Tour the Birkdale Community Precinct and help shape its future

Redland City Council is offering a rare opportunity to tour the Birkdale Community Precinct and help shape the future for this important Redlands Coast land.

The precinct will be open to the community on two days in April – Friday the 16th and Saturday the 17th from 10am-4pm.

Mayor Karen Williams said the community was invited to the Family Fun Days that will include guided tours on a trackless train, animal petting zoo for children, music, interpretive signage and displays about the history of the site including two heritage listed area – Willards Farm and the fascinating US Army-built World War II radio receiving station.

“At the Family Fun Days you will be able to not only get a look at this land that has never been open to the public since European settlement, but you will be able to give Council your feedback on ideas for the site,” Cr Williams said.

“We have a once-in-a generation opportunity to transform more than 62 hectares of community land here at Birkdale into a world-class precinct of local, regional and national significance.

“Council worked hard over many years to secure this land for the community, and now we want the community to help shape the vision for its future.

“It will be exciting to visit the precinct on the open days as this land has been off-limits so we want to let the community start to discover its outstanding features. In the 1940s most of this site came under Commonwealth Government control, and continued to be until Council purchased it in 2019.”

Division 10 Councillor Paul Bishop said the open days would allow community members and those from further afield to walk the land, learn about its rich history and imagine what it could become.

“There are just so many stories from the site’s past that can inspire future uses,” Cr Bishop said. “I would also love to hear any other stories about the site from the community. You can also add your stories on Council’s Your Say page.”

“Redland Museum will also be at the Family Fun Days providing information, displays and their famous Devonshire teas.”

The precinct is made up of more than 61 hectares of former Commonwealth Land and the 8164-square-metre Willards Farm site which council bought in 2016 to save it from residential subdivision. The entire site is almost 10 times the size of The Gabba and its surrounding facilities in Brisbane.

To help get the community thinking and imagining what could be possible at the precinct, five top urban design and landscape architecture teams were asked to each develop a theme as visual ideas. Their themes were: Education and Discovery; Agriculture and Rural Tradition; Heritage and History; Environment and Ecology; Adventure and Recreation.

Their ideas will be on display at the Birkdale Community Precinct Family Fun Days and also can be viewed at yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au where you also will find more details on the open days and the tours of the site.

The main meeting area onsite will centre around Willards Farm, 302 Old Cleveland Road East, Birkdale. Look out for signage for parking. If you can’t make it to the site in person, you can take a virtual tour of the site at yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au.

Community consultation will close on Tuesday 4 May, 2021 after which Council will prepare a draft vision for adoption then proceed to master planning.