The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) has finalised the preferred planning option for a potential Kenmore Bypass.

The preferred planning option is a four-lane bypass (two lanes in each direction), linking Moggill Road and the Centenary Motorway.

Motorists travelling on the proposed bypass will link directly to  Moggill Road to travel south, with a signalised T-intersection for those wishing to travel north on Moggill Road.

The bypass option includes connections to the Centenary Motorway, as well as a complete reconfiguration of the Centenary Motorway and Fig  Tree Pocket interchange. Gem Road would also be reconfigured to pass under the bypass, connecting more directly to Sunset Road.

A shared off-road pedestrian and cyclist path would be provided along the entire bypass route with a connection to the Centenary Bikeway.

Please visit:
http://www.mainroads.qld.gov.au/Projects/A-Z-Search/K-M/Kenmore-Bypass-Planning-Study.aspx
for more information about the preferred planning option.

Key outcomes
The Kenmore Bypass Planning Study is now complete and the key outcomes are:

• a preferred bypass option that considered community feedback
• confirmation that a  Kenmore Bypass is technically and environmentally feasible

Where to from here
The Kenmore Bypass Planning Study is now finalised. The project team has reviewed the results from technical and environmental investigations and community feedback to develop the preferred option.

The planning study has confirmed a Kenmore Bypass is technically and environmentally feasible, and has also identified potential property  requirements which will be used to help assess any future development applications in the area.

The next step is for the Government to assess the priority and affordability of the project. Currently there is no decision or funding to build a Kenmore Bypass.

The department thanks the community for the input and feedback into the planning process, which has been invaluable in helping shape the preferred option.

For further information contact the project team on 1800 422 638 or email kenmorebypass@mainroads.qld.gov.au.

Following significant community feedback, the Department of Transport
and Main Roads (DTMR) has developed new planning options to maintain Gem
Road as a through-road.

The new Gem Road options have been designed to complement the current
bypass planning, while also being technically and environmentally
feasible.

Have your say :

The community is now encouraged to get involved and provide feedback on
the new Gem Road options. Community feedback, together with further
technical investigations, will help determine a preferred Gem Road
option that best suits the needs of the community.

You are able to view the Gem Road newsletter which contains layouts of
the planning options and a feedback form on the Department of Transport
and Main Roads (DTMR) website http://www.mainroads.qld.gov.au/Projects/A-Z-Search/K-M/Kenmore-Bypass-Planning-Study.aspx.

Have your say by:

§  Visiting the project team at one of our staffed public displays (p.2)
§  Emailing your feedback to kenmorebypass@mainroads.qld.gov.au
§  Calling the community enquiry line on 1800 422 638
§  Post/Fax the Gem Road feedback form to:

Fax:           07 3137 8363

Post:          (no stamp required)
Kenmore Bypass Planning Study
Department of Transport and Main Roads
Reply Paid 70
Spring Hill Qld 4004

Staffed and Fixed Displays

Members of the project team will be available at the following times and
locations to answer questions and collect feedback:
Location           |          Date          |       Time      |
Kenmore Village              | Thursday 30 July 2009  |4pm – 7pm        |
| 9 Brookfield Road, Kenmore   | Saturday 1 August 2009 |10am – 1pm       |
|    Unstaffed fixed display   |                        |                 |
| Indooroopilly Library,       | 27 June – 17 August    |                 |
| Indooroopilly Shopping Centre| 2009                   |                 |
| 322 Moggill Road,| Indooroopilly

Where to from here

DTMR is currently developing the preferred bypass option and will use
the feedback received on the Gem Road planning options as well as
previous comments and further technical investigations to help shape the
preferred option. The preferred option for a Kenmore Bypass will be
presented to the community in Stage 3 of the study later in 2009.

For further information contact the project team on 1800 422 638 or
email kenmorebypass@mainroads.qld.gov.au

These interim controls — the South East Queensland Koala State Planning Regulatory Provisions came into effect in draft form on 12 December 2008 and, following community consultation, were finalised on 1 July 2009.  (Refer: http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/koala/final-aprp-01-07-09.pdf )

The regulatory provisions (Provisions) apply only to a limited number of sites in the urban environment and a large number of exemptions have recently been introduced into the new Provisions. It means little if any protection is provided to the urban koalas other than those found upon land designated for conservation purposes.

The State Governments own scientific reports showed the importance of protecting urban koala habitat.  These findings are supported by koala expert Frank Carrick AM.   Mr. Carrick stated the sudden loss of koalas is not due to the drought; there is no scientific evidence supporting such claims.

The results of the 2008 Koala Coast koala survey estimates a population of 2279 animals. Based on the population estimate of 4611 koalas in 2005-2006, this represents a 51% decline in less than three years and a 64% decline in the 10 years since the original 1996-1999 estimate of 6246 koalas.

