Media Statement - On behalf of Mayor Ireland regarding Flinders Park

On behalf of Mayor Andy Ireland:

I am aware of some posts circulating on social media that suggest that Council is “proceeding with an application to the Queensland State Government to convert Flinders Park into freehold land”.

The tract of land on Matthew Flinders Drive, Cooee Bay that is signed “Flinders Park” is a road reserve owned by the Queensland Government (the State). It is maintained as an open space but has never been considered for parkland development like gazetted parks.

At a workshop held with Councillors on 27 June 2023, Council’s officers informed Councillors that, under normal delegations granted by Council, they intended to approach the State requesting the terms under which Livingstone Shire Council might acquire the road reserve (Flinders Park) as freehold land. Clearly, any deal would need to be attractive to both parties. 

Like other such applications, this process will trigger mandatory community consultation and, ultimately, a formal decision by Council on whether to accept any offer to purchase.

But none of this has happened yet, as the State has not processed the application. Indeed, the State may reject the application and keep the land as road reserve.

If Council was to acquire the site as freehold land, any number of options could be considered for its future. 

Officers considered the site to be a prime location for residential development. However, there was NO commitment from council to proceed in this direction, and ultimately the decision rests with Council. 

It should be remembered that it is the role of the officers to present options to council in relation to council matters. It is the role of the Council to consider these matters, engage with the community, and make decisions based on the relevant information.

Council has been, separately, working on some affordable housing solutions with charities like St Vincent de Paul and Anglicare, including the transfer of some property in James Street, Cordingley Street and Fountain Street Emu Park. There has been no such proposal by Council in Cooee Bay.

The statement that four Councillors have supported converting the road reserve into residential accommodation is therefore totally incorrect. The social media criticism of councillors in relation to this matter is therefore inappropriate and unwarranted.