A DEVELOPMENT application lodged with Ipswich City Council is proposing a significant change of use for a semi-rural property at Karrabin.

Kaine Property Group Pty Ltd is seeking approval to convert a former kennel at 10 Ladewigs Road into a waste transfer station, along with a caretaker’s residence.

The 8.5-hectare site, located approximately 7km west of the Ipswich CBD, has been used previously as a kennel and cattery, and includes a single-storey dwelling, office buildings, kennels and associated infrastructure.

The property is bordered by industrial developments to the north and east, vacant land to the south, and rural residential property to the west. Railway infrastructure runs along the south-eastern boundary, and the site is within proximity of Karrabin Rosewood Road.

The proposed development is classified as impact assessable under the Ipswich Planning Scheme 2006. The development area covers 2.25 hectares, with the remaining 6.248 hectares of the site not proposed for immediate use. The project will be undertaken in three stages.

Stage 1 includes construction of a sorting shed (1,200m²), workshop (175m²), covered wash bay and staff recreation area. Outdoor storage areas will be provided for skip bins and inert recycling materials, while the existing office will be refurbished. The existing dwelling will serve as caretaker accommodation.

Stage 2 involves the construction of a relocated caretaker’s shed and a roof over the recycling storage area.

Stage 3 includes an extension to the sorting shed (900m²), a weighbridge with office and additional storage facilities.

The operational fleet would increase from eight trucks in Stage 1 to 13 trucks in Stage 3, with staff numbers growing from 13 to up to 17 employees. Throughput is expected to reach approximately 15,000 tonnes per year, once fully operational.

The applicant will be required to obtain Environmental Authority approvals for resource recovery and mechanical waste processing.

Access to the site is via Ladewigs Road, a gravel, single-lane road with grass swales. The development application notes that the road will require upgrading to accommodate industrial traffic, including heavy vehicles associated with the waste operation. Parking and vehicle manoeuvring areas have been designed to allow all vehicles to enter and exit in forward gear.

While the development incorporates existing landscaping along the road frontage, a portion of the site contains mapped core koala habitat and regulated regrowth vegetation adjacent to the creek.

The application states that the development will not impact this area.

Council will assess the application against relevant planning provisions, including impacts on traffic, environmental values and the surrounding semi-rural character, before deciding whether to grant approval.