Yesterday four representatives of Friends of ANZAC Park went to a workshop with BCC and other community interest groups to discuss options for construction work force car parking for the Northern Link Tunnel Project (Legacy Way).We had asked BCC before the meeting to be given a list of the options being considered and the proposed shortlist so that we could prepare. BCC refused this request on the basis that they did not wish it be seen that the shortlist of options was not up for negotiation. In good faith, we accepted that. However we had also been told that BCC intended to release a letter on Friday 25 February which was to list the options, and confirmed that the ANZAC Park option was going to be mentioned in this letter. They must have great psychic powers!
When we arrived we were given a list of 16 options with 11 of them already deleted by BCC. Of the 11 already deleted some of the option may still be valid, others were unsuitable to suggest in the first place, and some suitable options not mentioned at all. Of the 5 remaining options, 2 were for Anzac Park.
The five options presented on the day were:
1. Hoop Pine Picnic Area - Sir Samuel Griffith Drive.
2. Mt Coot-tha Road Park and Ride - is not big enough and would be required in addition to other sites.
3. Sir Samuel Griffith Scenic Drive – combined 2 parcels of land - a smart option.
4. ANZAC Park Dog off-leash area!!!
5. ANZAC Park North!!!
We were told that the above letter would not be distributed today. If 14,000 local residences were to receive a letter in the coming week which lists these 5 options the letter may not be correct as there are further negotiations, research, and feedback still underway to consider other sites. On 16 February BCC distributed a letter which stated that ANZAC Park had been refused as a site for the car park. As you can see this was not only misleading it was untrue. BCC had in mind all along not one option to destroy ANZAC Park but two.
Option 4 Anzac Park Dog off-leash area - entry at the top of Wool Street with a vehicle entrance right opposite the address of Friends of Anzac Park- the house with the "NO CAR PARK" sign on it. Under this proposal, Wool Street will be expanded to accommodate the traffic and the entrance, which will be a major intersection and will be lit. The 600 vehicle movements per day would drive partially around the circuit track and then along the track to the dog park. Further, Broseley Road will be expanded to accommodate the vehicles exiting the car park which will be directed between Anzac Park and the Bible College. That road will be widened to accommodate the traffic. THIS OPTION WILL DESTROY ANZAC PARK. IMAGE HERE
Option 5 Anzac Park North - The original proposal for Anzac Park, which the CG rejected, is almost the same, but the area is now bigger than that originally proposed and is even closer to the children's playground. The entry and exit will be via a widened two lane road which will be shared by park traffic (yes children on bicycles) and the construction traffic. THIS OPTION WILL DESTROY ANZAC PARK. IMAGE HERE
Placing the entry to the car park outside the address of the community group which opposed the original proposal looks to us to be an inflammatory and provocative act. Vindictive and puerile, perhaps, on the part of BCC for our objection last December to their first proposal by way of the Supreme Court - the path we were forced to take after weeks of being treated with contempt by BCC.
As you may gather this reflects very poorly on BCC's preparedness to engage in community consultation in good faith.
See you at ANZAC Park tomorrow, under the fig tree at the Wool Street entrance at 4 pm, Saturday 26 February 2011.
Image: How to burn bridges like a pro
I don't think those options are coincidental. Maximum imposition on the community and disruption to the park.
ReplyDeleteLooks like your community group will be pulling out the lawyers once again. What don't BCC understand about the first application to the Supreme Court to save ANZAC Park - can't they take a hint that they should find another site for the car park rather than just coming back with not one but two options. How many months and years do they want to fight with the community over 300 car spaces?
ReplyDeleteThe Coordinator-General in refusing BCC's first proposal to destroy ANZAC Park stated in the Change Report December 2010 "...further consideration of alternate locations is required in order to understand if locating parking elsewhere would reduce disturbance to the community while providing a workable solution for the project." page 50. Do BCC need assistance in interpreting the Coordinator-General's document? If so they are welcome to contact FAPT and request such assistance I imagine.
ReplyDeleteWas I supposed to be waiting for one of those 14,000 thousand letters. The misleading letter I received dated 22 February didn't say anything about a second letter with a list of options.
ReplyDeleteHow many trees will be killed in Options 4 & 5?
ReplyDeleteAfter all the horror of the recent floods, and all the "pat-on-th-back aren't we a loving and supportive community" good spirits that followed, it seems that the BCC is quickly back to its old attitude of we'll do as we want, and treat residents interests with total contempt. To this is now added bullying! These new proposals for our park are so clearly an example of "just look what we can do to you" for daring to oppose us!
ReplyDelete