Warren

Wouldn’t it be good journalism if someone with the right resources, compiled a list profile of all major land holdings in the Pullenvale area in general where it could be inferred financial benefit from the bypass being built. Look for ownership/directorship/company/association, look for size of land, look for development applications, look for financial support of party politicing. In other words ask the hard question on ‘who stands to gain’. I encourage full transparency in all intended transactions, perhaps it is time all cards were on the table.
Would someone send me the template response to the SEQ plan please.

Craig

I agree with Warren.

I have spent some time wrestling with the inconsistency in Bruce Flegg’s stance on the bypass. He vigorously opposed the Goodna Bypass (some Liberal Federal party members blame Flegg for the loss of the federal election on this). He vigorously opposed the West of Mt Coot Tha bypass. Yet he is championing the Kenmore Bypass and promising the electorate that it will not go through to Ipswich.
In talking to people in the lead up to the state election I was told that a suit was brought to the l
Land and Environment Court to subdivide the pineapple farms into small blocks. In its judgement the court held that small block subdivision could not proceed west of Kenmore until 1. Moggill Road was improved to 4 lanes and 2. the Kenmore Bypass was built. Note, it did not say anything about addressing congestion: it just listed these two criteria.

Bruce Flegg is primarily a property developer. His stance on the bypass is only peripherally associated with congestion. If he were interested in congestion he could not push the bypass and remain silent on fixing congestion on the Centenary Highway.

Bruce may actually believe that he can have the Kenmore Bypass built and not have the second Ipswich motorway done also (stage 2). If so he is naiive.

But, Bruce Flegg has no intention of building the bypass to assist current residents. If the Bypass is built Pullenvale, Bellbowrie, Anstead, Moggill: all will become new satellite suburbs just like North Lakes, Springfield Lakes and Morayfield.

How will the people who support the Bypass feel when they have to share their road (and their suburbs) with an additional 40,000 households? Don’t be fooled: if Flegg delivers the bypass he will surely deliver the population.

Sarah

I agree with Warren and Craig. Although I’m rather dubious that the media would do such a thing. I fear the golden age of journalistic integrity has long gone. Look at how well the media did their job with the Pauline Hanson exposé.

I spoke to Main Roads last week, a rather helpful young lady who explained a lot. Although they were still looking into the recent purchase at Karalee, the explanation into the purchase of Jacaranda Hill (Gem Road) was what I expected (developer’s hardship).

A few other things stood out in our conversation:

*The Kenmore Bypass project team are only looking at the Kenmore Bypass SECTION of the Moggill Sub-Arterial
*The Kenmore Bypass is the FIRST STEP in the Moggill Sub-Arterial
*The Moggill Sub-Arterial would SERVICE MORE commuters than a bridge across the river at Bellbowrie
*The bridge is a council matter, and none of their concern
*Once the investigation is complete they submit their findings, it’s debated in parliament, if ruled in favour of Bypass then funding must be applied for

…I hope the more urgent projects have a louder voice than Bruce Flegg. I guess it depends on the demands across the river from Moggill & Co. Particularly, if the Labor worry they’ll lose an election because they’re losing support in those areas. Labor doesn’t really care about the Western Suburbs of Brisbane because it’s the Liberal heartland. Why spend the money if it won’t get them votes?

There are many words to describe Bruce Flegg and his stance on the KB. Naiive is a good one to use when the children are around. You raise an interesting point for discussion around the Pineapple Farms…but I thought the condition was to build the bridge? Interesting…

Mr Kenmore Bypass and his supporters may view the KB as a private driveway between the Moggill satellite and the Western Freeway/Centenary Highway-car-park, and are obviously in a state of denial that the KB would be built simply to make their lives easier. It’s so bleeding obvious that the Kenmore Bypass is a piece of a larger puzzle, dare I say, a possible long-term solution to population growth.

I say possible, because I believe improved access to public transport, local services, and enhanced community capacity is a better solution.

Those in favour of the KB want to call those opposed a bunch of Nimbys? Fine, I’d rather be labelled a tree-hugging-hippy who gives a damn about the bigger picture than an ignorant-in-denial.

At the end of the day, Bruce Flegg is one of the richest men in Queensland who will look forward to retirement. He’s just cruising along enjoying his nice, safe, and comfortable Liberal seat. If he gets his way with the KB, he’ll be long gone before those who believed his BS start to realise the monster they’ve unleashed.

SEQ REGIONAL PLAN SUBMISSION TIME EXTENDED TO FRIDAY 1 MAY

For anyone who missed out on completing a SEQ Regional Plan submission, good news the time has been extended to Friday 1st May by the new minister.

This is an important opportunity not to be missed if you want to have a say about what happens to our greenspace in Kenmore and the western suburbs.

You can use the previous links or Queensland Conservation have forwarded this link as well http://qccqld.org.au/SEQ_submission.html

Do what you can folks, we don’t have many opportunities like this to say how important our greenspace is to all of us. It only take a few minutes.

Laure

can someone clarify something for me – is it correct that the KB is not listed specifically in the SEQ plan, but it is in the SEQ Infrastructure Plan – so technically it is in the SEQ plan???

Sarah

Check out this ABC News story:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/28/2555193.htm

In particular:

“But Sir Rod says it is up to the Government to make the right decision on which projects to approve.

