Margaret

WOW Well done Sarah this video shows the whole world exactly what our community space means to the locals and the ridiculous impact it will have on us. I hope that De Wit, Flegg, Pitt, Bligh and Rudd see this because we don’t want to lose our community space to a highway that we all know is a massive waste of money. All of you go away and put your thinking caps on amd come up with better alternatives to solve traffic congestion in the western suburbs. Wrecking a beautiful suburb won’t give us a sustainable long term future.

Ian McManus

Midnight oil – “The power and the passion” check it out on you tube.
Garret and his band dancing in a parkland thats had a monstrosity of a flyover/ by-pass built right through it. Looks vile. Only a detatched power crazed short term thinking person with little regard for the environment would want somthing like that.
I think Garretts message is to stand up to such ludicrious idiocy.

Riley

Well done on the video Sarah – it scares me to think what could happen. Thanks for the vivid depiction. Save Our Suburbs!!!

Sarah

Simple, and yet so effective!! Well done, keep up the good work!

Anonymous

Hello,
I am from Adelaide, but moving to Brisbane ( Pullenvale ) this november.
I just signed a contract through Brisbane West Real Estate and towards the end of the cooling off period, was told about this by pass.
The contract is for $1.25 Million.
It is my life saving, and me and my partner have a kid due in December.
This looked perfect for our family.

But now, it is all down the toilet.
The road goes right into our front yard , eating up 30% of the land .

This is not the reason I am mailing you guys.

I want to join this movement and do much more MEDIA COVERAGE than it has already got.

I want to start giving ads , articles all over the country, internet sites those are popular in the country and create a real out cry for this kind of plan which not only affects communities , but the natural habitats.
They talk about Carbon Emission, the building of this road will emit a million time more carbon than entire city does!

Moreover, once traffic runs on the road, forget it!

I need someone to call me if possible , we need to do more on this.
Mr Pitt certainly is not thinking the way he should be , because of course it is not affecting his family or property or business.

I want to do this guys :

- Launch a Survey thorugh paid ad on Bigpond / Optus and all internet Provider , collecting protests from all over the country to save wildlife and our kids future.
- Launch Facebook / My space feedbacks for protest, because they are really widely used websites.
- Have a protest to the Parliament or wherever , covered by all national news channels.
- AND STOP THIS PROJECT .

I am not a media person or anything, I am not asking money from this community or anything.
I just want all of us to participate.

Time is running out and we need to stop this now.
Community involvement seems like a crap in this project.
They will go ahead with this anyway if they want to.

200 people protesting will not help while other 50,000 or so are going for it!
We need a wider range of petition and protest from all the groups possible around the country.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Andrew MacDonald

I would like to commend Anonymous for trying to expand the reach of this campaign.
He is right, the government will go ahead if they wish.
If we go national and involve household name partisan groups that care when the environment is placed 20th and the local people are placed 30th on the items for consideration list.

I echo the call with an added consideration for SOK.
What I really would like to see in line with this expansion of the campaign ‘SOK’ is the formation of a committee whose express purpose is to come up with an appropriate alternative to the bypass.
While we are campaigning we must have something relevant to say. Create a water tight alternative and be able to justify why it is more viable than anything we have witnessed from the Government.
I have been studying the proposed Western Bypass and why it was not approved. Main Roads has guidelines for consulting with the community on any proposed road works. The rhetoric on the Western Bypass was astonishing, nothing written in the final submission was justified in any great detail.
Unfortunately I have a very busy lifestyle and will not write on my finding tonight. I will endeavour to write my findings tomorrow night. Hopefully it will inspire an appropriate body of people to take up the fight in a structured, direct, and meaningful way in accordance with the processes of Main Roads.
If we can achieve this as a community body we will have the right to ask the government for an explanation and hold them accountable before the whole of Australia. If needs be, perhaps in a Court of Law.

