Planning & Economic Development

Good planning gets good outcomes and there were a number of oversights in the 2015 planning scheme which needed correction this term.

Auxiliary Unit Reform
The stand out policy change was to reduce the number of Auxiliary Units being built. These are rent-able granny flats which can either be attached or separated from the main house. We were getting over 200 applications a month to install them, often on very small (350-400m² blocks) or on existing blocks where neighbours amenity and privacy were being impacted.

Councillors could not intervene as long as the units were compliant with the code and they were not contributing infrastructure charges to upgrade local roads, parks, or water networks.

The changes I introduced at the Deputy Planning Chair meant that developers would have to pay $10,000 infrastructure contribution and a number of additional requirements and conditions were introduced so that the units would have less impact on neighbour properties and the feel of the street, particularly around the amount of parking available on each property.

This saw immediate reductions in application from 200 a month to less than 10. The ones that are being approved now are in line with the new conditions and the community has more opportunities to object if they are not compliant.

Coffee Roasters and Microbreweries
In order to create jobs in our city we need to attract new industries. Council can support that with polices that reduce the set up costs and red tape for certain types of businesses to open in Logan.

I worked with Council’s Economic Development team to bring in the policy reforms that have made it easier for boutique industries like coffee roasting and microbrewing to come into our city. Besides the delicious products these businesses produce they also create local jobs for our community.

Drone Delivery Service
Google Wing first asked to meet with Council in late 2018 as they were interested in establishing their drone delivery service in Logan. We were one of three possible locations and they wanted to know how receptive Logan City Council and the community in Logan would be to their product.

As the youngest Councillor at the time and probably the most tech savvy I knew this was a fantastic opportunity for our city and worked closely with Council staff and Wing to convince them that Logan was the ideal place to set up their business.

They opened their doors late last year with deliveries being available to Marsden and Crestmead first. It was no coincidence that suburbs in Division 5 were selected because Wing’s base of operations had been established in Berrinba.

They have been welcomed by the community without open arms and are seeing great take up of their service. Local businesses like the Friendly Grocer at Crestmead, Extraction Coffee in Slacks Creek and Browns Plains Hardware are providing products for their drones to deliver. Unique services like these enhance the quality of life for our residents but also create interesting and new job opportunities for young people eager to get involved in a cutting edge industry like drone programming and piloting.