REDLAND City mayor Karen Williams will meet with the federal government next week to continue negotiations to buy bushland at Birkdale.
Cr Williams last week handed a petition with nearly 6500 signatures supporting council’s purchase of the land to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“I will keep pushing, writing, phoning and petitioning until the ink is dry on the contract and we have an assurance this land belongs to the community and will not be used for housing,” she said.
Mr Morrison told the Bulletin that he had received the petition and would take it from there.
Mention of the Birkdale bushland being divested in 2019-2020 was made in budget papers when the federal budget was handed down in May.
“The property divested can support up to 400 homes and will increase the supply of land for housing in metropolitan Brisbane,” the budget said.
The comment angered Cr Williams who had been negotiating for years to buy the 80 hectares owned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
In response she started the petition to stop the federal government selling the land for houses.
Then assistant treasurer Michael Sukkar visited the Redlands shortly after the budget announcement to reassure the mayor and councillors that discussions with council would continue.
Cr Williams said the federal Finance Department had asked for details of the negotiations to remain confidential.
“It is fair to say that council is actively negotiating and trying to secure this strategically important piece of land for the community,” she said.
Cr Williams said she would meet with the department in Canberra next week and had presented the petition to Mr Morrison, explaining why the matter should be resolved as soon as possible.
She said the land was also a key part of council’s federal election advocacy plan to be considered by councillors on Wednesday (February 6).
“Councillors have been briefed on the negotiations and ultimately will make the final decision if we get to the point where a price is agreed upon,” Cr Williams said.
Bowman MP Andrew Laming said he was optimistic a deal would be made within the next few months.
