FEDERAL LNP MP Andrew Laming has accused state Labor MP Don Brown of preparing a fake petition opposing the development of Commonwealth land at Birkdale.
Mr Brown has been running a petition to save the 80 hectare block, fearing that it will end up being developed because it has been given an urban footprint designation under the draft South East Queensland Regional Plan.
Redland mayor Karen Williams has also attacked Mr Brown over the petition, saying the council move to buy the land was aimed at keeping it away from developers where it would likely become housing.
Cr Williams said Mr Brown, as part of the government, would likely already know the land’s designation in the final SEQ plan because he would not risk running a petition against his own administration with an election looming.
Mr Brown has said Cr Williams has not laid out plans for the site and claims by Mr Laming that it will become a university are pointless given there was no sign of any institution being interested in the place after 12 years of talks.
Mr Laming today called for a truce on the dispute, saying the land was in the final steps of transfer to council after protracted negotiations to decommission communications and air services facilities.
Mr Laming said Mr Brown had blindsided the community by “pulling the pin” on the land.
He said Mr Brown had not put a submission in when his own government sought them and implied he was saving bushland when all treed areas were already protected.
The Redlands deserved an informed debate about how to best utilise 20 hectares of cleared land on the site for community infrastructure.
“Any number of uses should be considered by the community and I urge Mr Brown to reconnect with council,” he said.
“I ask that he keep an open mind on the issue. His current campaign gives the community only one option – locking up the land costing Redlands one of its two remaining sites where a university could be considered.”
Mr Brown said he and many other Redland locals gave a submission in person to the community consultation day at the council library in November last year.
“I also gave feedback to the deputy premier’s office and government staff when MPs were consulted,” he said.
Mr Laming said he too did not make a submission on the issue.
“I definitely don’t make submissions on these matters, because my federal role is explicitly limited to releasing the land to the Redland community,” Mr Laming said. “Likewise I don’t get involved in Toondah (harbour development) except the federal component.”
