Redland City Council has awarded a $5,950,214.27 contract to Alder Constructions for upgrades to Charlie Buckler Memorial Sporting Fields at Redland Bay. Councillors voted 7/3 at the July Meeting to “approve the project budget to be brought forward”.
Alder Constructions was previously awarded a contract worth $61,274,400 on 16 December 2022 for Stage 1 Construction of Redlands Coast Regional Sport and Recreation Precinct at Heinemann Road.
But the Heinemann Road contract has been held up because the Council’s plans to clear 550 trees on site triggered Federal Government environmental controls.
A problem for the Council is that if approval was given for the 550 trees to be cleared, then council would be required to offset this environmental destruction by planting more trees elsewhere. But apparently, there is nowhere else in the Redlands where the Council could undertake the large ammount of tree planting that would be required.
State MP for Capalaba has explained the Council’s Heinemann Road problems in a video on his Facebook page.
Some of the money that Council planned to spend on its Heinemann Road project (which has a total estimated cost of $200 million) was from a State Government grant which had to be used soon. These funds are now being reallocated to the Charlie Buckler sports fields.
The Council says that this spending will be on a new clubhouse, more car parks, reconfigured fields that will improve drainage across the site, new practice cricket nets, a new dog off-leash area, new pathways and safer site entry.
Sporting clubs to benefit from the Charlie Buckler sports fields upgrade works are: the Southern Bay Cyclones Rugby Union, the Redland Sharks Cricket Club, and the Redland Bay Tennis Club.
So what other sports facilities in the Redlands need money spent on them?
Charlie Buckler spending decision
Redlands2030 – 5 August 2023
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