The Brisbane City Council has drafted the Retirement and Aged Care Amendments Package because it wants more retirement living in Brisbane suburbs.
 
If approved, the amendments would make it easier for developers like Village Retirement Group to build inappropriate high rise. It will be harder for the community to object.
 
The council is not making a distinction between “retirement living” and aged care. As you know, they are different.

Retirement living includes high rise units often with gyms, cinemas, bowling greens and community centres. Less than 6 per cent of people aged over 65 live in retirement villages.

Aged care is low rise, easy access designed for older people who need different levels of care.
Most developers want to build high rise retirement villages not aged care.
 
The council’s proposed amendments to the city plan offer developers a number of incentives.
 
They include:

• fast track development applications
• allow an aged care facility to change to a retirement village without a planning application
• allow developers of large blocks to build “as of right” 2 storeys higher than the current zoning permits
• allow businesses (including child care centres) to be set up in aged care facilities with no right of objection from the local community

• rezoning of land within the suburbs so it can be developed as a retirement village

 
The date for submissions and comments (Sept 21, 018) has passed.
But the council has not yet debated or voted on the amendments. And before they become law they have to be reviewed by the State Government.
 
BAG has planned meetings with the Mayor Graham Quirk and the State Development Minister, Cameron Dick. We will explain the community’s ongoing opposition to the proposed Lota House development and concerns about amendments to the city plan.
 
Please join our letter writing campaign so you can have your say.
 
We will hand deliver your letter to the Mayor and the Minister. And we want as many letters as possible to make a strong statement to the politicians.
 
Tell your friends and start writing.
See some examples of letters already written. 
 
Read more about the amendments to the city plan
See the proposed table of amendments

Anglicare have started to circulate their flyers seeking community input for their planned changes to the Lota House high rise development. If you didn’t receive a flyer you can still register to attend their sessions.​

Please register and go to one of their sessions. Your support is needed to send Anglicare a strong community message. We don’t want high-rise in Lota.

Where: Lota House
Sessions: 5:30-6:00, 6:00-6:30, 6:30-7:00, 7:00-7:30: Tues 20 Nov
Sessions: 5:30-6:00, 6:00-6:30, 6:30-7:00, 7:00-7:30: Wed 21 Nov

​Please register your interest in attending by email to
emily@threeplus.com.au
or by calling 07 3167 1200

Anglicare and Village Retirement Group are calling them “community information sessions” but it will probably be more of a pre-sales pitch.

You will be asked to view the new plan (six-storey unit towers) and provide feedback. You will also be able to meet and ask questions of the project team.

Download a scanned version of the Anglicare Village Retirement Group leaflet here