Jules

I know how you feel Anonymous, as a fellow South Aussie I walked straight into the “bypass trap” a couple of years ago – they told be the easement was for a “local road” not a freeway!
On another note, I hope you enjoy your new life in Brisbane and out here in the wonderful west – by the way you can still see the Crows play once a year at the Gabba but I would recommend stocking up on Farmer’s Union Ice Coffee before you leave !! :+)

anon

iirc, the corridor was meant to be for a “local road” ie 2 lane.

now its proposed to be a 4 to 6 lane motorway with speeds of 80-100 km an hour, carrying freight trucks from the Warrego Highway!

Julie Hagans

Yes anon, it will be terrible when it happens. My kids will get pollution all day at school and then when they are home they will get pollution 24/7

Andrew MacDonald

Let’s talk alternative solutions to the proposed Kenmore Bypass. The Brisbane Valley Bypass was ruled out for several reasons.
These standards and reasons are directly quoted from http://wbtni.net.au and are a source of some concern as to the real aim of this study.

The bypass was considered to provide a bypass around western Brisbane for long distance traffic, including freight…to remove some of the long distance trips from western Brisbane and the wider Brisbane network…and to provide for long distance trips from Ipswich to Caboolture.

The reasons why this bypass was “ruled out”was because the bypass would be around 75 km long…and only 1200 vehicles per day on a Brisbane Valley Bypass would be long distance bypass trips. They then draw direct comparison to the Western Freeway which carries 75,000 vehicles per day and the Gateway Motorway which carries 100,000 per day. You can only assume the definition of a worthy project is where there is a greater volume of vehicles likely to use the Bypass!
A Brisbane Valley Bypass would pass through areas preserved by the SEQ Regional Plan for non urban use because of their significant physical, social, cultural and environmental values. A major road within these areas could encourage development that would be inconsistent with this objective. What social and cultural values exist out in the scrub as opposed to the cultural and social values behind the displacement of hundreds of families and the damage done to those who are forced to live beside the Kenmore Bypass.
Finally, a Brisbane Valley Bypass wouldn’t allow for connections into the western Brisbane network, i.e a bypass not a ring road.

WOW

They proposed this Brisbane Valley Bypass to accommodate ‘long distance traffic’ through to the North at Caboolture and then knocked it on the head because it wouldn’t allow for connections into the Western Brisbane Network. When mentioning these connections they must be referring to local access for the local traffic, except local traffic was not the original target…the interstate traffic was! They have proposed the bypass for long distance traffic and ruled it out because there is not access for the locals in the west! They had no proposal to fix the inner western suburbs network yet first looked at a possible way to direct more traffic to those trouble spots. None of this makes sense.

They proposed the Brisbane Valley Bypass to feed interstate traffic to Caboolture. The road would be 75 kilometres in length. The road itself bowed in a west reaching arc not too far from Esk and bowed back to the East to eventually end up near Caboolture. With this positioning the Bypass was never going to be viable and would thus make the Kenmore Bypass a more viable option with stage 2 to follow at their behest. You couldn’t possibly run connections in from the west because the road was staged too far west in the first place. It was designed to fail.
We don’t need to address the projected 1200 long distance vehicles using the bypass at this stage. Clearly their point is because of the low volume it is not worthwhile…however, if they moved the whole location further east they could provide access to the western suburbs and the volume would increase to suit their definition of a worthy project. It was positioned to fail and make the general public feel they were given all alternatives. None of their “planning” makes logical sense.
They also cited that the areas the bypass inhabited was designated for non urban use because of their significant physical, social, cultural and environmental values. CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT ON EARTH THAT MEANS!! Social and Cultural values!!! As opposed to those at the proposed Kenmore Bypass. It all sounds good…but out there? They suggest a road out there will encourage development that would be inconsistent with their objectives. Well, they are the Government and they have shown how competent they are at regulating their town planning regulations. Another reason why the bypass was ruled out…that lacks substance.
And finally, the Brisbane Valley Bypass wouldn’t allow for connections into the west. Just make them!! Another weak excuse that needs questioning.

The whole process in consideration to the Brisbane Valley Bypass is seriously flawed and their motive is highly questionable. Too pull the wool over our eyes with regards to how necessary the Kenmore Bypass is because all other options have been fully investigated!

HOW ABOUT THIS FOR A SOLUTION.

