Anzacs in the Trenches

It's almost Christmas and New Year. We have sent our submissions to the Coordinator-General objecting to BCC Northern Link/Legacy Way's proposal to locate a 300 vehicle construction workforce car park within Anzac Park as proposed in the BCC Application for Project Change. While the Coordinator-General can ask the BCC for 'further information' under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971 (the Act) in relation to the 'proposed change', we have been informed that the BCC have given the Coordinator-General a Revised Scheme which has significant changes to what was in the BCC Application for Project Change. We have asked to see a copy of the Revised Scheme but have been refused. We have questioned the validity of this Revised Scheme under the Act. We have been informed that the Coordinator-General may or may not consider this Revised Scheme in the assessment to allow or refuse the proposal to be released in the Coordinator-General's Change Report at the end of the year.

We have offered our suggestions for alternative sites to satisfy the Coordinator-General's condition to provide workforce car parking, in an effort to conserve our BCC Heritage Register listed public park. (Coordinator-General’s Report Northern Link Road Tunnel Released: April 2010 - Report evaluating the Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to section 35(3) of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. Appendix 1, Schedule 3, Condition 18(k) The construction workforce must not park in local streets. A dedicated and adequate construction workforce off-street parking area must be provided.)

As residents of Brisbane, when we are not being treated with contempt we are ignored by our councillors. We think there are important principles involved, not just about preserving parks, but also about transparency, proper process and ensuring that the community’s right to have a say is not circumvented and replaced by a private negotiation between the BCC and the Coordinator-General. They have left us with no other alternative. Proceedings seeking an injunction have been drafted. Xmas Greetings from the Supreme Court are not the type of seasons greetings we would really like to be sending.