The largest declines occurred in bushland areas which showed a 59% reduction in koala numbers compared with a 30% reduction in urban areas. The large reduction of koalas in otherwise secure bushland was found to be a flow on effect from excessive habitat loss and mortality in urban areas (DIP, 2009; EPA, 2009).
(Refer: http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/publications/p02966aa.pdf/Decline_of_the_Koala_Coast_koala_population_population_status_in_2008.pdf &
http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/regional-planning/koala-conservation-seq-2.html )

Recent koala deaths have been shown to be associated with the State Government allowing the clearing of koala habitat on State owned land within the urban environment. The total clearing of koala habitat is contrary to promises they made to the Premier’s Koala Taskforce.

Clearly, recent events and the weakening of the new Provisions show there is no genuine desire to save the urban koalas. State Government actions suggest urban development has a higher priority than protecting koala habitat.

Clearly, if we want to keep koalas we need to recognise there are limits to growth else we will push them to extinction.

It is perhaps those people who believe in the fool’s dream of endless growth who pose the greatest threat to the koala.

Simon Baltais
Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland

A report released in May 2009 by the Queensland Government (Department of Environment & Resource Management) titled ‘Decline of the Koala Coast Koala Population: Population Status in 2008’ tells us that effectively koalas will be extinct in the Koala Coast region of South East Queensland by 2010 (next year!). Please write to ask for direct action.

See: http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/koalas/koala_plan/decline_of_the_koala_coast_koala_population_population_status_in_2008/

Why is this happening?  Because the Queensland Government is effectively planning the extinction of the koala.  Although population growth leads to the destruction of koala habitat, the Queensland Government continues to push more growth through its chief land-use planning document, the South East Queensland Regional Plan.

Currently under review, the Draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009-31 designates significant areas of urban and rural koala habitat for immediate and future development, at a time when koalas are perched on the brink of extinction.  Koalas urgently need more habitat, not less!

This can’t be allowed to happen!  Send a message today.  Let the Hon Ms Anna Bligh, Premier of Queensland know that the new SEQ Regional Plan (due for release in July) must be changed to protect all remaining koala habitat in South East Queensland.

Ask the Premier of Queensland to become a Koala Campaigner.  Ask her to personally guarantee that the SEQ Regional Plan 2009-31 will be redrafted to ensure our precious koalas and all their remaining habitat are protected now and forever.

The community is invited to provide their comments to the project team until 6 July 2009. Please do! Write to mainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au to be heard. An analysis follows.

Our argument is still that there are quicker, better and cheaper alternatives traffic relief suggestions for our area. Fixing the Kenmore Roundabout and pedestrian overpasses deliver an expansion in capacity of around 40% for a cost of less than $10 Million.

Any major expansion to the road network could only be rationalised by either massive small lot development or linkage through to the Warrego Highway.

The NIB of the Environmental Aassessment Report process is it does not considered the impacts of either of utilisation of the entire corridor or the environmental impact of massive small lot development so it is flawed and limited.

On specifics, the EAR shows:

On fauna - there are numerous threatened and protected species in the area - Main Roads acknowledge this (protected at a Federal, State and local level).

They have made significant changes to the project to try to reduce impact - and they think “she’ll be right mate”.

Main Roads have form for being wrong - such as with spotted quolls on the Mt Lindesay Highway.

On koalas - after spending another week looking for koalas or koala poo between Gem Road and Kenmore Road, they didn’t find any. This of concern because there is a report from koala expert and former local Ranger, Ric Nattrass, which says should the Bypass be built, it will lead to local extinction of koalas. The Premier described Ric Nattrass on ABC radio last year as being “a respected and credible expert”. At best, there are conflicting opinions. Given the area examined, recent local sightings and noises heard, I know who my money is on.

On noise - they won’t be able to fully mitigate noise imapacts, should they proceed. They won’t be able to meet their own noise criterion (which ignores sleeping hours of midnight to 6 am) for between 22 and 44 locations.

On changes to design - they are redesigning to try to not sever Gem Road, to more properly flood proof Moggill Creek, which is adding significantly to cost and difficulty of design. BCC was singled out for criticism for insisting on duplicate access to the area for flood mitigation, and social connectivity reasons.

In general - project is running late, will have spent about $10 Million (about the same cost as signalising and reconfiguring Kenmore roundabout and pedestrian over/under passes at the schools.)

Main Roads were at pains to point out no decision has been made to proceed, and no funding has been allocated.

This is not a environmental impact assessment that allows construction to occur, just forms a basis for it. There will be numerous approvals required, should a decision be made to proceed and Main Roads highlights the significant species in the area (and there are a number they have potentially missed).

Write to the Minister for Main Roads - and let him know the $10 Million spent on talking would have fixed local traffic problems. In these difficult and troubled times, the time for expensive wheel spinning is gone - leadership means simple, cost effective solutions. Tell him about the imapct on 3800 local residents, on the range of species identified in the EIS. Tell him about the alternatives: mainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au

1)    The Government won’t have the money it is never going to happen; or
2)    The study is continuing so it is inevitable.

