Capt Quirk's response to my correspondence

I have written to the Lord Mayor on numerous occasions, expressing my concerns at the impacts & costs of the Northern Link Road Tunnel from Toowong to Kelvin Grove.

Here is his response.....and it makes me wonder.

We all know that Can-Do was passionate about urban cleansing and tunnels.

What is Quirky passionate about?

* Disability services?

* Race horses?

* Cutting down trees?

OFFICE OF THE LORD MAYOR

Brisbane

6 July 2011

Dear Mr Barber

Thank you for your emails of 9 April, 15, 16, 19 May, 2 and 11 June 2011 and for call on the ABC on 1 June about Legacy Way, footpaths and amenities in Normanby Terrace.

While I appreciate your concerns, as I mentioned during our discussion on the ABC, Legacy Way is a must-do critical project. In planning for the future, we must look at ii whole of city basis.

The Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7) is proving to be a vital addition to Brisbane’s transport network each day, relieving pressure on alternative routes, like the Story Bridge. Recent travel time surveys have revealed CLEM7 is offering savings ranging from 40 to 70% across a variety of routes, which has resulted in a significant decrease in congestion around the city. CLEM7 also provided an important link during the recent Brisbane flood.

I am confident that Council’s traffic forecasts are reliable and a sound basis to plan for the future. The Go Between Bridge is regularly meeting Council’s forecast traffic volumes. Evidence from operational toll roads throughout Australia has shown that governments are generally accurate in forecasting traffic and even tend to understate long-term growth on toll roads. Short-term variations in traffic volumes are typically within 20% of government forecasts.

The competitive tender process from Legacy Way generated a $300 million saving, through cost-effective innovative designs. Due to this significant saving, traffic could be low as 50% of Council’s forecast after opening, or approximately 12,000 vehicles per day and still remain financially sound, according to the Queensland Treasury Corporation’s 2009 credit approval for the project.

You have requested a copy of the Legacy Way Business Case. I am told that this is available to be viewed in person at the Legacy Way site office. Please contact the project team on 1800 692 333 to arrange a suitable viewing time. In addition, you may not be aware that the Business Case for Legacy Way was approved by the Queensland Government as part of their approval for the funding approach.

It has always been Council’s commitment to minimise impacts for residents at the eastern end of the Legacy Way tunnel. Throughout the recent consultation process, Council and Trancity have assessed noise modelling data and the upcoming construction activities for the project.

I am told as a result of this process a number of residents, including yourself, were offered resident-based mitigation. If you have not already met with a Transcity representative to discuss what resident-based mitigation measures are proposed at your property, then I encourage to you contact the Transcity team on 1800 778 772.

In your email dated 15 May, you mention poor pedestrian connectivity with the city. The former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman wrote you to about this issue in his letter dated 15 February 2011. However, I have asked Council’s Local Asset Service branch to investigate pedestrian access in Normanby Terrace, as it does not fall within the scope of the Legacy Way project.

New footpath funding has been distributed evenly between each ward through the Ward Footpath Trust Fund. It is up to local Councillors to decide which new footpath projects get funded following consultation with property owners.

With this in mind, I have written to Councillor David Hinchliffe, Councillor for Central Ward, for his consideration and action. If you would like to discuss your request directly with

Councillor Hinchliffe, please contact his office on 3403 0254.

I appreciate your feedback, however, we have exchanged correspondence several times now on Legacy Way and our transport agenda. I do not believe there is much to be gained by writing further on this issue.

Yours sincerely

Graham Quirk

LORD MAYOR

Ref:LM14289-2011

A message to Graham Quirk

A Message to Graham

With households feeling the weight of cost-of-living pressures and Brisbane still recovering from the impact of January’s floods, I’m mindful of the need for a responsible, ‘back to basics’ approach to Council’s finances.

That’s why I wonder why the largest line item in the 2011/12 budget is $456m for another road tunnel, while basic services like libraries & parks were cut in March 2011. Residents of Brisbane are suffering a rate rise to pay for the "Tunnel Vision" which was hospital passed from Can Do Campbell to Captain Quirk.

Graham is on track to deliver a little bit of guilt offset that was promised (and paid for) in 2008 - planting two million trees, purchasing 500 hectares of bushland for conservation, putting 500 new buses on Brisbane roads and chipping away at a $100 million upgrade to our fragmented bikeway infrastructure. In reality, how far will $100m go? How much has been spent? What improvements have there been?

At the same time Captain Quirk is proceeding with his white elephant, Northern Link Road Tunnel from Toowong to Kelvin Grove, (also known as the Legacy Way). The Federal Government have poured half a billion dollars down another hole in the ground. Additional funds will be bled from core Council services, with record spending on one single road project.

Captain Quirk is committed to making Brisbane a rabbit warren of tunnels. Like his predecessor - Campbell Newman, Quirky will leave our children with a Legacy of Debt. This tunnel unlike all the others is fully funded by taxpayers and ratepayers. Clem 7 and Airport Link were privately funded. Legacy way is not.

