12:00a.m. 19th July 2008

| By Carolyn Tucker

A former Property Council manager turned Labor MP will represent the state government at an upcoming forum to discuss plans to fast-track housing development on the Sunshine Coast.

The premier and deputy premier both declined invitations to address the meeting, which has been organised by Kawana MP Steve Dickson.

The parliamentary secretary to the deputy premier, planning and infrastructure minister Stirling Hinchliffe, will attend instead.

Mr Hinchliffe was the research and policy manager at the Property Council of Australia and a property analyst before being elected the Labor member for Stafford in 2006.

Mr Dickson said he was delighted that the public would have an opportunity to hear the government’s rationale for bringing forward land releases on the Coast, to cater for an additional 75,000 residents.

Last month, premier Anna Bligh revealed plans to hasten development at 17 greenfield sites in south-east Queensland as part of the government’s housing affordability strategy. They included sites at Caloundra South, Palmview, Maroochydore and Meridan Plains.

Ms Bligh said a new implementation team would be established within the department of infrastructure and planning to slash red tape and remove obstacles to the development process.

“I want to see land being turned into new homes for Queenslanders as quickly as humanly possible,” she said.

“The development industry has been calling on us to make more land in the urban footprint available sooner – here it is.”

Concerns were immediately raised by mayor Bob Abbot and Coalition MPs about whether the region would have adequate infrastructure to support the influx.

Mr Hinchliffe, opposition leader Lawrence Springborg, shadow minister for infrastructure Fiona Simpson and Mr Abbot will be guest speakers at the forum, which begins at 7pm on July 31 at the Lake Kawana Community Centre.