So,what is right? Read on.

The question the study is looking at is:
If a road were to be built
in the corridor
how could it be built
and what would it be its cost, benefits, impacts etc.

Government then looks at
This study
Other studies
Other priorities (how much money it has)
and makes a decision whether it will:

*  Build now (no money allocated in this budget - so any decision on building would not be before June next year)
*  Build later - ie put into the South Eastern Queensland Infrastructure Plan - which is a 25 year wish list of future projects, or into Connecting SEQ 2031, which is due out in June 2010.
*  Build something else
*  do nothing - keep the corridor but make no decisions whatsoever (generally what Government is good at)
*  sell the corridor - unusual for corridors to be sold - but challenges Government faces in  terms of funding are unique. Study has always had a process in place - you should push in your emails for this.

What we can tell from study to date
-  construction is difficult, but engineers can build almost anywhere
- but this makes it very expensive (as much as a billion dollars)
- for not that many road users (unless major development or new highway link)
-  there are a lot of impacts

So what does all that mean ?
The study doesn’t decide anything.
The study will keep going till they deliver an option to Government of how a road may be built.
It becomes an input into Government thinking.
We need to keep working on Government (and alternative Government).
They will make the decision.

At the last election:
–ALP attacked Bruce Flegg for unfunded committment to Bypass and questioned the worth of the project.
–The LNP’s (then) Leader, Lawrence Springborg, refused to back the project and said in correspondence questioned putting major new highway link through heart of Western suburbs.
–Mr Flegg, the local MP, ran his campaign as a referendum on the bypass.  The amount of people voting for him decreased and he failed to get a majority of people voting for him (which he had got the previous time).

Assessment:
Need to keep the pressure on at the decision maker level - the politicians, to make sure they deliver long term solutions for taxpayers, residents and commuters.  The Kenmore Bypass is a hair-brain scheme and there are quicker, better and cheaper alternatives.

I believe the Bypass is much less likely now than when the study started.  Why is that ?  The continuing pressure - your efforts - has put the spotlight on - other alternatives, impacts, and kept politicians and public servants on their toes.  The many thousands of letters, the emails, the calls you have made, the rallies you have attended, the letters to the editor, the calls to talkback radio, the leafleats you dropped, have all made it less likely.

But we still need some more help from you..  We need to keep pushing for total scrapping, and we need to keep on advocating for the better solutions.  If we are part of pushing for a solution that saves taxpayers money and ensures people can do what they want or need to conveniently, there isn’t any need.  The key focus for this will come when a preferred option is announced.

Thanks again for all your help - we have achieved much, but there is still more to be done.

*  Government departments don’t talk to each other or co-ordinate with one another
*  Departments don’t actually measure or report congestion
*  Departments don’t report on performance of projects they undertake
*  There is ranking or priorisiation of projects
*  There hasn’t been a coordinated regional plan since 1997
*  There isn’t enough focus on land use (makikng sure we have the services such as shopping, governmen services, etc)
*  Whole new suburbs built without any supporting infrastructure, meaning people have to travel to do basic things
*  Public transport planning is predicated on 6 per cent annual growth when actual growth has been 10 per cen per annum
*  There is real potential to reduce demand for travel with active transport, better public transport and transport orientated developments, but there is no coordination or consistent Government framework in deploying these.
*  Continuing on the current costly and ineffective approach will not solve the problem.

We can relate to this locally as we have seen:
*  piecemeal planning - no integrated planning
*  no attempt at demand management
*  wrong priorities - Centenary Highway moving at 19 km/h in morning peak with over 50,000 people on it, and focus has been on Kilkivian Avenue to Marshall Lane section of Moggill road which has 4000 people on it travelling at 27 km/h.
*  we lack services where people live (e.g. Karana downs needs a High School, we need community health in the area
*  Developments occuring without supporting infrastructure and services
*  We can see cheap and effective solutions, which could be delivered quickly, but DMR continue to have a “one track, one shot in the locker approach”.

To finish the analysis on a positive note, two of the agencies that can’t talk to each other have been put together, the issue is coming to light, and better planning and management might take hold.  Queenslanders taxpayers, south east Queensland residents and our families need it.

In his own words:
Key concerns identified by the Auditor include:
-          Leadership at State level for managing the transport network and urban congestion is “not coordinated effectively and makes it more difficult for government agencies to drive a strategic response in an integrated and coordinated manner”.
-          “systemic weakness in integrated planning across entities” and there is “no certainty that the agreed responses will achieve the optimal mix’ between land use, transport infrastructure and demand management;
-          Continued use of out of date key transport documents and plan may result in decisions based on obsolete data and assumptions and “not effectively address the current challenges”;
-          Inconsistencies in data collection and reporting might have significant impact on ability to plan with accurate, complete and timely data.