If you have any questions, or would like more information on what this year’s budget means for you, please contact the Lord Mayor's office on 3403 4400 or e-mail Captain Quirk at lordmayor@brisbane.qld.gov.au

Rowan Barber

BRISBANE RESIDENT

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Message from Graham

With households feeling the weight of cost-of-living pressures and Brisbane still recovering from the impact of January’s floods, I’m mindful of the need for a responsible, ‘back to basics’ approach to Council’s finances.

That’s why my 2011/12 budget is focused on improving core Council services while delivering one of the lowest rate rises in the past 35 years.

We’ re on track to deliver key promises we made in 2008 - planting two million trees, purchasing 500 hectares of bushland for conservation, putting 500 new buses on Brisbane roads and completing a $100 million upgrade to our bikeway infrastructure.

At the same time we are proceeding with our important traffic congestion busting project, Legacy Way, with a welcome contribution from the Federal Government. Additional funds will be invested in core Council services, with record spending on road resurfacing and footpaths.

I’m committed to making Brisbane a cleaner, greener and more inclusive city. This Budget - concentrating on the fundamentals of rates, roads and rubbish - does exactly this.

If you have any questions, or would like more information on what this year’s budget means for you, please contact my office on 3403 4400 or e-mail me at lordmayor@brisbane.qld.gov.au

Graham Quirk

LORD MAYOR

My letter to Capt Quirk about amenity impacts on my Community

Capt. Graham Quirk
Lord Mayor
Brisbane City Council,

Dear Lord Mayor,

I would like to apologise if I seemed a little arrogant or aggressive, when talking to you this morning on @612Brisbane's Breakfast radio programme.

However, my question went un-answered. What are you (as Lord Mayor of Brisbane City Council) going to do, to improve the amenity of my community?

My community will have its amenity severely compromised, by the activities of Brisbane City Council & its contractors (TransCity) whilst building & operating the Northern Link Road Tunnel.

We have already established the TransCity are going to do the bare minimum possible to meet their contractual obligations. Colin Jenner (the former Coordinator General)'s conditions are seen as mere suggestions.

So the question remains: what are you going to do, to assist us? What are you going to do to improve our conditions (that were already compromised by previous regimes including Sally-Anne & Jim Soorley)?

There is an opportunity for Brisbane City Council &/or Qld Rail to improve the connectivity between our community & Spring Hill via the walkway between Normanby & Brisbane Girl's Grammar School.

There is an opportunity to improve the street scape.

There is an opportunity to address our local traffic & parking concerns.

Please DO NOT respond with a letter, thanking me for drawing these matters to your attention.

Please inform my dear friends & neighbours & I, what you plan to do & how you will respond to our frustrations!

regards,

Rowan Barber

Dear Wayne Swan - Please POSTPONE the NLink

Wayne Swan

Federal Treasurer

Australian Federal Government





Dear Mr Swan,



The Lord Mayor of Brisbane is determined to sign contracts with a consortia: Transcity, comprising BMD, Ghella and Acciona and commence construction of the Northern Link Road Tunnel before the end of 2010.



It would appear that the Lord Mayor has failed to take into consideration the financial failure of the Clem7 and repeated warnings from the Queensland Treasury Corporation that building the Northern Link Road Tunnel might limit the Brisbane City Council's "ability to fund other capital expenditure and could result in deferral of projects".



I would much rather see the deferral of the Northern Link Road Tunnel, than a deferral of other walking, cycling or Public Transport projects or fabulous initiatives such as the purchase of renewable energy and more efficient litter prevention programmes.





Would you please delay or postpone any Federal funding for the Northern Link Road Tunnel until the Brisbane City Council and/or the Queensland Coordinator General can provide a current assessment of the financial, social & ecological risks?



regards,



Rowan Barber



30 Normanby Terrace NORMANBY Q 4059

Challenge Number One - understanding the problem: car use vs traffic congestion

Barry Broe,
Divisional Manager,
Brisbane Infrastructure,
Brisbane City Council.

Dear Mr Broe,

I recently attended a forum organised by the Society of Sustainability & Environmental Engineering called: “South East Queensland’s Transport System in the Peak Oil and Climate Change Era”. I particularly enjoyed your opening remarks about understanding the problem of “car use” vs the problem of “traffic congestion”.

The remainder of your speech was contrary to your opening remarks, with a focus on so-called “congestion busting” by duplication and augmentation of roads for private motor vehicles. I took exception to your comment “when the Northern Link goes in & it will go in”. I shall be working very hard to lobby my political representatives (cc:d) to make sure the Northern Link does not “go in” if it is going to be a four lane motor way for motor vehicles. I am celebrating the fact that the Northern Link has not attracted any federal funding.

My expertise is in water & sanitation. I see a lot of parallels in the mistakes we make with sewage and the way we deal with traffic. I am convinced we need to separate our Number ones from our Number twos at source rather than mix them, pump them vast distances and then try to separate them out again. The same applies to Public Transport and private motor vehicles. Until we separate the streams, we cannot efficiently treat the associated issues appropriately.

The distinction between sewers and roads is when one duplicates a sewer main, it does not encourage more people to poo.

Regards,

Rowan Barber
Climate Campaigner
http://www.climatejusticefast.com/