The old Woolworths site on High St in Toowong has been sitting empty for years. After the Aviary project was cancelled, the new developer proposed a merger with a neighbouring lot for even bigger development, with no public or affordable housing... but all they've done since then is turn the lot into a huge "temporary" carpark, with a small coffee shop in the corner.
It seems the owners aren't planning to progress any substantial development at the site for years, and are instead "land banking" it - saving their cash while property prices rise.
I have called on the state government to purchase the site for public housing, and work with Council to create new green space and community facilities. We need your help to convince Council to preserve the site for community use, not expensive apartments.
Council has missed two big opportunities to deliver desperately needed new public greenspace for Toowong. They ignored their own long-term infrastructure plan that designated Toowong Central for a park, they didn’t condition the Aviary developer to expand the “urban common” on High Street, and they approved private development on the old ABC site despite thousands of residents calling for it to be bought back for a park.
This is a classic example of the LNP Council letting dodgy developers waste valuable land while thousands of people are searching for a home and public infrastructure is underfunded.
We now have a chance to secure new public green space and deliver much-needed affordable public housing - we can’t let this one slip through our fingers.
(please note this petition is being conducted in conjunction with the Greens campaigns for Walter Taylor Ward, and your details will be shared with those campaigns).