Community launches fund to fight West End development
A proposed 15-storey building in West End has prompted angry local community members to file an appeal challenging the project.
When Brisbane City Council approved West End real estate developer Stockwell Group’s redevelopment plans for 33 Vulture Street, previously home to Queensland Can Factory, last month it triggered community protests.
Developers want to build a 15-storey building with a 13-storey residential tower for around 112 to 132 residences across two, three and four-bedroom dwellings.
Some local West End Community members have said they were “outraged” at the approval and have launched a Go Fund Me campaign to raise the $40,000 of estimated legal and expert advisor costs needed to challenge the decision in court.
Linda Pinches, the community member behind the fundraiser, claimed local children would pay the price with more residents putting further pressure on already full local schools.
“Our schools, both primary and secondary are at or over capacity,” Pinches explained. “Brisbane State High School has a top capacity of 3,000 students and currently there are 3,569 students enrolled with the total school population circa 5,000 people including teachers and staff—that’s a lot of bodies crammed in a small area.”
She added that capacity restrictions have led to Years 10, 11 and 12 only attending school four days a week, with two staggered half days on campus.
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“The school can’t fit the kids in the space available and so kids are receiving less face-to-face teaching hours and have to pick up the slack themselves through self-learning.”
The primary school located directed opposite the development site, West End State School was referenced in the fundraising campaign as having concerns that a development of this size and the ensuing increase in traffic could pose “grievous” safety issues for students.
Pinches also claimed that the development plans were nearly double those listed in the council’s Neighbourhood Plan guidelines, saying they listed an eight-storey limit.
“There is a crisis of confidence in how the community can trust Council if they set guidelines and then blatantly defy those guidelines—approving double the height plus disregarding development setbacks, building footprint size and the impact on the primary school directly across the road—a school of 1,400 students including a massive 8 Year 1 classes—now at capacity.”
The Vulture Street development has received 399 official objections, including from West End State School along with 18 letters of support.
Plans would also see commercial space occupy the lower levels as well as a total of 179 car parking spaces, while rooftop garden space will include amenities of a pool, spa, sauna, gym and function room.
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The site is currently home to a two-storey mixed-use building, including professional office space, retail tenancies and a gym.
Its existing heritage buildings and historic facades along Paris and Turin Streets were expected to be preserved to sleeve the carpark levels behind them.
“The site at 33 Vulture St is ready for development and should be developed but to the established guidelines,” Pinches said. “You can’t double development and not consider the knock-on effects.”
“We are asking council for a fair go and to uphold their own guidelines,” she said.
A detailed appeal has been filed by seven affected residents in the Planning and Environment Court.
The appeal was funded by 26 local residents who paid $8,000 for legal work and court filing fees, along with two other parties who have also filed appeals – the owner of the Dello Mano building and the owners of the two adjoining houses in Paris Street.
Stockwell Group has engaged a King’s Counsel to lead its legal team
Brisbane City Council was approached for comment, but said all questions regarding Stockwell Group’s proposal should be directed towards them.
Stockwell Group said to InDaily that “Brisbane City Council issued an approval for our proposed building at 33 Vulture Street West End on 20 August 2026”.
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