How much carbon tax will Brisbane City Council pay?

Captain Quirk is blaming the Carbon Tax for Brisbane City Council rate rises.... He has said: "rise could have been kept to 2.6 per cent, or $31.48 a year, if not for costs associated with the carbon tax, including landfill charges."

I am trying to work out how much Carbon Tax we will pay.


Brisbane City Council's NGER's data.

Registered Corporation	Total scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions(t CO2-e)	Total scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions(t CO2-e)	Total energy consumption (GJ)
Brisbane City Council1	263,920	18,271	2,504,217

So we are looking at:

282,191 t CO2-e

At $23 a tonne:

$6,490,393.00

1: Brisbane City Council has voluntarily provided information to the Greenhouse Energy Data Office (GEDO) concerning GreenPower renewable energy purchases, voluntarily surrendered Renewable Energy Certificates or offset scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions totals. This information has been published on the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency website – www.climatechange.gov.au/reporting.

Councilor Victoria Newton (‏@VictoriaNewton) directed my attention to information about capture of methane emissions from landfill: http://www.cleanenergyfuture.gov.au/emissions-from-landfill-facilities-2/ Apparently there is no charge in 2012/13 2 help deal with the changes...

A St Patricks Day Limerick

Kevin Rudd has written a limerick for Saint Patrick's day......

Here is my lame attempt:

There once was a Lord Mayor of Brisbane,

Who poured good money after bad once again.

Debt was his legacy,

offset tunnels with trees,

While Quirky was left with the blame.....

will the mud from Legacy Way stick?

Dear Rayna,

There appears to be an excessive amount of suspended solids in the stormwater from Legacy Way's Eastern construction site. (see attached photo of York's Hollow).

I would be interested to know if this complies with Transcity's Surface Water Environmental Management Plan (sub-plans).

I would also be interested to know, where the designated release point for stormwater is located. Has the construction water quality of stormwater been monitored at the release point (at least weekly), to determine if it complies with the parameters specified in Table 7 of the conditions of the Coordinator-General’s report on EIS?

I note that an attempt has been made to contain stormwater in sedimentation basins along the southern boundary of the site. However, the basins to not appear to have adequate hydraulic capacity to contain the peak flows. This was evident during the acute rainfall event on 13 October 2011 (around16:00 in the afternoon).

I have put a call through to Vanessa at Transcity and I have advised the Department of Environment & Resource Management's Pollution hotline – 1300 130 372.

I am also curious as to whether any of the mud from the $1.8b Legacy Way project will stick to the former Lord Mayor - Campbell Newman, now that he has ambitions to be Premier of Queensland.

kind regards,

Rowan Barber

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

Campbell Newman's Legacy

I have written the following letter to my Community & Stakeholder Coordinator for the Northern Link Road Tunnel Project.

N-Link is a $1.8b project for a four lane underground motor way from Toowong to Kelvin Grove.

It makes me wonder:

Is tunnels all Can-Do could do?

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/year-old-fig-tree-to-be-felled-to-make-way-for-legacy-way-tunnel/story-e6freoof-1226080885651

Teresa Millar
Community and Stakeholder Coordinator - East

Dear Teresa,

Thank you for your email today.

I wonder if there is anything TransCity can do to re-route the N-Link transitions, to avoid the Fig tree which was re-located during the construction of the Inner City Bypass (ICB).

This tree was relocated at great expense by a previous regime. It makes a mockery of the guilt offset process, if relocated trees are going to be mowed down by subsequent projects. The tree holds a degree of sentimental significance to some people in my community.

I understand there are also two Hoop Pines (Araucaria cunninghamii) which are approximately 40m high. The hoop pine are allegedly around 100 years old. I am also told there is a significant and healthy Moreton Bay Fig ( Ficus macrophylla) to be removed.

My main concerns about the Northern Link Road Tunnel, are related to perpetuation of car dependence, peak oil, climate change etc and the related social justice issues for future generations & those in developing communities who will suffer the worst consequences of climate change.

This current project that you represent will produce 32 000 tonnes of CO2e during construction and an estimated annual GHG emissions for the operation of the project are 18 120 tonnes CO2-e (averaged over a 12 year period from time of opening).

Mowing down old growth trees only adds insult to injury.

regards,

Rowan Barber

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

geotech testing for the Legacy of Debt

Campbell Newman
Lord Mayor
Brisbane City Council

Dear Lord Mayor,

It is 12:06 am (GMT+10) on Thursday 16 December 2010, as I write this email to you.

I arrived home from work at 10:00 pm.

For the last half an hour, a bloke with a sledge hammer has been banging steel on steel on the remains of Ithaca Street which is now part of the Inner City Bypass (ICB).

This demonstrates a number of things to me:

A) how inconsiderate the proponents of the Northern Link Tunnel are;
B) how ineffectual the existing noise barriers that separate my precinct from the ICB are:
C) a taste of things to come when construction of the Northern Link Tunnel begins in earnest.
D) how useless my political representatives at State and Local level have been as advocates for my community

I realise that I was advised in a very polite letter and an email about the commencement of Geotechnical testing.

I am reminded of the following extract from Douglas Adam's book: the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

"Bypasses are devices that allow some people to dash from point A to point B very fast while other people dash from point B to point A very fast. People living at point C, being a point directly in between, are often given to wonder what's so great about point A that so many people from point B are so keen to get there, and what's so great about point B that so many people from point A are so keen to get there. They often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be. Point D wasn't anywhere in particular, it was just any convenient point a very long way from points A, B and C"

When some one bangs steel on steel in the middle of the night in close proximity to my house, it makes it difficult for me to sleep and it makes me feel the amenity of my precinct (Point B) is less important to the Brisbane City Council than those who live at Points A, B or D.


regards,

Rowan Barber