Redlands residents raise questions for election candidates such as implementing a Queensland ICAC

Redlands residents raise questions for election candidates – such as implementing a Queensland ICAC

A state election in less than a week and Redlands residents continue to raise matters that the political parties seem to NOT want to hear or are unwilling to address.

Letters this week raise the impact of parking at building sites on koalas, poor roads, community litigation and the need for a Queensland ICAC.

If you want to discuss questions with anyone running for the state election, here is our guide:

State Election: Candidates in the Redlands


Koalas threatened by parking

On almost every construction site subcontractor parking is an after thought and  results in some sort of conflict  with local residents, littering and site degradation. There are serious concerns about sub contractors parking near the construction site at the junction of Shore St. East and Wharf St. Cleveland.

Although there is little subcontractor activity at present, as the building progresses, there will be a need for probably a large number of subcontractors etc. to park as near to the site as possible. It is unlikely that there is, or will be, any provision for on-site parking.

The obvious place for this parking is on the grassed areas on Shore St. East, immediately opposite the site.

There are several trees on these grassed areas which are known to be home to a number of koalas who travel at all times of the day and night from tree to tree along the ground and a number of brush turkeys who live and feed in this area.

The impact of a large number of vehicles parking on the grass for a protracted period will inhibit the free movement of these animals and will almost certainly have  dire consequences for these animals who are already suffering from loss of habitat.

Council’s assistance is needed in resolving this issue by preventing these grassed areas from becoming a litter strewn dirt car park with a few terrified koalas living in the trees above and the brush turkeys being driven away to settle elsewhere.

Of course, the compaction of the ground will have a long term, negative effect on the health  of the gum trees, further threatening the health and ultimate survival of these koals.

There is need for decision makers to discuss the best options available.

JK
Cleveland


Bad roads kill people

Finucane Road

My recent letter to Jackie Trad reads:

I live in Capalaba where we are seeing more deaths, near misses, crashes on Finucane Rd your govt admitted is a ‘dangerous’ roadway, not meant for the kind of traffic we see today.  Even a semi-trailer killed a young 25 yr old at the 4-way intersection in Capalaba.

As you know these monstrous vehicles can’t brake suddenly.  Trailer jack knifed, slicing off top of the small car ….but these incidents are kept quiet…you don’t too read too much about them in the local or any other newspaper.  But what we are seeing Jackie Trad, are an increasing number of floral posies at places where young people have died…but neither you nor anyone in your party need to see these roadside arrangements that I see on a daily basis.

As my late husband Paul said ‘we can all be bought’…and how easily it seems to me.

What action will your party take in the near future to alleviate increasing gridlock on Redland roads where most of the work force drive out of the City? 

Today, in the a.m. traffic is lined up from 4-way intersection in Capalaba along Finucane Rd winding around Windemere Rd in Alex Hills…which will increase as new housing estates continue to be built?

A E Glade
Capalaba


 EDO will make litigation possible

I have just received a letter from the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO). Many residents like myself are very concerned with the way commercial decisions in the Redlands are taking priority over the concerns of the Aboriginal Elders on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) and the concerns of residents of the Redlands.

At the current rate of tree clearing to make way for even more high rise and small lot housing, we will soon lose the remaining 20% of koalas from the mainland of SE Qld.  Then all who supported unbridled commercial development at the expense of our roads, our wildlife and our lifestyle, will be able to pat themselves on the back and say “I was part of that.”

Fortunately the Environmental Defenders Office will now make litigation possible and where we see vested interests over-ruling the environmental health of our region we will be able to hold you accountable.

Without mentioning any of your names it is easy to find evidence of key figures in Councils, Queensland LNP and Queensland Labor in a warm supportive relationship with development companies whose aim is to deplete dwindling stocks of koalas, dugongs, seagrass, shore-birds, dolphins and various fish species for commercial gain.  At Toondah the development is in the form of 3,600 units over the Ramsar wetlands. No one seems to have properly considered the environmental health of the Redlands or existing Infrastructure such as schools, public transport and rapidly increasing road congestion.

Redland City Council will soon have to adopt a new logo as part of its “New Brand for the Redlands” and I suggest a stylised version of a block of units. As a biologist I can say that we will lose our koalas from mainland Redlands over the next 20 years at the current rate of clearing.

It is too late for promises like a pledge for “extensive tree planting across the electorate”.   Koalas don’t sit and wait for 10-15 years while new trees mature.  Once decimated you cannot simply replace mature forests just as you cannot easily rectify a contaminated ground water system.

For those of you hoping to win government at the Queensland State Election on 25th November I would ask that they reflect back on the last 3 years and see they deserve to be in office. Here is a small fraction of the letter from the EDO:

Increasing interest in and activity around the preservation and protection of our environment often ends up in litigation, and citizens and groups swept up in that litigation will need professional legal help. That is the very assistance the EDO uniquely and, to my perception, effectively provides.

