Stephanie Jolly lives in an apartment at Stones Corner with her partner, Greg, and two young daughters. She is a perfect example of a social change that Queensland planners and demographers have missed.
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Her six-year old daughter Veronica goes to nearby inner-city Buranda State School, which is at the heart of a long-running stoush with Education Queensland authorities because two nearby apartment complexes were approved next door.
Education Queensland this week confirmed it actually prepared an objection itself to the twin-towers development, but quietly withdrew the objection at the last minute.
One of the towers on one side of Logan Road at Buranda has 25 storeys; a tower on the other side of Logan Road has 20 storeys.
Overall there are 1608 student rooms, 402 car spaces and 804 bike spaces.
But they are just two of literally dozens of apartment towers re-shaping Buranda and creating demand for inner-city adding more than 5000 units alone in Buranda since 2013.
Ms Jolly is a public servant while partner Greg is a student. They both ride their bikes to work or catch public transport if it rains.
"It wasn't a strategic decision, we just did it," Stephanie Jolly said of their decision to move into a Buranda unit seven years ago.
"It is just close to everything and it's a very nice area," she said.
She says few of her friends live in units yet, but they recently noticed the dramatic change from houses to units all around her.
In her Buranda block alone there are 500 units.
"It is a thing that is happening right now," she said.
"Where there were houses, there are now so many units."
What the demographer says
Young families – not young singles - are moving into Brisbane's inner-city apartments – and this is causing havoc with Brisbane's inner-city schools.
Population demographer and human geographer Dr Elin Charles-Edwards, from the University of Queensland said her research estimates the number of school-aged children living in the inner-city has increased 30 per cent since the 2011 census.
"If this really is a longer–term trend I think we really are going to have to start thinking about how our inner-cities service our families and children more generally," Dr Charles-Edwards said.
"In the inner core of Brisbane - which encompasses West End, Kangaroo Point, South Brisbane and around to New Farm and Teneriffe - we're expecting a 10 per cent population increase since 2011, " she said. "But, around a 30 per cent increase in school-aged children."
The proof will be contained in the first 2016 census data released in April 2017, she said.
"I think a lot of developers and planners probably expected these new apartments to be mainly occupied by young couples and singles," Dr Charles-Edwards said.
"So I think this shift is a real surprise."
However pressure is now emerging at tiny Buranda State School near Stones Corner and East Brisbane State School near Brisbane Cricket Ground.
Queensland's Education Department itself prepared an objection to developer's plans to build two 20-storey apartment towers within 100 metres of Buranda State School, but that was never reported until now.
The department confirmed this objection to the development by Wee Hur Holdings, from Singapore with high density inner-city living.
"During the consultation phase of the development application, the Department lodged an objection with the Brisbane City Council raising issues including the design of the building and the traffic impacts," a spokesman confirmed.
"The Department fully considered all options and decided not to lodge an appeal on the Development Application."
What do Buranda parents say?
Parents at Buranda State School say schools are close to choke-point.
- Buranda State School 2016 enrolment: 224 students.
- Capacity: 236 students (Education Queensland)
- East Brisbane State School 2016 enrolment; 212 students.
- Capacity: 289 students (Education Queensland).
- West End State School: 2016 enrolment 822 students. Parents say the school had 856 students enrolled in 2016 and 900 are enrolled for 2017. capacity 900 students.
- Brisbane State High School: 3144 enrolled. Capacity is 3000 students.
Sally Dillon has been pushing the Buranda parents "Better Buranda" alternative planning model for almost two years as the school is surrounded by apartments.
Some classrooms at Buranda State School cannot be used as classrooms because the Eastern Busway runs too close to the school.
The two twin towers will let residents look down onto the school pool and parents have fears at the traffic impact on the nearby Stones Corner roundabout.
"We are worried that the Education Department hasn't done sufficient forward planning," Ms Dillon said.
"And we really don't want to see the catch-up scenario that is happening at West End, because putting kids in sweaty demountables is just not ideal."
"These apartment buildings have been approved without any thought of enhancing community connections."
Education Queensland's response.
"The Department and the school will continue to liaise with the developer and the Brisbane City Council to mitigate and/or minimise noise and dust during the construction phase of the development," a spokesman said.
"Buranda State School has an enrolment management plan in place to ensure the school limits the intake of students residing outside the catchment, which will enable the school to manage within its current capacity in the short term."
