LOGAN council is expected to endorse an interim plan later this year to ensure infrastructure investment keeps up with the pace of a booming population.
This comes as the Queensland government released updated long-term growth projections for Logan, estimating the city would be home to 432,000 people by 2031.
Planning and economic development chairperson councillor Russell Lutton said the figures were up 22,000 on previous estimates.
“We’re ready for it. We have started two new infrastructure planning projects which ensure the planning and delivery of infrastructure is more closely aligned with the actual rate of growth and revenue we’ve gained from infrastructure contributions,” he said.
“These projects will ensure our existing and new communities will have critical trunk infrastructure such as local roads, parks, storm water, wastewater and community facilities when they need it.”
During Logan council’s first ordinary meeting for 2019 on Wednesday, January 30, Councillor Pidgeon said the area he represents between Park Ridge and Logan Reserve was in desperate need of infrastructure.
“We are behind, and one thing council can do is bring forward road construction in these areas,” he said.
“At a state and federal level, the relevant members need to step forward and do something about schooling. All local schools are full that the kids are falling out of windows...They are packed so tight there is no more room.”
Last year, Logan council identified 44 candidate road projects as part of a statement of intent to prioritise roadworks funding.
Logan’s expanding population was on the agenda during the Planning and Economic Development committee meeting this week.
A report detailed the need for council to provide the state government with an updated Local Government Infrastructure Plan in 2022.
Cr Lutton said an interim plan would be adopted by the end of this year before the new plan would be incorporated into the Logan Planning Scheme in May 2022.
“The interim LGIP will ensure that until 2022, critical trunk infrastructure is being budgeted for specifically in response to existing developments that are in the approval stage,” he said.
A draft interim plan is expected to be endorsed in October ahead of community consultation in November.
Logan’s population was estimated to be 320,600 in 2017, according to the Australian bureau of Statistics.
