Redland City Council to set standards for flood protection after motion by Cr Paul Golle

Cr Paul Golle said he brought a motion before council last week to protect homes and have changes made to the City Plan regarding corridors and natural freshwater bodies.

"There have been far too many homes impacted by flooding through development changing the lay of the land," he said.

He said he had received numerous complaints about homes being flooded.

"This is primarily because the planning system allows for homes to be built within 25 metres of known water bodies and an artificial approach of mitigation via back filling or building retaining walls only serves to increase the flows of water into people's homes," he said.

Councillors supported his motion in the general meeting last Wednesday.

Cr Golle said the acceptance of his motion would set council on a path of changing the distances between homes and known low lying areas.

The discussion comes after a 52-lot estate has been earmarked for development near the wetlands off Thornlands Road.

Two farm dams on the land connected to wetlands will be filled in and revegetated, a third will be rebuilt to provide a new bio-retention basin to manage stormwater from the development.

In January 2017 Thornlands properties were flooded after developers removed trees along the Eprapah Creek. According to Mr Golle, developers had been given relaxations to secure more lots by backfilling resulting in properties.

"Wetlands are being filled in and relaxations are given to developers for extra lots in known flood ways and needs to stop.

"You can't simply just insure your way out of overland flows being changed through development and the buffers between residential properties and known waterways needs to increase," he said.