Sponsored by Nuffnang
I’m quite embarrassed to say that I wasn’t aware of The Queensland Plan to create a 30 year vision for the state until I was approached to write this post…
Clearly I’m a part of the Queensland population who generally tunes out or flicks over the newspaper, preferring to read Hagar comics and the movie reviews instead!
Yes, a most vacuous life I enjoy!
But a 30 year plan, where we are canvassed our opinions, is not something to ignore. I’m all for giving my two cents worth and if enough people, like you and me, wrote in with their ideas and vision, perhaps the future will look brighter.
The aim of The Queensland Plan is that it will be created by Queenslanders, for Queensland. It will go beyond politics and personal priorities; to be a genuine reflection of our collective aspirations and priorities for the future.
One of the questions is about sustainable landscapes: How do we strengthen our economic future and achieve sustainable landscapes?
Obviously there is no right or wrong answer… but for me, in 30 years time, when I am a sprightly 70-year-old, I would like to see the preservation and conservation of not only our national parks and forests but also our urban landscapes as well.
I don’t think there is enough done to save many of our historical buildings (that includes mid-century and post modern), which is a shame for our future generations. I’m from the school of thought that we will never appreciate our future if we don’t appreciate and know our past.
Many of the great cities and states in the world do a booming trade on the fact that they have a story to tell with their architecture. Why can’t Queensland do the same with its interesting sub-tropical flavoured urban landscape?
What is your take on this question? It could be about water quality, protecting nature corridors or investing in energy efficient bio-fuels… I’d love to hear your thoughts because I will then collate your responses and complete the survey as a reader collective.
Are you in?
If you would like to contribute to the responses, please add yourcomments below. Just remember to keep your views apolitical because it will be wasted in this particular forum.
p.s. if you don’t want to air your views so publicly you can just go toThe Queensland Plan here and fill it out online. I’m getting my eldest son to fill one out – he’ll be 41 in 2043 and hopefully living a goodquality life in Queensland.
* This blog topic was commissioned by the Queensland Government to raise awareness of The Queensland Plan. Content and ideas are entirely the author’s own.
A very worthwhile project and a wonderful post
ReplyDeleteI agree there should me more focus on saving our buildings, particularly ones from the not-so-distant-past.
ReplyDeleteQueensland really needs more emphasis on our gorgeous historical architecture. I feel really sad seeing old building left to ruin and be nicked down by developers. Sure, you can't stop progress (Muriel's Wedding quote!) but we still need an identity from the past!
ReplyDeletehear hear Elizabeth, totally agree
DeleteWaste of money. $4.6 million dollars could of spent on so many other worthwhile programs. The vision can't be binding on future governments or the current one for that matter as it is not their policy. Plus the environment always plays second fiddle to mining. Not going to change despite what people ask for in the plan with the attitude of our current leaders.
ReplyDeleteI understand the pressure on land and resources, and the need for urban infill but under the proposed plan developers can subdivide 600m2 blocks into 2 x 300m2 lots. That seems awfully tight. Houses are also allowed to go past the current 8.5m height limit, so are we going to have lots of tall skinny houses on small lots? I would really like to see some of the older areas preserved and not just the pre-1945 buildings. Hope that's not too political.
ReplyDeleteSadly Kylie, in building design we are only looking at small lot housing and the character code, plus build to boundary dwellings :( we were informed this yr that unfortunately this is where our housing development is heading... tiny blocks squished in like sardines !!! where is the quality in living in that ... ??? they should be expanding away from the coast and making smaller hub living cities spreading out from Brisbane.
DeleteQueensland has very little precious heritage architecture (I know I used to live there). There is a lack of unique architecture and what is left is being/has been renovated to within an inch of its life. The 1930-ish Queenslander houses, while nice, pale in comparison to the many 1880s Sydney Terraces or even earlier convict cottages.
ReplyDeleteI tried at one stage to convince the other half to move back there, but its hard to convince someone to leave the beautiful heritage suburbs for Brisbane's fibro homes. There doesn't seem much left to preserve :(
No Adam there is still so much more left in respect to era and history here. Most of these old girls are lovingly restored and only a percentage are fibro. There is an increasing need to support these suburbs, inner city almost everywhere you turn there are beautiful homes. Yes I agree the history is not as old as syd or melb, but they are different vernaculars and we are very very proud of our qld home heritage. Once you have grown up in them they are a piece in time, filled with childhood memories :) Not to mention some of the spanish mission homes here in bris by architect JP Trewern and 1970's mid-century stunners !!!
DeleteTotally, Totally agree Anita... this has been an ongoing discussion among all of us of late and something that is becoming increasingly concerning. As developers run out of land in Bris they are buying old house lots and we are seeing brick monstrosities and often worse like in my street, 3 story unit blocks.
ReplyDeleteIt saddened me when I looked at the house last year on google earth that had been where these units are, and the worst part is the elderly couple who live next door to this block of units who are in their period home now over shadowed by a massive block of units. They have prob lived here most of their life. Further more I saw the man one day throw builders rumble from their yard back onto the construction site, sadness and anger showed in his face.
I love nothing more then walking around our sts with hubby and the dogs in toe and it never ceases to amaze us how much we take in of these old homes, all very different and all with a story to tell. These are handcrafted beautiful buildings that anyone and everyone who site them adore. This is one of the things we are renowned for. As one IG pal pointed out, you can travel the world and see the historical buildings and they are not in the habit of removing or destroying these old buildings, so why should we ???
And yes I agree, I grew up in an Architectural designed 1970's home which reflected all that is mid-century. These homes have incredible history as well, why of why are we not protecting our culture and history... so so sad :(
Thanks Anita for making a difference !!!
Lena @ the HLQ