A development application for 140 townhouses in Flinders View will be reviewed by an Independent Decision Review Panel (IDRP) at a special hearing on Monday 9 October.
Ipswich City Council Growth, Infrastructure and Waste Committee Chair Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the public hearing will take place in the Cunningham Room, Ipswich Civic Centre, 50 Nicholas Street, Ipswich.
“The IDRP is a group of development related professionals, independent of council, consisting of a chairperson and other technical experts relevant to the proposal. In this instance, the IDRP will consist of a town planning expert, who will also act as the chairperson, and experts in the fields of traffic engineering, ecology, and flooding,” Mayor Harding said.
“Residents who have made submissions in relation to this application will have the opportunity to voice their concerns directly to the independent panel before it makes its recommendations ahead of a final decision by council.
“Council introduced the IDRP to give our community a strong voice in the assessment process, and to ensure our decision-making process is as fair, transparent and open as possible.”
The IDRP process was established as a new initiative in 2019 to address sensitive development applications and review recommendations made by council planning officers.
“The independent panel will not only consider the application but also hear directly from submitters on their concerns for the proposed development,” Mayor Harding said.
“Council has received a significant number of submissions in relation to this application. The hearing will add an extra opportunity for the community to be heard on this matter and ensure all concerns are captured and considered ahead of council’s final decision.”
A development application for 140 townhouses in Flinders View will be reviewed by an Independent Decision Review Panel (IDRP) at a special hearing on Monday 9 October.
Azure Project 36 PTY LTD is seeking Ipswich City Council approval to build 140 townhouses at 10 Astral Court, Flinders View. The development application was submitted to council in May 2023.
This application is the third application to be referred to a public hearing under the IDRP process, which will be held in person and via livestream.
Council has received more than 200 submissions objecting to the proposal, with a large number of these submissions received before the public notification period had started.
Growth, Infrastructure and Waste Committee Deputy Chairperson Councillor Paul Tully said members of the public who lodged a properly made submission on the application have been offered the opportunity to address the panel if they wish.
Division 1 Councillor Jacob Madsen said the IDRP hearing allows respondents to voice their concerns as part of the process and hear directly from the applicants on the specific details of the proposal.
Division 1 Councillor Sheila Ireland said council will then balance the community’s concerns alongside the recommendations of both council officers and the independent technical experts to make its final decision.
The public hearing, which begins at 6pm, will be recorded and live-streamed and will be available on council’s YouTube channel to allow interested parties to view the proceedings.
More information regarding the IDRP can be found on the Ipswich Planning website: https://www.ipswichplanning.com.au/independent-decision-review-panel
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