Key issues raised by local land owners

  • Land identified on the southern side of the Logan River, approximately 4000 hectares, is classified as Good Quality Agricultural Land (GQAL). Recent ABARE report noted that this land is no longer considered prime agricultural land. CSIRO report (July 2007) indicated that there were no other viable crops suited to grow in this area. The Logan River has a poor flow rate. GCCC managed flooding mitigation drainage system is inadequate and is a major cause of flooding in the area.
  • Want a number of future options available for development in the area. Want greater diversity of land uses in the area. Such a diversification may include current and future sand mining operations, an aquatic centre for olympians, further canal development opportunities and more casual employment options for young people in Jacobs Well.
  • Affordable land options will be narrowing into the future.
  • Some areas which were previously considered tidal could be opened up.
  • Investigation area at Jacobs Well should be extended further south to enable future development options in the 20-year life of the master plan .
  • The existing mill is 125 years old and it has become very difficult for some farmers to earn a living. The mill does provide subsidies to farmers to improve the commercial viability of cane farming
  • GCCC is funding a Heritage Study in the area so the history of the area is not lost or forgotten. This is very important to long-term family land owners such as ourselves.
  • Some of the farmers being consulted want to move on from farming and need to know what they can do, what are their options to develop or sell. It is the belief of most in the room that ethanol is not a viable product to produce for them in the current circumstances.
  • There was concern regarding the idea of staged-development as they felt it had the potential to allow large companies to create a monopoly situation on land ownership and future land uses. For smaller landowners, they do not necessarily want to move out of the areas provided they could make their properties commercially viable into the future.
  • Public Transport facilities for young people are non-existent.
  • This area could be used to establish environmental offset opportunities for developers.