REDLAND City councillors and officers got into the Christmas spirit at last night’s full council meeting, when councillors donned t-shirts with the Walk Away Chill Out slogan.
The red-and-black slogan showing a fist dripping with blood is part of the Matthew Stanley Foundation’s program to curb teenage violence.

Mayor Melva Hobson and her 10 councillors, along with the council’s chief executive officer and four general managers wore the t-shirts for the meeting, the last for the year.

The mayor said the campaign was timely and reminded teenagers to stay “chilled out” over the festive season.

The foundation’s Paul Stanley thanked the council for putting up the foundation’s posters at three bus stops in Redlands.

Mr Stanley is the father of teenager Matthew, 15, who died after being bashed outside a teenagers’s party in Alexandra Hills in September 2006.

At last night’s meeting, the council also refused to extend planning approval for a power station fuelled by chicken manure.

It adopted its long-awaited SMBI 2030 Community Plan and a decision to give a broader reading to Tree Protection Area laws.

The council also decided to waiver the state government’s newly introduced waste levy fee for charities up to the value of $1000.

Island commercial waste operators using mainland tips would be charged the levy but can get exemption certificates from DERM.

The council also decided to put its Housing Strategy up for public comment until February 8.

The strategy sets out guidelines on how to accommodate an extra 21,000 houses in the Redlands in the next 20 years.

A wish list of redevelopment options for Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour was also approved and will be sent to the state coordinator general in a bid to get government to take on the terminal’s overhaul.

The council also decided to launch an appeal to raise money for a grand piano for the Redland Performing Arts Centre.

New grand pianos cost upwards of $250,000 and a second-hand piano can cost more than $90,000.

The council also unveiled its 10-year financial strategy, which suggests rates will go up 4.5 per cent in the next financial year, contrary to what the strategy predicted in June, when a 7.5 per cent increase was tipped for next year.