Driving Range and School 2.0 June Update

Hello,

We bring you news of a further extension of time for the Council decision on the Driving Range / Bar / Function Centre DA with the new date now set down for Monday 8th June.

You will recall that the previous extensions were to allow for concerns about netting and lighting to be addressed, which the Developer has done. Council has now received independent 'peer review' assessments of these, as well as for noise and traffic. These can be viewed on the DA Tracker at https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Building-Development/DA-Tracker/11157444 Anyone concerned about the surrounding streets (such as Copeland, Turnstone, Bridgeport etc) should have a very close look at these. Look for one file for each - noise, traffic and lighting, all received by Council on 25th May last. The Traffic report by Cambray, for example, mentions "minor road upgrades targeted at improving pedestrian crossing facilities and reducing speed. This could include wombat crossings, pedestrian refuges or speed cushions." The noise report from MWA, appears to be happy with opening hours from 7am to 10pm 7 days a week with the main noise barrier a 4.0 metre high wall fronting Turnstone Circuit.

You will recall our previous submission around clear and unavoidable conflicts with the Mango Hill Infrastructure Development Control Plan, due to its scale and scope being way beyond 'outdoor recreation' and correctly classified as 'commercial entertainment'. You can still view this at  https://mcusercontent.com/c9393b36ce0844e0e460778d9/files/ecddee13-9193-82fc-a7e0-e206cfd2d195/SNLGC_Objection.pdf . We have been delighted with several additional submissions along the same lines.

So, we thought it was now time to address environmental issues, specifically koalas. Our latest submission (https://mcusercontent.com/c9393b36ce0844e0e460778d9/files/1b760891-adcf-6337-401a-1e89f72464da/SNLGC_Objection_20260601.pdf) calls into question the methodology and other limitations of survey data used to determine 'low' koala population on the project area. For council's benefit, we have included sworn, current and expert evidence of 'at least 15 koalas' on the golf course (https://mcusercontent.com/c9393b36ce0844e0e460778d9/files/04d97992-48b6-9856-5131-ddc737599579/David_Issit_Stat_Dec_20260206.pdf).  We have also requested that the original Ecological Assessment (Attachment J in the original package) be referred to the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation for review in the light of the Government's new paper "A Fresh Start for South East Queensland Koalas" released in December last year. This alludes to proposed changes to legislation and new koala mapping techniques effectively rendering the original assessment outdated and not 'fit for purpose'.

We really appreciate your ongoing support and hope these points give you additional food for thought. Even if you've already done so, it may be worth making another submission.

Please keep in mind the decision date is now next Monday 8th June. If you have any neighbours or friends who could support our cause that would be great. Again, please email your submissions to council@moretonbay.qld.gov.au; make sure to include "DA/2025/3488" in the subject of your email.

Finally, at the time of writing, the 'School 2.0' proposal has still not made it onto the public register of MID applications. You can view this at  https://www.planning.qld.gov.au/planning-framework/infrastructure-planning/ministerial-infrastructure-designations . Remember to scroll right to the bottom. This is the space to watch for more developments on this one.

Please let us know your thoughts or suggestions at savenorthlakes@gmail.com.