DT
Victoria Point


Local government inquiry needed

What do we want?

The Queensland CCC investigates less than 2% of complaints with the other 98% being referred back to department or other body where they “Largely Disappear”. This sad fact is reported by Professor Timothy Prenzler.

Queensland needs an organisation with powers of inquiry that recognise the harm, diagnose the causes, stop the harm. 

An organisation like the recent NSW ICAC…with teeth.  Put the teeth in the watchdog and let it off the lead.

I suggest we get all candidates to commit to these two things and publicly make it an election promise:-

First hold an Inquiry into Local Government in Queensland with the following requisites:

a. With the powers of a Royal Commission
b. Established within 3 months of the election.
c. Implement findings prior to the next LG election in March 2020.

Second,  promise to deliver for Queensland a FULL ICAC (i.e. Independent Commission Against Corruption) 
a. This need to be based on the NSW ICAC (as it was prior to their 2016 amendments).
b. ensuring it is legislated, established, fully resourced and operational within this term of Parliament (within the next 3 years) but essentially before BEFORE the next LG election in March 2020.
c. powers are retrospective to at least the start of the Queensland Belcarra Inquiry.

ND
Thornlands


If you have something to say to people in the Redlands, email us at:

theeditor@redlands2030.net

 

Letters published by Redlands2030 – 21 November 2017

Any election material published on this website is authorised by Steve MacDonald of 104 Channel Street Cleveland,

 

4 Comments

Toni, Nov 21, 2017

The CCC is a toothless tiger and in regards to complaints from the Redlands community to the CCC there is poor response.

Toni, Nov 21, 2017

In regards to the story re parking in Wharf Street and other surrounding streets due to over developement. I would question how any developer has the right to close off the whole footpath which provides public assess. The Council has been quick to fine cars parked on footpaths but in Cleveland it seems the developers can close the whole footpath off and clear the community trees on the footpath. The subbies will park all over the remaining pubic land. Council again sitting on its hands.

Leonard White, Nov 21, 2017

The points raised by DT in relation to EDO are relevant, and people with a good Barrister’s Opinion and cashed up, arguably can go to court /or settle out of court , when a new manual on how to save bushland and stay out of court is needed, but going back to square one
1. The gazettal of 7 pieces of the near LNP planning legislation July 3rd (See QCC/EDO Report card 2015)plus the gutted SEQ Regional Plan 2017(See this website), and without the Koala components returns us to 1980s type outcomes.
2. The thin Koala Plan was gazetted in September 2017 restricting clearing to perhaps 3 ha a day per development and tied to peculiar Koala Plan 19 koala maps from 2010,( from previous dubious mapping 2009) and featuring not much else does little for koala survival.
The Ministers Koala Panel Report and Maps/modelling for SEQ 2017 are a no show.
This ancient KP mapping avoids the new Koala Habitat REs and High Value Regrowth , & new Koala Habitat Mapping achievements by SEQ Catchments in 4 Local Authorities .
3. The 6 Planning Principles by Prof Daryl Low Choy 2016 are a critique on the deficiencies of 3 or 4 levels of Planning Legislation in Australia . There are probably not enough hooks in the considerably gutted Qld planning and LNP environmental legislation to use these and some other tools in a court case against the RCC Planning Scheme, but a framework is needed.
4. The bigger threat is the $5M Strategic Investigation Assessment under the EPBC Act ,pushed by the Property Council geared to investigate South Thornlands and 9 other PFGAs, search for nebulous Koala and Biodiversity Offset lands and another 50,000 ha for another 1.7 Million (migrants ?) as well as create a One stop approval shop for SARA.
While Matters of State Environmental Significance and Matters of Local Environmental Significance are to be included the status of koala habitat and Regional Biodiversity Values are unknown . The Tertiary Institutions, Royal Society and Centres of Excellence should take over this money to identify and save some of the unrecognised Biodiversity Hotspots in SEQ.;Mt Cotton , Eprapah Creek and parts of NSI and the disappearing Sunshine Coast . Targetting the SIA is a fundamental action in 2017-2019
4. RCC is a part of the East Coast Forests -Worlds 35th Biodiversity Hotspot (Williams 2011) featuring the 2nd highest number of Coastal Eucalypts and very high endemism.
5. While resourcing for scientific studies (ie KOALA Mapping in RCC, or greater Toondah benthic and bird studies) is skewed to Grants Commission parameters and CRC like centres , KRN there is little chance of a level playing field, without a blitz on Federal and State processes.

Dennis Tafe, Nov 21, 2017

We definitely need a QLD ICAC. The current CCC is woefully inadequate and only investigates a tiny percentage of complaints. Those committing offences are well aware of this fact.

Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net

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