THE conditions of approval for an unpopular crematorium proposal in Bethania have been changed following an appeal.
Proponent of the crematorium James Family Trust appealed against the conditions of approval from the former council in December last year.
The council granted approval to the development on the proviso of the installation of a filtration system and restricted operating hours from 8am to 5pm on weekdays.
Bethania residents have protested against the crematorium proposal due to its proximity to to an aged care home and surrounding schools at 1/3-13 High Road.
Logan City Council's interim administrator Tamera O'Shea delayed a decision on whether to change conditions until the ordinary council meeting on May 21.
Ms O'Shea said there were two options available to her.
"Option one was to adopt the recommendation from the council presented to the committee to resolve the (matter) under amended conditions agreed to and proposed by independent experts," she said.
"Option two was to move an alternative resolution to reject the recommendations, therefore requiring it to progress to the Planning and Environment Court."
Logan City Council decided to accept the independent expert's advice to change the conditions and resolve the matter.
The new conditions remain confidential until May 30.
Bethania resident Diana Howes said she was disappointed with the outcome.
"(The original conditions) gave the community a level of confidence that not only was the health of the community protected but the environment and wildlife around us too," she said
"We want scientific evidence from council...we are still waiting on advice that there will be no negative impacts and we have received no undertaking from anyone to give us that."
Ms O'Shea said her legal options to enforce the original conditions were limited.
"The appeal process has been appropriate and progressed through the usual environment and planning law process," she said.
"The amended conditions ....still require the proposed crematorium to operate in accordance with best practice.
"To not endorse the outcomes that the expert's report recommend would would expose ratepayers to futile and expensive legal efforts and cost.
"I accept in this role I will sometimes be in a position where I have to make decisions people won't agree with."
Ms Howes said the silver lining was that the Bethania community's opposition to the crematorium forced a change to make all future applications impact assessible.
"The really good people of Bethania came out in their thousands... we didn't get what we want but we left a legacy for council that no one else will put up with what has been forced upon us," she said.
"The city as a whole has benefited from what we did but that does not extend to us."
The ordinary council meeting was the first since Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe dissolved all of the councillors.
