Brisbane needs homes… not just houses

An entire generation faces the prospect of being left out in the cold if the Brisbane City Council’s (BCC) proposed ban on townhouses gets the nod from the State Government.

The radical plan would see new townhouse developments banned from one-in-three suburbs outside the 5km inner city ring, including suburbs like Runcorn, Kenmore, Stafford Heights and Wynnum West where they currently exist.

Town planner and YIMBY campaigner, Natalie Rayment said the BCC claims to be protecting the Aussie backyard with the ban but all they are doing is making the dream of owning a first home more like a nightmare.

“Big backyards are great for families with growing kids but not everybody wants, or can afford, this type of housing,” Natalie said.

“We’ve just seen celebrations around the median house price in Brisbane hitting an all-time high. How is the next generation, our children, going to get into the market?

“Banning townhouses from large areas of the city removes an affordable option from the market and will prevent the next generation from becoming home owners.”

Natalie also said the ban will put added stress on those looking to downsize.

“What about the baby boomers looking to downsize and stay in the area where they have established roots over many years. Where are they supposed to go?

“Smaller usually means more affordable, so all this ban will do is force more people into high rise apartments closer to the CBD or create urban sprawl, pushing more people to the outer limits.”

Natalie said the proposed townhouse ban is part of the Brisbane’s Future Blueprint document.

“The document was developed from the results of the Plan Your Brisbane consultation and we, like many others, thought it would be a great exercise in finding better ways to accommodate housing choice in the suburbs of our ‘new world city,” Natalie said.

“But instead of unlocking the suburbs and creating more choice, the BCC wants to lock it up and create a city of single dwelling houses reminiscent of the 1960’s.

“Removing townhouses as an option fuels sprawl, pushing people to live outside the Brisbane city limits where they have to commute back to the CBD for work. This isn’t a sustainable option.

“Low density townhouses provide a balance between single dwelling houses and high-rise apartments and are ideal for people who want to stay in the suburbs while keeping a small, low maintenance courtyard.

“If these are well planned and well-designed they can add a great deal to the community and provide an affordable option in an increasingly expensive market.”

Natalie said YIMBY Qld wants to work with all levels of government to find sensible solutions to our growing population issues.

“This decision is nothing more than a knee jerk reaction to appease a noisy minority within our community – those who already have theirs and want to limit freedom of choice for others.”