The Redland City Council’s appeal regarding certain sections of the State Heritage listing for Willard’s Farm in the Birkdale Community Precinct has led to an agreement to establish a unique heritage code for the precinct. On Wednesday, June 7, 2023, Planning and Environment Court Judge McDonnell ruled to partially uphold the appeal with the consent of all parties involved. As a result, the state heritage footprint for Willard’s Farm has been revised, making it slightly smaller.
The revised boundary, determined through the court’s decision this week, was agreed upon by the Queensland Heritage Council (QHC) as part of the ongoing appeal process. This boundary revision continues to recognize and preserve the significant state heritage features of the land. To ensure the appropriate management of all state heritage matters within the Birkdale Community Precinct, both Willard’s Farm and the nearby former World War II Radio Receiving Station (which was added to the State Heritage Register in June 2020), the Council and the QHC will enter into a Heritage Agreement.
This Heritage Agreement will outline the management codes and requirements that will enable development to take place while remaining consistent with the Birkdale Community Precinct Master Plan, the Heritage Management Plans commissioned for Willard’s Farm and the World War II Radio Receiving Station, as well as a range of mutually agreed-upon acceptable outcomes determined by the Council and the QHC. Essentially, this agreement allows for development within the state heritage boundaries of the site by the Birkdale Community Precinct Master Plan and the Heritage Agreement.
