Busy showgrounds upsets Cleveland residents

Cleveland Showgrounds and nearby housing

Letters this week say residents’ concerns about excessive noise, artificial lighting and traffic congestion at Cleveland Showgrounds have fallen on deaf Council ears.

Another local is disappointed with the lack of Council action to restore the health of the creek running into the Black Swamp wetlands.

Cleveland Showgrounds

Cleveland Showgrounds on a Friday evening

On behalf of many concerned residents of Cleveland who live close to Norm Price Park (the Cleveland Showgrounds), we are increasingly concerned that over the past 6 years or so management of the Showground has disrupted our lives, these disruptions include:

• The progressive redevelopment, without consulting local residents, of the Cleveland Showgrounds for playing fields which have been made available for exclusive use by Redlands Touch Association and Redlands United Football Club
• The very high levels of noise now emanating from the new playing fields from public address systems, sirens and the players on the fields
• The extent of artificial light from the new playing fields that floods the homes of nearby residents 6 nights every week
• The extensive traffic congestion in Long Street, Smith Street and Topatig Street caused by the large number of people driving to the playing fields mostly from areas outside Cleveland

We lodged written complaints with the CEO of Redland City Council in 2012 and have lodged similar formal complaints every year since. Over most of this time Redlands City Council ignored these complaints but in 2016 started responding. For the most part the response was clearly intended to brush our complaints aside. Redland City Council has admitted that they have received numerous complaints about these issues. A number of local residents confirm that they have also lodged written complaints with Redland City Council but have also been given the brush off.

We are so desperate that many of us have discussed legal action by way of a claim of Injurious Affection against Redland City Council. This is in response to the actions and failures of Council in redeveloping Norm Price park for exclusive use by incorporated sporting clubs. To date we have been very disappointed by the Council’s response. Yet Council expects us to continue to suffer.

Given concerns about the sale of parks just prior to the Council elections the issues raised might be just the tip of a much larger iceberg. Management issues of the public land and the swamping of the show ground with special facilities for a small number of sporting clubs and setting these areas aside for their almost exclusive use are concerns needing to be properly aired. The community deserves to know what arrangements are in place between these private organisations and the Redland City Council which result in the public being denied use of public land and how much Ratepayers are being forced to pay to keep the facilities operating.

Perhaps anyone with like concerns can add their views to this letter so that we create an impetus to investigate further and inform the People of Redland City.

BK
Cleveland

Black Swamp Wetlands

Creek entering Black Swamp Wetlands – Photo Google Maps street view

I didn’t know that 2 February was Wetlands Day. I live near Black Swamp Wetlands in Cleveland and recently went into Council buildings to report the sad state of the creek that runs into the Wetlands on Wellington Street opposite Grant Street.

The water is covered with what locally is known as Duck Weed. This weed prevents oxygen getting through and into the water so any fish left in there are killed off. The result I saw was that few fish survive.

In addition the overhang of all bushes and vegetation is soon going to prevent the water running through the Wetlands.

So far nothing has been done. Am I being over picky?

JP
Cleveland

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Letters published by Redlands2030 – 18 February 2017