Demolition in the Redlands

Mainland suburbs

Cleveland, Ormiston, Wellington Point, Birkdale and Thornlands combine older bayside homes with established brick suburbs. Capalaba and Alexandra Hills were developed heavily through the 1970s and 80s, with lowset brick homes on slabs. Victoria Point and Redland Bay have a mix of older holiday homes and newer estates. Many older homes here have fibro eaves, sheeting or roofs that need checking for asbestos.

Coastal and low-lying land

Much of the Redlands coastline is low-lying, and storm tide inundation and coastal erosion overlays apply to many waterfront and near-waterfront properties. Acid sulfate soils are common near the coast and need managing when excavating. These overlays generally shape the new home's design more than the demolition itself, but they do influence where machinery and stockpiles can go.

Koala habitat and vegetation

The Redlands have a long-standing koala population, and much of the area is mapped as koala habitat under state and council planning rules. Redland City Council also protects significant vegetation. Before clearing trees, check whether approval is needed, and plan the demolition to protect trees that must stay.

The bay islands

Demolition on Russell, Macleay, Lamb and Karragarra islands, or on North Stradbroke Island, means getting machinery and waste across on vehicle barges. That adds time and cost, and jobs are planned around barge schedules, tides and weather. Waste may need to be stockpiled and shipped back to the mainland in loads, and island access roads can be narrow and unsealed.

Common Redlands jobs

• Knockdowns of older bayside homes in Wellington Point, Ormiston and Cleveland
• Brick and slab demolitions in Capalaba, Alexandra Hills and Birkdale
• Island demolitions on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands and Straddie
• Pool removals and concrete clearing on larger suburban blocks
• Acreage and rural-residential clearing around Sheldon and Mount Cotton

Approvals and services

Redland City Council's planning scheme sets the local overlays, and a building approval from a private building certifier is normally needed for demolition. Energex handles power disconnection. Water and sewer in the Redlands are managed by Redland City Council, so its disconnection process applies. Some island properties rely on septic or other on-site systems instead of sewer, and these have their own decommissioning requirements.

Older holiday homes and shacks

Wellington Point, Victoria Point and the islands still have small weekender homes and fibro shacks from the mid-twentieth century. They are often lightweight and quick to dismantle, but they are also among the homes most likely to contain asbestos cement sheeting, so a survey comes first.

Planning around the weather

Coastal Redlands sites are exposed to summer storms and strong winds off the bay. Loose sheeting, partly demolished structures and stockpiles are secured at the end of each day, and island barge crossings can be cancelled at short notice, so island jobs carry some buffer in the schedule.