“Not to build bridges over puddles and roads to nowhere,” he said.”

Is it a bad thing to be cautiously optimistic?

anon

thats good news.

but the problem with the KB is that it isn’t a road to nowhere – it will be joining the Ipswich Motorway to make a heavy freight route

a better idea is rail through the corridor. if the Centenary Motorway is to be duplicated (which is the rumour) then surely 2 lanes could be for light or heavy rail !

Bill

Does anybody know if the current financial crisis is likely to affect the KB? When should we expect to hear whether planning will move to the next stage? Leaving residents “in limbo” and paralysing property values is unfair and should not be left unchallenged.

Sarah

Hi Bill, the way it was explained to me by Main Roads is that *if* the ridiculous study recommends the Bypass then the Government needs to apply for funding. This funding would need to be debated in parliment and would be subject to approval there.

My hope is that *if* this ridiculous study does recommend the Bypass, that all the other political agendas and survival instincts of the MPs kicks in and they all fight for the funding to go elsewhere. I’d really like to see the funding go into sustainable public transport (i.e., transport that doesn’t discriminate because one doesn’t or can’t drive), but if I can’t have my way…would prefer to see $1billion go into Health over a 3km stretch of road.

Keep your fingers crossed, Bill. However, the GFCrises could easily be an excuse to spend the money to create jobs.

Liz

I agree Bill. The lack of feedback from MR as to the outcome of the study is leaving us in a limbo, not also a false sense of ‘things are back to normal’.

Victoria

Reading this week’s Westside News two articles caught my eye – 1. On the front page 1 a trial 40km speed zone on Moggill Road outside OLR school gets the nod and on page 3 which caused a bit more distress more than $2 milliom for “concept planning” for the Kenmore Bypass – can anyone advise me just what this means please?

Liz

Please respond to the KB Environmental Impact Study by 30/06
http://www.mainroads.qld.gov.au/web/publicCR.nsf/DOCINDEX/Kenmore+Bypass+Planning+Study

Anon

Here we go again! Please respond to the
Environmental study impact by 30th June. We have to make the government hear what the “real’ people think.

DIFFERENT ANON

Don’t you just love it when they give us 1 week and a half to reply to their silly reports. This proces is designed in Main Roads favour over and over again. The CRG is a farce. Never the less we should let them know what we think, AGAIN.

The State Government has alocated over another $2 million in the toughest budget yet to draw concept plans for the Kenmore Bypass, and yet they say there has been no decision made to build it. YEH RIGHT!!

Meanwhile back at the office the koalas in SEQ are on a collison couse of death and destruction. Oh and now money has also been allocated for the Kholo Quarryas well no prizes for guessing where the building materials will come from to build the KB and the rest of the Moggill Pocket Sub-Arterial.

Bruce Flegg opened up this can of worms I hope he sticks around to see the western suburbs destroyed.

Sarah

(I’m using Kenmore/Gem Rd examples here because that’s what I’m most familiar with)

Worried about loss of green space? Don’t worry! We’ll landscape the KB to make it look pretty. So pretty, you’ll forget all about the boring field we tore up…

Worried about us slicing Gem Road up? Don’t worry! We’ll provide lots of signs that’ll direct you around streets you never would’ve used before. Probably because they weren’t that direct and added pointless time onto your trip…but you didn’t hear that from me!

Worried about the 431 or 433? Pfft, don’t worry! No one uses those busses anyway. After all, “the SEQRP acknowledges that whilst the development of public transport is a key priority, the majority of trips in SEQ will continue to be car based (Chapter 11, page 11)”. Just drive your car, we don’t give a hoot about public transport…we build roads…MAIN ROADS, duh!

Annoyed by construction? Call 1300-we-don’t-care…because, we don’t care about your concerns.

Clearly.

Also clear, is the bias presented in this report.

“SEQRP identifies the need to protect and manage future transport sites and corridors”: Oh yes, no one’s cerrtain that this waste of money will go ahead…

anon3

this might be of interest:

http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/docs/find.aspx?id=5309T463

Victoria

I sent an email to the mainroadskenmorebypass study and this is the response I got – is there another email address?

“Thank you for your email regarding the Kenmore Bypass Planning Study. TheStage 2 community comment period has now closed. The Kenmore Bypass Planning Study project team is currently undertakingfurther technical and environmental investigations and reviewing thecommunity feedback received to determine a preferred planning option for apotential Kenmore Bypass. The preferred planning option will be presented to the community forcomment in Stage 3 later this year. If you have any further enquiries contact the project team on 1800 422 638 Regards, The Kenmore Bypass Planning Study project team”

Sarah

Anon3 (boy, there are a lot of anon’s around the place!) – I watched this report with great interest on the news tonight.

I can’t say I’m shocked by the findings, but am cautiously hopeful this is the start of better planning process and the end of stupid, useless, and expensive roads.

Insider

Government is considering widening the Western Freeway from the Toowong Roundabout (where the Northern Link tunnel would be) to Moggill Road intersection. Upgrade will include this intersection. Cost I assume would be $300M approx.

Govt wants to see the impact of New Centenary Highway Road (Yamanto to Springfield)- in how much traffic will be taken off Ipswich Motorway. This new road will provide extra capacity on the widened Ipswich Motorway. Thus why would a freeway be needed from Karalee to Kenmore?