DEVELOPER Ausbuild will put an extra 38 bedrooms on its controversial 244-small lot estate on Boundary Road, Thornlands.
Instead of building 189 three-bedroom houses, Ausbuild has council’s consent to ask the Planning and Environment court for permission to build 226 three-bedroom houses.
Council said it would not oppose Ausbuild’s request, which will be put to the court, where both parties were in a battle over building houses on a "green" Community Purposes Zone on the 178,351sqm Thornlands site.
After much debate, the council agreed to allow Ausbuild to make its request to the court, where it has been in litigation since February.
The request allows Ausbuild to increase the number of three-bedroom houses, subject to a $296,000 increase in infrastructure charges.
Mayor Karen Williams decided to leave the chamber and not vote on the issue as Ausbuild made donations to her mayoral campaign in 2012.
Cr Julie Talty said the changes would not alter the site coverage or floor area of the houses and would be a “minor” adjustment to internal walls, adding the extra bedrooms did not equate to a 33 per cent increase in household sizes.
Division 3 councillor Kim Hardman, whose electorate covers the site, said the estate would be a short-term solution for “desperate” young families renting, hoping to buy in the area, and "as they can afford it, they’ll move on”.
Division 10 councillor Paul Bishop said there were no legal grounds to vote against the request but added there was no provision in the plans to include more parking.
The extra accommodation was slammed by councillors Wendy Boglary (div1), Craig Ogilvie (div2) and Lance Hewlett, whose Division 4 borders the development.
Cr Hewlett said he was opposed to Ausbuild’s request to increase the density on lots that were only 121sqm and because community consultation was given no credence.
He said the "close living" would lead to social problems with inadequate car parking, noise barriers, green space and problems getting into and out of the estate.
“To increase the density up to 33 per cent is not just about putting walls in rooms, it’s about the number of people living there on those small lots.”
