Letters about transport, Toondah and health

Redlands residents write about imaginative ways of improving transport services for the Redlands, misleading impressions of the proposed Toondah development and the World’s Greatest Shave.

If you have something to say, email: theeditor@redlands2030.net

We would really like to hear your opinion about what makes Redlands a great place to live.

Redlands and Brisbane transport collaboration

It is good to know that the Regional Council of Mayors have realised that the answer to our transport problems is to join together, especially the Redlands and Brisbane City Councils to plan for the future.

It seems to me that the answer to the vast majority of Redland City transport problems would be to extend the Cross River line 17km from Boggo Road to Capalaba, with stations at Carindale and the Sleiman Centre. Add the already planned 3km. from Boggo Road to Albert St. and trains averaging only 60 km/hr would take only 20 minutes to go from Capalaba to the centre of the city.

Have large express buses capable of carrying over 100 people from Victoria Point, Cleveland, and Wellington Point, to Capalaba in time to catch the train, and commuters could travel from these three centres to the centre of Brisbane in 45 minutes. Imagine how much traffic that would take off all our roads as well as roads from Redlands to Brisbane!

This would eliminate the need to extend the Eastern Busway past Stones Corner and avoid adding to the multitude of buses already congesting and polluting the city. Anyone who had ever had the displeasure of trying to catch a bus either from the Cultural Centre or South Bank at the best of times would know how bad it is, let alone in peak hour. You never know which stop your bus is going to stop at because there can be five or more buses arriving at exactly the same time.

As for the plan to duplicate the misery line from Manly to Cleveland, I fail to see how this would do anything to improve travel from Cleveland to Central. Trains already run at fifteen minute intervals in peak hour and demand is not great, because it takes over an hour to get to Central and express trains only save five minutes. Also, the “park and ride” car park at Cleveland station is full by about 7am on week days.

This plan would also eliminate the need for a lot of planned infrastructure projects throughout our city and the savings from these three projects must surely go a long way to funding this plan.

If the Council of Mayors truly wants innovative approaches beyond the traditional, I suggest they give serious thought to my idea.

DP
Cleveland

World’s Greatest Shave

Whilst it has been imperative to campaign on issues such as over – development and the Toondah PDA issue in Cleveland in recent months another issue that has affected a great deal of us does need attention once again. Cancer affects thousands of people across Australia and millions around the world and takes no prisoners and doesn’t discriminate. 

We have all known somebody affected by cancer whether it is a close family member, friend, teacher, neighbor, or even a colleague at work. That’s why some of us are going to be fundraising and building up awareness for shave for a cure locally by March 9^th this year. 

It’s important that we get the message out particularly when it comes to cancers like Leukemia. Every bit helps to raise awareness about cancer treatment.  You don’t have to shave your head either if you want to get involved and participate you can donate, color your hair or wax an appropriate part of your body. I’ve done it before and it’s a great way to build awareness for such an important issue. 

Please be sure to check out the cause and get involved we need as much support as we can muster: 

C. Sorensen Karklis 
Cleveland 

Toondah: development or deception?

The Redland City Bulletin 2/1/2019 featured a large front page impression depicting the Toondah Harbour development.

This sketch was no doubt designed to create a false impression. It shows a swimming pool set in GJ Walter Park. A true picture would show a large cluster of Gold Coast type buildings obscuring the horizon in the background.

Toondah is however some 40 buildings ten stories high, 3,600 units, 10,000 people, 5,000 cars and no railway parking.

Construction will cover the area from GJ Walter Park almost to Cassim Island. Even including a large area of RAMSAR protected wetlands. RAMSAR is a 170 nation agreement to protect feeding and resting areas for migratory birds.

Redlands Council has pursued development while ignoring their obligation to provide improved facilities for rate payers. Toondah seems another project designed to satisfy developer greed and Council ego.

What consideration has been given to the huge impact on vegetation, lifestyle, rate increases to cover maintenance, traffic congestion, lack of car parking? Cleveland will be swamped by this influx etc.

This development has been slammed by architects, planners, environmentalists and marine biologists as impractical.

Disturbing acid sulphate contaminated soil during construction has the capacity to severely damage nearby coral, seagrass beds, fish habitat, even destruction of state protected mangrove trees.

The planning has been secretive to say the least with Redland Council foolishly signing a confidentiality agreement, apparently to ensure ratepayers were not made aware of the massive impact on their lifestyle and finances.

Many questions have remained unanswered like how this developer acquired access to this massive area of our waterfront and bay. Was it paid for and if so from whom? How much and who got the money?

The 2030 Group applied for information through Right to Information. The Office of the Information Commissioner granted the application saying ratepayers were entitled to the information. The developer “Walker” has now appealed the decision.

One starts to believe this whole project needs an investigation because it won’t give ratepayers the better lifestyle promised by Council and the developer.

DD
Cleveland

Toondah impressions mislead

I applaud the letter from PG Ormiston to the Redland City Bulletin asking them to remove the artist impression of Toondah Harbour submitted by Walker Group from the front page of their paper recently.

I am sure the RCB are aware it would look naught, nought, nothing like Walkers submission. I wrote to them 3 years ago when they splashed the picture on the front page with the headline ‘Cleveland All Grown Up’ telling them their reporting was reckless at best.

• 

They are fully aware this is a sales prop, not a  blueprint document. 

CD
Ormiston

Letters published by Redlands2030 – 24 February 2019