Change the Brisbane Valley Bypass to read the Western Ringroad. It is all in the wording. We do need a ring road. It encourages all local western traffic to decentralise as opposed to centralise on the major internal arterials.

The Western Ringroad would feed the traffic from the Warrego and Cunningham highways around the back of the Western suburbs and then join up to South Pine Road at Strathpine which is an existing road that would need an upgrade to cope with the extra traffic.
Bringing the ringroad into this location would feed it straight onto the Bruce Highway for north bound traffic and if they needed to access the north eastern suburbs they could feed directly onto the Gateway Motorway in a southerly direction. This would create an all encompassing ring road around Brisbane using the Western Ringroad, the Gateway Motorway, and the Logan Motorway. Brisbane need not see interstate B-Doubles again, those that need to proceed to Rocklea, Acacia Ridge will still use the Ipswich Motorway but will not enter residential areas.
To be considered a true ringroad you will need access to the suburbs. I would suggest only three off and on ramps. One at Kenmore, one at The Gap, and one at Samford. This sudden access will serve to decentralise north bound traffic to the ring road, will probably even decongest the Western Freeway to some degree and definitely Rosalie, Bardon, Ashgrove, Enoggera, Stafford, Chermside, and Aspley. All the north bound routes without mentioning the Inner City Bypass, the Gateway Motorway, Lutwyche, and Bowen Hills. They are all making their way north. It is worth the connection. Samford Valley had land put aside for a sub arterial because it was anticipated that there would be huge residential growth in that area. A connection at this point(geographically speaking) would encourage that anticipated growth in the right area according to town planning because of the ease of access to the Brisbane Ring Road. Suddenly the Eastern suburbs would be a stone’s throw without entering the suburbs between.
You could anticipate well beyond 1200 vehicles on such a road every single day. Pollution in the suburbs would be minimised. Noise pollution would be distant. Congestion would be sent to the outskirts and traffic would be free flowing on the ring road.
If indeed centralisation of traffic is about directing all traffic to the tunnels to pay the toll…put a toll on the ring road. Motorists have proven they will still use roads with tolls.
The ring road will not be 72 km long and should be considerably closer to the suburbs than the Brisbane Valley Bypass was positioned.
This will allow the government to regulate development along any access route and encourage development in the appropriate areas due to increased access.

I wonder if anybody can take this suggestion and run with it.
There is no reason why this cannot go ahead in direct preference to carving the green belt where we all live.

Lauren

is a road needed at all? i think the congestion problem in the western suburbs is caused by:

* parents driving their kids to school (the traffic is really good at the moment because it’s school holidays!)

* ppl driving to the CBD instead of taking the bus. Peak hour car trip from Kenmore to CBD takes about 45 mins, bus trip is about 75 mins – as public transport is much slower there’s no motivation to take the bus.

Andrew, how close to the suburbs would your proposed western ringroad go?

the Midnight Oil clip – that flyover in the park was so hideous. to think the western suburbs could come to that is truly frightening.

Kathy(2)

Yes, Moggill Road certainly seems to be only an issue in school terms at peak time. And I think it must be only bad in morning peak because when I use it round 6 pm, never have a problem – could it be because schools are out of the equation at night!? Admittedly I only use it once or twice a week in the evenings and may just be ‘lucky’ but it’s only the traffic lights that stop me – I see today’s Courier Mail (page 9) the traffic lights have been synchronised which should ease the stop/start. According to the article travel times have improved with the synchronisation – imagine what would happen if they ‘fixed’ Kenmore Village roundabout and put underpasses in at the schools as well! And with Moggill Road works due to be complete end of year (last I heard) I can’t see the need for the bypass either, especially when it truly is a road to nowhere once it hits Centenary Highway. (As I’ve said before, any improvements at Toowong roundabout will be negated if an estimated 75,000 plus extra vehicles are deliberately encouraged into inner suburbia).