Speak out today and take action against this misuse of our taxpayer funds and attack on our environment, in defiance of all we know about global climate change and the coming oil crisis.

The community is invited to provide their comments to the project team until 30 June 2009. Please do! Write to mainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au to be heard. An analysis follows.

Our argument is still that there are quicker, better and cheaper alternatives traffic relief suggestions for our area.  Fixing the Kenmore Roundabout and pedestrian overpasses deliver an expansion in capacity of around 40% for a cost of less than $10 Million.

Any major expansion to the road network could only be rationalised by either massive small lot development or linkage through to the Warrego Highway.

The NIB of the Environmental Aassessment Report process is it does not considered the impacts of either of utilisation of the entire corridor or the environmental impact of massive small lot development so it is flawed and limited.

On specifics, the EAR shows:

On fauna - there are numerous threatened and protected species in the area - Main Roads acknowledge this (protected at a Federal, State and local level).

They have made significant changes to the project to try to reduce impact - and they think “she’ll be right mate”.

Main Roads have form for being wrong - such as with spotted quolls on the Mt Lindesay Highway.

On koalas - after spending another week looking for koalas or koala poo between Gem Road and Kenmore Road, they didn’t find any.  This of concern because there is a report from koala expert and former local Ranger, Ric Nattrass, which says should the Bypass be built, it will lead to local extinction of koalas.  The Premier described Ric Nattrass on ABC radio last year as being “a respected and credible expert”.  At best, there are conflicting opinions.  Given the area examined, recent local sightings and noises heard, I know who my money is on.

On noise - they won’t be able to fully mitigate noise imapacts, should they proceed.  They won’t be able to meet their own noise criterion (which ignores sleeping hours of midnight to 6 am) for between 22 and 44 locations.

On changes to design - they are redesigning to try to not sever Gem Road, to more properly flood proof Moggill Creek, which is adding significantly to cost and difficulty of design.  BCC was singled out for criticism for insisting on duplicate access to the area for flood mitigation, and social connectivity reasons.

In general - project is running late, will have spent about $10 Million (about the same cost as signalising and reconfiguring Kenmore roundabout and pedestrian over/under passes at the schools.)

Main Roads were at pains to point out no decision has been made to proceed, and no funding has been allocated.

This is not a environmental impact assessment that allows construction to occur, just forms a basis for it. There will be numerous approvals required, should a decision be made to proceed and Main Roads highlights the significant species in the area (and there are a number they have potentially missed).

Write to the Minister for Main Roads - and let him know the $10 Million spent on talking would have fixed local traffic problems. In these difficult and troubled times, the time for expensive wheel spinning is gone - leadership means simple, cost effective solutions.  Tell him about the imapct on 3800 local residents, on the range of species identified in the EIS.  Tell him about the alternatives: mainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au

The Plan determines the future of SEQ:

• What is developed and what is not.
• Which habitat is saved and which is destroyed

The SEQ Regional Plan overrides all other plans such as local plans or master plans.

If you only decide to do one thing for the the environment this year, make a submission today. Go to http://www.gecko.org.au/index.php?email_seqplan or email seqreview@dip.qld.gov.au.

I have tailor made submissions ready to go that pertain to the loss of our greenspace and biodiversity in regards to the Kenmore Bypass. Please contact Save Our Suburbs for details or we can deliver to you this weekend.

Submissions close this Friday 3 April, 2009.

• Flegg yesterday confirmed he would get the road built, but admitted there was no money to build it.
• LNP Leader Lawrence Springborg was forced to furiously back away from the promise.
• “feasibility study put the cost at between $400 Million and $770 Million”

Bruce Flegg doesn’t have a plan to tackle congestion in our area – just more empty rhetoric.  Bruce can’t even get his own party leader to support it.

There are quicker, better and cheaper measures, which could be implemented quickly to improve traffic in our area:

1. Replacing Kenmore Roundabout with Traffic lights -Cost $2 Million, deliverable within 1 year
2. Pedestrian overpasses on Moggill Road to keep our kids safe and keep traffic moving – cost $1 to $5 million per location, deliverable within 6 months (for which there is existing funding available)
3. Better school drop offs and better school travel arrangements – cost less than $2 million per annum
4. More bikeways and cycle paths locally (Brisbane City Council already has a promise to deliver this)

Make your voice heard:

• Email the courier mail at: letters@couriermail.com.au
• phone ABC talkback: 1300 222 612
• phone 4BC: 13 13 32

Sick of spin and lies from Flegg, we need commonsense solutions.

Whilst the Deputy Premier did not give the answer we were all looking for - that he would stop the alternate Ipswich motorway here and that there are quicker, better and cheaper solutions to relieve local congestion - he does make a number of points:  this was Bruce Flegg’s idea; and  there are koalas in the corridor.

Keeping the pressure up on the politicians makes there life harder - particularly at this time of the electoral cycle.

