1000 concerned local residents joined wildlife expert and media personality, Ric Nattrass, for a walk through part of the Kenmore Bypass Corridor. A report Ric undertook for concerned local residents showed that should the Kenmore Bypass proceed, it would not take long for all traces of local koalas to disappear.
This freeway would lead to killing off the local koala population, bulldozing up to 150 homes, resuming 145000 square metres of private property, major impact on 3850 local residents (including health, noise, lifestyle, and law and order) and cost the taxpayers $500 Million.
This is a key credibility test for Premier Anna Bligh and opposition leader Lawrence Springborg, as to whether either of them will stand up for our local koalas, our local residents, local commuters and Queensland’s taxpayers, to support the quicker, better and cheaper alternatives:
- Building a bridge from Moggill to Wacol would cut trip times in half, cost 20% of the Kenmore bypass, give direct access to rail and three freeways and not involve killing off koalas or impacting so many local residents.
- Pedestrian overpasses/underpasses at our schools and on Moggill Road would keep our kids safe and get traffic moving.
- Fixing the Kenmore Roundabout.
- Supporting better public transport (such as access to rail or providing light rail, improved bus routes) and a wider active transport network would help take the strain off.
- Better planning, locating Governent services (such as schools) where people live, to give residents the choice of not driving.
The campaign continues and we ask everyone to keep the pressure on our politicians to protect our koalas, to spend our money wisely, to deliver long term transport solutions and a better future for our kids.
8 Comments to “Corridor walk was a huge success!”
Julie
I thoroughly enjoyed the walk last Sunday, many of my neighbours remarked how nice it was to be together enjoying our beautiful environment. There were many people & dogs at the walk that I have passed & talked to over the last 11 years I have lived here
Ric Nattrass was so interesting & taught us how to identify the koala markings new, recent & older markings. The differences between the koalas & other animals is quite obvious when you see them. If any one is in doubt of Ric’s talents you can google them up on line & do your own identifcation.
I think that the whole idea of the bypass is flawed. It destroys a lovely suburb, creates noise & pollution. Decreases our greenspace. Kills koalas be removing their habitat, the tusk frog is in serious trouble and most of the wildlife will never be the same again. Takes the off leash dog area. Axes our bus service, removes the option for public transport.
Everyone who wants the bypass has missed the point. Brisbane is heading towards massive expansion & no where do I see the government acknowledging the fact that this is not being addressed in the Western Suburbs. When it could be very easily addressed for 20% of the price tag of the KB. I can’t fathom it.
The only conclusion I can come to “is that this is the beginning of a major motorway at least the size of the gateway”. This is indeed a direct quote from DR FLEGG who fought to stop the Western Bypass for the residents of Brookfield. I guess it’s 1 rule for the 4WDs and another rule for the rest of us in Kenmore, the antibypass protesters.
Geraldine
I had the absolute pleasure in seeing Julie Attwood MP for Mt Ommaney and Ronan Lee MP for Indooroopilly along with Deborah Tabart from the Australian Koala Foundation. Ric Nattrass was so interesting and knowledgeable. It was a great fun day. The lifesized Kimmy the Kenmore Koala and giveaway Caramelo Koalas were a great hit with the kids.
The corridor was so beautiful! Thanks for sharing it with us in such a festive way.
I couldn’t believe how many people were there - people just kept coming and coming.
Good on the lady who went to the trouble to put photo’s of fauna she observes in the corridor from her home.
It was informative and highly enjoyable.
We can’t allow it to be clear felled and filled with concrete!
Pity more politicians didn’t take the time or interest to attend but good to see ALP and the Greens were there.
David
You can tell it’s almost summer in Brisbane. We have had our usual heavy rain for this time of year and it’s becoming more hot & humid. Tonight as I sit at my computer I can hear the Green Tree Frogs calling, there are many more calling than I have heard in a longtime. It’s like a gree tree frog choir out there.
Things must have improved for the humble gree tree frog, the previous couple of years have been harsh on them with the drought. These little guys an Australian icon are going to cop it if this stupid road goes in. When their waterways become poluted they usually die or get cancer.
Tonight listening to them it seems so ironic the only thing MRD can do is mitigate the environmental impact. That is replace the frog noise with trucks & cars noise. And yet the government is so proud of it’s biodiversity in our world famous bioregion.
Convenor West Brisbane Greens Branch
See the youtube clip of the walk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Zaz-7AjQI
Robert
This may be a silly question, but would there be any potential benefit for the SOK campaign to think out of the box a bit e.g. talk to the Australian Conservation Foundation, Bob Brown, Peter Garrat the federal environment minister. A few choice media bytes from some real muscle will certainly help our cause.
This job has to get a bad name in the wider community for all the right reasons.
Obviously Koalas are in decline, there is a disease that is wiping them out as we speak. Would be good to know their officiel status. Are they a species listed as “threatened”
or are they close to this status. Would be good to know this as it may be useful.
It comes down to whether the premier is going to be responsible for the wiping out of one of the still viable but dwindling populations left in an urban area for the sake of a road. Will she become Anna “The Koala Slayer” Bligh.
A few possum boxes doesn’t count for environmental consideration and shouldn’t buy the people off; by now we have learned and had enough of watching extinctions pushed along happen for the sake of ‘progress’.
It is also obvious that the person who kills the last of a species is the one who sent it extinct. It is a death of a thousand cuts and in this case the premier is holding the knife to the throat of these koalas. She should be seen as having the blood of these animals on her hands if the road goes through.
Honestly I don’t think there is a lot of point appealing to the same pollies over and over, nothing has or will change. We need a new and bigger hammer, and for me any hammer that cracks the nut will do. What are the options?
Robert
Has anyone read the latest newsletter from Bruce Flegg. He is really sticking the boot into the SOK group and the people opposed to the road.
This the same bloke who is supposed to be opposed to the Warrego option is in favour of the four lane bypass. Looks to me that white man speaks with fork tongue.
He should be up in arms about the needless expenditure on the extra lanes and the lack of bike access. But not a word.
He is in favour of the Warrego extension by default it seems. He is letting the MRD set up for it without a word.
This whole thing apears to be a game to get this road through, yes stages 1 and 2. But also to be seen to be doing the process. All the while the process is anything but transparent with information being so heavily controlled by the government and the MRD.
The situation speaks for itself.
We could have had 10000 people on the walk and it wouldn’t make a scrap of difference.
Julie Hagans
This weekend on Saturday 15 November is the ‘Walk against warming’ 12.30 - 4.00pm from Queens park in town near the casino to Roma St Parklands. Climate change & global warming are very real issues. It’s a great opportunity to show we care about our earth & environment.
The western suburbs are at quite literally’the cross roads’ the Kenmore Bypass is not the answer to controlling traffic congestion, it only encourages more cars on the roads and even more CO2 emissions. Rail, buses and active transport are the more effective way of reducing CO2 emissions.
Our family will be attending this event hope to see you there.
Schmicael Von Doofus
This is more like the green tree frog of Northern QLD Australia.