hundreds of residents in the suburb who were mostly “ambivalent”. He said they had conducted market research that uncovered demand for self-storage.

Bushland Beach resident for the past 22 years Peter Menz said the proposal’s non-residential use was not in line with the planning scheme for lowdensity residential zoning.

Mr Menz was concerned about the six residential lots that bordered the block, light pollution and increased traffic on residential roads. It was unnecessary, given there were 13 storage facilities within a 15minute drive from the suburb.

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill spoke against the proposal.

Just three councillors supported the proposal – Margie Ryder, Russ Cook and Fran O’callaghan.

The opposing councillors listed several reasons why they were against the planning officer’s recommendation.

Mr Menz and his supporters said they were ecstatic about the decision, thanking the councillors for their support.

Ms Hill said council had to strike a balance between the development process and community interest. “The idea of changing the use on a site from residential to a use that would allow the storage sheds to go on it, I believed, started to eat away at the city plan and its strategic intent,” she said.

Parmac Property Group have 21 days to appeal.