Please be aware of incorrect media reports recently that Council is selling more than 4200 blocks of surplus land on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands and North Stradbroke Island.

This is inaccurate.

You won’t find more than 4200 blocks of Council land for sale for $15,000 on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands and you won’t find any Council land for sale on North Stradbroke Island.

Redland City Council on 10 June made a procedural change to put a policy around sale of surplus land on the four Southern Moreton Bay Islands of Macleay, Russell, Lamb and Karragarra islands. North Stradbroke Island is not included.

Council is not proactively selling off land, but has put in place a process for adjoining neighbours to go through at their cost and at market value should they wish to purchase an adjoining piece of land owned by Council and which is surplus to Council needs.

When people have asked before to buy this land next to them, Council has not had a streamlined process.

Previously a report needed to go to Council for each sale, which made it time consuming and resource intensive.

The number of properties that could be eligible for application by an adjoining property owner is about 345 – not the more than 4200 referred to in The Courier-Mail and which Council owns overall on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

Any property owners wishing to purchase the land would need to amalgamate it with their current land to obtain a larger yard.

It cannot be subdivided.