Your continued assistance will make a difference in this fight for taxpayers, commuters, koalas and residents.

Paul Lucas interview with Madonna King:

King:    Um the volunteer, a volunteer community organisation contacted me this morning. They’re opposing the proposed Kenmore bypass, and it says it has proof that the State Government and Main Roads have plans to continue the proposed bypass road through to become the Moggill pocket sub-arterial Moggill Warrego highway connection road. Now they say if you check the 2009 edition of the UBD you will see it is already marked on the map, the Moggill pocket sub-arterial Moggill Warrego highway connection road. The alternate Ipswich highway carrying 75,000 trucks and cars through Curtly, Anstead, Barbary, Pinjarra Hills, Kenmore and (inaudible) pocket to be dumped on an already capacity Centenary Highway. Is that true or false?

Lucas:    Well I’d have to look at the details of that Madonna. I’m not the Main Roads Minister anymore. But I’ll say this; Bruce Flegg is one of the greatest supporters of the Kenmore Bypass. The Kenmore Moggill….

King:    They make that point but they’re saying from the transport and Main Roads, have you already made that decision.

Lucas:    No but what you do do Madonna, is you actually do planning for the future. So it has been marked on the UBD, the Kenmore Bypass, and it’s actually about (inaudible). So very clearly anyone who lives in that community understands that. We’ve got a program for updating the Centenary Highway, and part of that we would hope to do in conjunction with the council…

King:    But why would you put it on a UBD if you weren’t, if it wasn’t going ahead?

Lucas:    No, no, well anything, well because you put future corridors on UBD’s whether they’re subject to financing or not. For example, we will mark, in due course, the railway line that will go past Springfield to Redbank Plains to (inaudible). We haven’t got any money to build that at the moment but we’ll do that in the future. We’re still in the consultation phase of the Kenmore bypass. Serious issues such as koala’s and the like have been raised. They have to be worked through.

Bruce Flegg has worked quite hard to be visible but his vision of transport and congestion solutions is exceptionally limited, focussing largely on a Kenmore bypass.  As an educated medical man in an area where education and health are close to people’s hearts, he has nothing novel to say about either. No longer part of the leadership, we cannot expect back-bencher Bruce to have much luck in persuading them to focus on our area and issues.

You can read the rest here.

State Election Candidates’ Debate - The only candidates’ debate in Moggill this election

Transition Town: Kenmore District? - Upcoming Meeting: Wed March 18th 7:30 pm? Uniting Church Hall, 982 Moggill Road Kenmore

Candidates Unplugged! Forum topics: Food security — Land use – Transport — Local economy — Energy descent

We would like to place these signs on the corridor route through Anstead, Moggill, Pullenvale to Kenmore and Fig Tree Pocket.  We particularly would like some signs on Sugars Road, Mt Crosby Road, Witty Road, O’Brien Road, Rafting Ground Road, Grandview Road, Moggill Road and Pullenvale Road where Main Roads is clearly going to build the alternate Ipswich Highway.

We have proof Main Roads have already started buying up land for the on and off ramps.

If you know anyone on these roads who might be willing to put a sign in their front yard, please let me know as soon as possible.  I am happy to phone them but need contact details.  If you will put up a sign or know someone who might, please email me asap on:  erectasign@gmail.com.

Many thanks,  Marie

Please write to the email address contact@saveoursuburbs.com and let us know: 1) Your preferred candidate (if any); 2) Your suburb; 3) The times on Election Day when you can volunteer. We will contact you to confirm the booth at which you can work.

The Greens will replace the $1 billion Kenmore Bypass proposal with a light rail concept connecting to the main Ipswich line as part of a network for greater Brisbane.

Read the whole Brisbane Times article here. (If you see any article about the Bypass, whether or not it relates to any party or candidate, please post a comment here on the blog and I will make a post about it.)

I was fascinated to learn from your recent circular of the debate in state Parliament on 10 February 2009 about whether the route of the (so called) Kenmore Bypass had been preserved.

What Sort of Route was Preserved?

Dr Bruce Flegg said that this was a pre-existing transport corridor which the community should have the right to use. Mr Ronan Lee pointed out that the land that had actually been preserved was only a fraction of that required for the project that now seemed to be envisaged. And the Deputy Premier (Hon Mr Paul Lucas) noted that the route had been marked on a map - so that people should have understood that a bypass was planned.

What a shambles. Though the route may not always have been marked on maps (as your circular noted), it is a fact that a 30m-wide route was preserved  in the 1960s for a sub-arterial feeder route. Nearby residents should have no reasonable grounds for complaints if such a local road (something like 17 Mile Rocks Road) were developed within the bounds of the land then acquired by Main Roads Department.

The Bigger Picture?

