City Hall hits back over wharves

NEWS

The Campbell Newman administration in City Hall has returned fire over Opposition claims that the rezoning of the Howard Smith Wharves precinct was an underhand way of thwarting local opposition to development there.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman released Labor’s “long-held plans” for a hotel and residential apartments at Howard Smith Wharves. He produced a hard copy of Labor’s Brisbane City Centre Planning Strategy which he said clearly outlined their plan to develop the area.
Central Ward councillor David Hinchliffe in our issue of 1 September said the City Council administration would alter the existing park zoning for Howard Smith Wharves to allow for a hotel and convention centre to built there without the public having a right to object to or appeal the move.

But the Lord Mayor hit back, saying the ALP strategy referred specifically to the redevelopment of Howard Smith Wharves and said any redevelopment of the wharves should add activity to the precinct through the establishment of residential apartments, hotel accommodation, speciality shops and recreation facilities.
He claimed the information came to light “as the local councillor was bumped as spokesman on the issue following a series of his own embarrassing flip flops on the project”.
Cr Newman said Cr David Hinchliffe’s chequered past on the issue had compromised Labor’s position on Howard Smith Wharves and the Opposition Leader appeared to have removed him as spokesman on the project.
“It appears the local councillor has been removed as spokesman because of his history on the project, which includes supporting rezoning, hotels, apartments, restaurants and the development of 50 per cent of the site,” Cr Newman said. “This is in stark contrast with our plan for 80 percent of the site to be redeveloped as public open space.
“Cr Hinchliffe’s past has clearly caught up with him and the Opposition Leader has had to step in but Labor can’t hide from their longstanding plan to build apartments and a hotel on the site.”
The Lord Mayor said that in the past, Cr Hinchliffe had said that about half of the site should be developed. Cr Hinchliffe had also repeatedly supported a boutique hotel to be built on site, admitting this on television as recently as 17 May this year. In the 1990s Labor even supported townhouses be built on the site.
While Cr Hinchliffe was the Planning Chairman, he had helped a Brisbane restaurateur to gather information on relocation options, including becoming a “significant tenant” to “anchor the development” at Howard Smith Wharves. In emails to the restaurateur dated August 26, Cr Hinchliffe had cited that advice in the email from officers would be dependant on the park zoning being changed.
“The Opposition have been out this morning protesting plans to change the zoning, but they have failed to be honest with the local community that this was always their plan,” Cr Newman said.
“This is a clear case of the Opposition misleading the community. In contrast, we have been upfront with the public about our plans for Howard Smith Wharves and have been consulting with the community for over three years."

• Cr Hinchliffe was asked to respond to City Hall’s comments but had not responded as this edition of the paper went to press.