On a different note – is it just me or does anyone else get cranky when they see letters to the editor saying our area paid less for houses because of the bypass so should just accept it (last week’s Westside News as an example). Firstly, we for one certainly didn’t – perhaps we were foolish, but 16 years ago Main Roads stance was the bypass would most likely never happen (too expensive because of the difficult terrain). And with Twilight Street and six houses between us and a ‘local’ one-lane each way road, we decided it was an acceptable risk. We never dreamed a four to six lane nightmare would ever be on the agenda. Secondly, this particular writer was from Bellbowrie – am or I wrong or haven’t houses in Bellbowrie always been ‘cheaper’ because of the locale?? Amazes me how people pay less for homes in suburbs “further out” but then expect a quick trip to work or wherever.

Pam

I add my voice to those who point out that the school holidays have made the traffice more than manageable. I do commute daily to the city and back and I love to drive to work at the moment. Surely this proves our argument that if the schools (with State Government) addressed the issue of school transport, then the children who attend the schools could continue to live healthy happy lives, as the ‘bypass” (silly name for a freeway that will destroy and divide a community) won’t be needed.

In today’s paper I read again about the destruction of wildlife. I agee with the earlier comments about the double standard we seem to be adopting as a community…save the environment; protect the species, such as koalas which are threatened with extinction and yet the government – driven by Flegg – seem hell bent on turning Brisbane and this Bellbowrie/Kenmore corridor into a giant carpark.

Andrew MacDonald

Lauren and Kathy 2, I welcome your comments.
I am am employee of Linfox and know the roads well.
Don’t forget the bigger picture where stage 1 will ultimately lead to stage 2. There are plenty of people who will deny this so they can manage the fall out politically and locally stage by stage.
You are not merely talking about the local school traffic on this Kenmore Bypass, you are talking about high density traffic redirected from the junction of the Cunningham and Warrego Highways. They will be thrown into the mix a couple of years later.

The ring road should be considered to divert traffic outwards rather than into our suburbs.

The ring road should be minimum of 5km away from existing suburbs. Therefore, if anybody desires to build closer it will be by their own choice.

Craig Phasey

The reason school holdays reduces the congestion in Kenmore is because it reduces the traffic accross Brisbane as a whole. For us, less traffic on the Western Freeway means that the Freeway off traffic does not block Moggill Road back past Kenmore Plaza. This means that traffic can flow through Kenmore.
The Western Freeway is already at capacity, even without the Toowong Roundabout. That is why a jam forms every morning at the Jindalee on ramp. It is why the traffic flow towards the city accross the Centenary bridge is lower than in the afternoon.
Sadly, the solution to traffic in Kenmore cannot be solved in Kenmore alone. We need more and better transport options across the whole city. Another Freeway does not meet this ‘more and better’ criteria.

Victoria

Has anyone heard if anyone was successful with their application to become a member of the consultative committee (Main Roads)

mark

rivers need to be crossed

Pam

Victoria, a couple of people from those who applied, have been invited onto the Community Reference group. If the group is made up of 15 people, I feel it may not include a majority against the road. Sadly I am becoming very disillusioned with the way the State Government and Local Government are conducting themselves – it seems to me to be only a token effort so they can say they have engaged the community.

Susan

Kathy (2) picked up on a valuable observation – that the traffic lights have been synchronised on Moggill Road which should ease the stop/start. I think this is a point we should be writing to Brisbane City Council (Lord Mayor Campbell Newman and Cr Quirk) thanking them for this initiative.

Picking up on Kathy’s second point, what indeed would happen if Mian Roads actually ‘fixed’ Kenmore Village roundabout and put underpasses in at the schools?

I am sure this would alleviate much of the ‘congestion’ problem.

Also Kathy’s point about the frustrating delayed Moggill Road works due to be complete end of year is valid. It is a horror road at the moment so no wonder people from that area are complaining.

I’d like to see many of us write to Main Roads AND to Minister Warren Pitt AND to Premier Anna Bligh/Deputy Premier Paul Lucas, stating what may seem simple but obvious facts mentioned by Kathy and reiterated by me in this post.

We know there is no need for the so-called Kenmore bypass and we know there have to be better, more innovative, far less costly and disruptive ways. We need to reinforce the value of the step taken to synchronise the lights, and once again try to drive home what a difference a solution to that ridiculous roundabout would make