However it is equally clear that someone in the state government now secretly envisages something much grander - ie a major arterial road that would be part of SE Queensland’s future freeway system. Joining at the western end of the ‘Kenmore Bypass’ is the preserved route for the Moggill Pocket Arterial which would bring Warrego Highway traffic through the Western Suburbs and onto the Centenary Highway / Western Freeway - an existing arterial that, to cope with Warrego Highway traffic and major urban growth to Brisbane’s south west, would have to be be upgraded to (say) 8 lanes and extended north from Toowong (perhaps along Route 20) as the main Brisbane-west bypass route.

The Western Brisbane Transport Network Investigation gave the game away by initially presenting a diagram showing traffic demand in its study area. This revealed a large flow from the west and north circling around the Brisbane Forest Park (ie through the Western Suburbs and along the Western Freeway). The diagram was quickly removed from the WBTNI’s web-site as it showed clearly the case for a bypass route to the west of suburban Brisbane, which the state government wanted to rule out on the grounds of a ‘lack of demand’ and incompatibility with the urban footprint established by its regional plan.

A Planning Shambles

The shambles continues in that the planning process for the ‘Kenmore Bypass’ has not revealed anything about this bigger picture in order to get community support by pretending that it just involves a local traffic congestion issue. However by doing this the planners failed: (a) to study problems with the ‘Bypass’ in its regional context; or (b) to work out that the secret ‘bigger picture’ that this link is supposed to be part of does not make any sense.

The whole ‘lets build freeways everywhere’ approach to solving the transport challenge resulting from SE Queensland’s rapid growth is also a ‘lemon’, because: (a) the adoption of an urban footprint under the regional plan prevents the urban sprawl which is vital to getting cheap rights of way for freeways; and (b) rapidly rising oil / petrol prices (which must resume following the current recession and the global peak oil event) had since about 2003 apparently started reducing motor vehicle usage in Brisbane (in terms of total vehicle km travelled) - presumably as citizens shift to favour public transport (op cit).

Quality Government?

Your recent circular suggested that citizens have a RIGHT to decent political representation - and implied that this is currently not available.  I disagree. Citizens get the quality of political representation and government that they are prepared to work for. And it is my experience over many years that Queenslanders are not prepared to put in the effort to support their political system - but expect that government will magically be a source of goodies. We currently get the poor quality of government that we deserve.

Regards
John Craig

• As taxpayers, we have a right to ensure our money is spent wisely
• As commuters, we have a right to ensure transport solutions make real improvements, not waste our money.
• As local residents, we have a right to expect our local member should hold the Government accountable
• As local residents, we have the right to expect our local member to help residents as local property searches haven’t revealed the extent of the Kenmore Bypass, and should be taking it up with the Government
• As Queenslanders, we have the right to expect our Government to stand by their statements regarding our environment and specifically protection of our state fauna emblem, Koalas.

At over half a billion dollars, to cut four minutes off peak trips, one minute off off-peak trips for about 4,500 return trips to the city, at the cost to the health and wellbeing of almost 4000 people, when there are better alternatives, we have every RIGHT to demand quick, better and cheaper alternatives.  We have every RIGHT to demand decent representation. Do this on our Actions page.

It is even more ironic that the Deputy Premier made these comments after sending our group an email the day before stating he was considering Ric Nattrass’s report on the presence of koalas in the corridor and their habitat would be clear felled.

WHAT WAS SAID IN PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY:

FLEGG:
The member for Callide spoke about the rights of pre-existing businesses. Another example that comes under this category is pre-existing transport corridors, such as the Kenmore bypass. The corridor is on the books, but people who subsequently have come to the area do not want to see that corridor used for the purpose for which it was set aside. In that setting, we already have provision for a notice to be placed through property searches. But it is important that people realise that, whether it is a transport corridor set aside for use by the whole community or whether it is a pre-existing business that predated the development, the owners or the other residents of those areas have rights.

RONAN LEE:
I want to address fairly quickly a couple of comments made by the member for Moggill about residents concerned about the proposed Kenmore bypass. I do not want to put words in the mouth of the member for Moggill, but I think he suggested that residents were being a little bit unreasonable, having lived close to what was a preserved transport corridor and now finding that there is a major road proposal. I think it is important to note that there are folk living in the suburb of Indooroopilly who are more than one kilometre away from the preserved road corridor for the Kenmore bypass who are being told that their home will be bulldozed to construct the roads. It is not just a case of folk who have moved into a suburb and they got a slightly cheaper property because it was backing onto a road corridor. We are often seeing some significant consequences for people who live in many cases quite a long way away from these proposed constructions.

I agree with the member for Moggill’s suggestions for park ‘n’ rides. I want to put on record today the desperate need for a park ‘n’ ride at the Indooroopilly Railway Station. I have spoken in this place many times in the past about this issue. There is vacant land that was being used by contractors engaged by Queensland Rail for the upgrade of the railway station. It was the site office. It was parking for all sorts of construction vehicles and staff private vehicles during the construction phase. It is currently fenced off and no-one is using it. It is an ideal location for a community car park at Indooroopilly and it should simply be built immediately.

LUCAS:
The member for Moggill, beside the issue of building design, raised the issue of the Kenmore Bypass. He is right about that. The Kenmore bypass is marked on a map very clearly so that people understand there is a planned bypass through there. No-one should make any mistake about that. The member for Moggill is quite consistent on that. The member for Indooroopilly should understand that these things actually have to be built to protect communities and to allow for growth and allow for some sort of livability in that Kenmore area. Are the shops in Kenmore or Moggill?

FLEGG: Kenmore.

LUCAS: They are marked clearly on the map. I think people have a fair enough complaint when something is suddenly foisted upon them without proper planning, but if it is marked there for years it is really difficult to see how someone can then complain about the situation.

SOME MYTHS AND FACTS

Myth:  Main Roads own the corridor - they should be able to do whatever they like.
Fact:  Main Roads own less than half of the corridor, having to resume around 90 homes and over 100,000 square metres of land.

Myth:  It is clearly marked on the map.
Fact:   UBD directories have only carried a map of the transportation corridor since 2007, after PR consultants advised the Government to do this.  Brisways and Google still don’t have the Kenmore Bypass marked on them..

Myth:  Property searches reveal the presence of the corridor.
Fact:  Property searches only reveal the presence of the corridor if Main Roads have made public that they may resume some of your land or it is adjacent to it generally. E.g. the single working mother of three, who is immediately opposite the corridor, whose property search reveals ‘Main Roads has no interest in your land’; E. g. the young man who purchased a home in FTP in May 2008, 2 kilometres from the corridor, whose property search reveals ‘Main Roads has no interest in your land’, only to find the Main Roads pre-feasibility study said the home would need to be resumed (report dated September 2007).

Myth:  The road will improve the livability of the area.
Fact:  With just under 4000 people living in the Main Roads identified ‘impact area’, suffering from impacts such as noise, reduced air quality (and associated disease), and run the area down…

Myth:  This will allow for growth.
Fact:   The regional plan, only shows grow of 6% across twenty years.  Does the Minister for Planning have other designs on this area he is not sharing with us?  Is this part of the SEQ Regional Plan review?

Myth:  This is a local road.
Fact:  At 4 lanes, 80 km/h, motorway standard, this road is designed to connect to other motorways (namely the Warrego and Centenary Highways).  This is a part of the State Government’s western bypass - a western bypass which now comes from Karalee to Fig Tree Pocket, along the Centenary Highway, snakes through the streets of Toowong etc, to Trouts Road, up to Gympie Road.

Myth:  Building the Kenmore Bypass will fix Moggill Road.
Fact:   Main Roads traffic modelling shows the problem on Moggill Road is predominantly east of Marshall Lane to the Freeway, with the rest of Moggill Road moving between 28 km/h and 44 km/h in the morning peak.  The problem is in downstream congestion, which needs to be resolved.  Even if the Western Freeway was free moving, the Kenmore Bypass only cuts 4 minutes off of a peak trip to the city.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ?

With an election campaign in the offing, you can be assured we will be taking the campaign door to door, street to street, in this area, and right around the state, holding the Government and the opposition’s policies and actions up for scrutiny.

During the campaign, your assistance in:

• Helping letterbox drop
• Call talkback radio
• Write letters to the editor
• Put up signs
• Call volunteers / man office
• Donations

In the meantime, please go to the Actions page and:

• Email the Premier, and the Opposition Leader
• Write a letter to the editor
• Talk to your family, friends and colleagues.

With your help, we have a unique opportunity to use our RIGHT to tell the politicians “NO KENMORE BYPASS!” and MAKE them look at the better alternatives.

Please save our suburbs!

I will be emailing them tonight mentioning the habitat between Kersley and Kenmore Roads, along with the BCC owned park between Gem and Kenmore Roads, and the bushland from Gem Road to Rafting Ground Park.  Also, I will be sending the photos I have taken of evidence of the koalas living in the area.  Please do what you can also!

Clean Up Australia Day is on Sunday 1st March this year.  Atkinson and Kingfisher Parks are now a registered clean up site.

Meeting point is Atkinson Park on Sunset road from 10 am until noon. Look for the Clean Up Australia Day signs.  This a great way to help show community pride in our beautiful parks and do something really positive for the environment which is in our backyards.

Clean Up Australia has provided kits including garbage bags, gloves etc and a skip for large articles and rubbish bags when finished.

Everyone intending on volunteering needs to wear appropriate footwear and clothing.  Don’t forget the sunscreen, hats and water.

Please check the Clean Up Australia website for details we have our own page and if you can’t physically help out come on down and say hi to the crew.  We would love to see you and have a chat.

Dear Mr Kilgour

I write to acknowledge receipt of your email sent 9th December 2008 regarding the Kenmore Bypass. I apologise for the delay in my response to you.

I certainly appreciate your contribution and look forward to referring to your correspondence during LNP policy development.

The LNP is mindful that most of the western suburbs do not want an extension of the Ipswich Motorway through their areas as a bypass and the Centenary Highway is certainly at capacity.

The LNP is currently developing more transport policies and this will be included in those deliberations.

Therefore we would prefer to examine all options and complete proper transparent consultation with all stakeholders involved.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to my attention.

Yours Sincerely

Lawrence Springborg
Leader of the Opposition

We welcome Main roads extension of the Stage 2 comment, but Main Roads still have a lot of information to release (noise studies, environmental reports, revised designs etc).  The results of the Government studies looking at transport in Western Brisbane is well overdue.

We realise the process for the Kenmore Bypass Study is long and protracted which in itself is stressful for many. One comment that a lot of people have made is that out of the adversity people have seen the sense of community that they longed for.  It is this sense of community, or all of us loving our community and being prepared to fight for it, that will achieve our goal of the quicker, better and cheaper alternatives to the Kenmore Bypass being adopted instead of an outdated planning concept.

We strongly encourage everyone to get together with your neighbours, friends and family over Christmas, New Year or even Australia Day - why not have a street party?  We are all different people, with different ideas on a lot of things, but we are united by our objection to the Kenmore Bypass and its extension to the Warrego Highway.

Thanks for all your help, support and efforts through the year.  With your help and voice, we are making progress in influencing the decision makers, but there is still more to be done.  If you have spare time and want to take on a project, let us know - contact@saveourkenmore.com or go to our actions page and do those.  Otherwise, we look forward to all of us working together next year and achieving our goal.

Festive regards,
Save Our Suburbs - Kenmore to Karalee

…It is believed there are less than 20,000 koalas now in the wild in southeast Queensland…The surveys reveal that since 2001, koala numbers have dropped by 45 per cent in Pine Rivers….

…[Sustainability and Climate Change Minister Andrew McNamara said] the Government’s current koala plan was not working and the koala population was on the edge of an irreversible decline…

West Brisbane Greens will be running a last meeting for 2008, to catch everyone before the school break and summer takes everyone to the beaches etc.

This time we are moving across the border to Bellbowrie, to get a wider group into the discussion of alternatives.

Everyone in Kenmore interested in the bypass and alternatives to fixing Moggill Road is obviously welcome to attend. Please also ask friends and relatives in other areas to show up.

I hope we see as many of you as can make it.

Details: 7pm Wednesday 10 December, Bellbowrie Community Church, 3077 Moggill Road.

It is my opinion, the impact of the options proposed by Main Roads Kenmore Bypass Study are far too great on the environment, individuals and the community to be considered.

At our recent meeting it was suggested that we should not support any of the Main Roads options and draw a line through their options, and instead take the opportunity to list your concerns on the comment section of the form.

From my CRG report you can see just some of the concerns I have of the impacts and the inadequate mitigation attempts by the Engineering company advising Main Roads have proposed.

• Environmental damage – loss of habitat for many important species living in the corridor including Koalas.
• Noise – not able to meet the DMR standard for new roads
• Impact of pollution on resident’s health
• Visual impact
• Change in land use
• Reduced air flow and shading issues
• Limited life of the interchanges
• Risk of acid soils near Moggill Creek
• Massive carbon emissions to construct
• Increased flood risk
• Lack of access during flooding for residents
• Loss of bus services
• Loss of BCC owned parkland and shift of traffic problems to BCC
• Widespread community disruption and loss of services
• Emergence of law and order problems
• Changed demographic of the area
• Failure to consider other alternatives, even with terms of reference

I would also ask that you continue to write to our elected leaders:

• ThePremier@premiers.qld.gov.au;
• southern.downs@parliament.qld.gov.au
• ronan.lee@parliament.qld.gov.au

Point out the impacts and also how they could better spend the money on the study, and what the alternatives are:

The six million dollars being spent on studying the Kenmore bypass study this year could pay for:

• Three pedestrian overpasses/underpasses on Moggill Road to keep our kids safe, separated from traffic and get traffic moving; or
• Over 20 kilometres of pedestrian path and bikeways; or
• Put 24 extra buses on the road for one year, which could carry almost 2000 additional passengers per hour.

Demand quicker, better and cheaper alternatives than the Kenmore Bypass:

• Building a local bridge from Moggill to Wacol would cut trip times in half, cost 20% of the Kenmore bypass, give direct access to rail and three freeways and not involve killing off koalas or impacting 3850 local residents’ health, lifestyle or quality of life.
• Pedestrian overpasses/underpasses at our schools and on Moggill Road would keep our kids safe and get traffic moving.
• Fixing the Kenmore Roundabout.
• Supporting better public transport (such as access to rail or providing light rail, improved bus routes) and a wider active transport network to tackle congestion, pressure on family budgets and climate change head on.
• Better planning, locating Government services (such as schools) where people live, to give residents the choice of not driving.