ANZAC Park again under threat

BCC have returned with 2 options to destroy ANZAC War Memorial Park, Wool Street, Toowong - the Dog off-leash area or North ANZAC Park.

Not Transcity but BCC

There has been an area cleared of trees below the Dog off-leash area and the bicycle/pedestrian path near the townhouses. We raised our concern today with Peter Matic, Councillor for Toowong Ward, Chairman of Environment, Parks & Sustainability, and he immediately followed this up. Council’s Natural Environment area is carrying out urgent work there as sinkholes were found. The area will be rehabilitated eventually. This is not connected with Transcity the tunnel builders. It is also not connected with BCC Legacy Way’s option 4 to destroy the Dog off-leash area and use it as a construction workforce car park for the tunnel project. It is also not connected with BCC Legacy Way's option 5 to destroy North ANZAC Park and use it as a construction workforce car park for the tunnel project.

Fantastic Turnout on Saturday

It was a fantastic turnout on Saturday, with a lot of energy to save Anzac Park.

Lets save our park for the people it was named for, nearly 100 years ago, and for the children who play safely within it.

Thank you to everyone who came along and have offered their support.

(Extra thanks to Ray Smith and Yvonne Li who were there too)

Avenues of Honour Project

ANZAC Park is listed in the Avenues of Honour project. Take the link to our earlier post HERE

Option 4 Dog off leash area, ANZAC Park - if BCC proposes this option in an Application for evaluation of environmental effects of proposed change, which is lodged with the Coordinator-General, it has a plan for a road which will cut right across this Memorial Avenue of Honour - totally disrespecting the memory of the fallen and snubbing the park's listing on the BCC Heritage Register. Anzac Park is a place of local heritage significance as it meets one or more of the local heritage criteria under the Heritage Register Planning Scheme Policy of the Brisbane City Plan 2000
as a 19th century cemetery reserve, then early 20th century rifle range and after the Great War a memorial park, it is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of the City’s or local area’s history; and
an extensive area of undulating parkland including open eucalypt forest, distinctive plantings of pines, palms and ornamentals with a scatter of picnic areas and landscape features, it is important because of its aesthetic significance; and
as a place of informal recreation since the early 20th century, it has a strong or special association with the life or work of a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons; and
as a place for remembering the fallen from the district in the Great War, it has a strong or special association with the life or work of a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman this is disgusting. What are BCC thinking, to even consider doing this to ANZAC War Memorial Park, Toowong, is mindboggling.

Today - ANZAC Park

See you at ANZAC Park under the fig tree at the Wool Street entrance, this afternoon, 26 February 2011, 4 pm.

Commonweath War Graves Commission CWGC

CWGC HERE
The Commission's principles:
• Each of the dead should be commemorated by name on the headstone or memorial
• Headstones and memorials should be permanent
• Headstones should be uniform
• There should be no distinction made on account of military or civil rank, race or creed

Read Arthur Palmer's Statutory Declaration HERE
Two other residents of Wool Street also remember very well the scattering of ashes in ANZAC Park.

MEDIA: "Spotlight on toll tunnels after Clem7 woes", February 25, 2011

'With lenders to RiverCity Motorway, the owner of Clem7 tunnel, likely to call in receivers today, attention has turned to Brisbane's next generation of toll tunnel projects.' Read the brisbanetime.com.au story HERE

See You Saturday

See you at ANZAC Park tomorrow, under the fig tree at the Wool Street entrance, Saturday 26 February 2011, 4 pm.


Our Theme Song
Big Yellow Taxi HERE

Update – Yesterday’s Meeting of the Workforce Parking Consultation Group

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

CFMEU - The Union for Australian Construction Workers

'Our Proud Past' HERE

"From the 1950s to the 1990s, building unions opposed Australian involvement in the Vietnam War, were bitter opponents of nuclear weapons and their testing, supported civil rights and land rights for Indigenous Australians, promoted environmental issues and heritage protection, and supported student and community groups across the whole spectrum of social issues including education, health, welfare and housing."

Friends of ANZAC Park doubt that CFMEU members would be happy to desecrate ANZAC memorial ground by parking their vehicles on this sacred memorial ground.

Statutory Declaration of Arthur Palmer - Ashes of Returned Soldiers in ANZAC Park

Read the Statutory Declaration of Toowong resident Arthur Beau Palmer HERE

"Returned Soldiers Ashes were most certainly widely distributed over many decades across a large proportion of ANZAC War Memorial Park and quite properly so, and have been scattered there regardless of any Council requirements."

Image: Arthur Palmer's great-grandfather, Sir Arthur Hunter Palmer, Premier of Queensland 03/05/1870 – 08/01/1874.

Australians and New Zealanders

Our thoughts are with our those affected by the Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand.
ANZAC - Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL HERE

Veteran Brisbane councillor quits: 'Totally over the silly politics'

Read brisbanetimes.com.au story HERE

The Coordinator-General's Website

Queensland Government
Department of Infrastructure and Planning
Legacy Way project (formerly Northern Link Road Tunnel project) HERE

Workforce Parking Consultation Group with BCC

Friends of ANZAC Park Toowong will have 4 representatives attending the Workforce Parking Consultation Group on behalf of supporters on Thursday 24 February with BCC Legacy Way. Other community groups and representatives will also attend. The purpose of the session is to explore each of the options for the workforce car parking plan with the options being put to the community to comment on in the following weeks. We have suggested some realistic and respectful options and so have others. The Coordinator-General advised BCC to fully explore all other options before the ANZAC Park site can even be reconsidered. BCC disagree with the advice given to them in the Coordinator-General's Change Report and have told us that they were told by the Coordinator-General that they can look at the ANZAC Park site again. They want the ANZAC Park site, there is not doubt about that.

The letter sent to the community this week has misled the community into thinking that the ANZAC Park site is out of the question. It is not. We have already been advised by BCC that the ANZAC Park site will be mentioned as one of the options in a letter to be distributed to the community from Friday advising of the upcoming Community Consultation Sessions from 1 - 11 March. Locations and times are still to be confirmed. At these Community Consultation Sessions you will have the opportunity to give BCC feedback, by feedback form, by email and verbally. We will let you know more about these upcoming Community Consultation Sessions soon.

Image: Airport Link - View from a Kalinga Park bench - Diggers' Drive. Don't let this happen to our beautiful ANZAC Park Toowong. We will do whatever if takes to stop the desecration of this memorial ANZAC ground. BCC's misleading letter dated 16 February 2011 HERE.There is also another letter being distributed dated 22 February 2011 with the same content, even though we told BCC that their letter was misleading the community, they continued to distribute it.

Transcity Legacy Way, Western Community Liaison Group

Meeting Notes HERE

ANZAC Park is mentioned in the Meeting Notes. Friends of ANZAC Park has a CLG representative who will attend the CLG meetings for the duration of the project.

ANZAC Park Toowong is again in danger of being destroyed

While BCC's first proposal to use the park as a construction workforce car park was refused by the Coordinator-General in December 2010, BCC have again put ANZAC Park on the list of options they want to propose to satisfy the imposed condition for off-street workforce car parking. BCC will submit their next proposal in March 2010.

Keep checking this site for updates. ANZAC Park needs your help again.

Can you believe Lord Mayor Campbell Newman is treating the people of Brisbane in this manner? Where is our local member Peter Matic?

Statement by Arthur Palmer - Internment & Scattering of Returned Soldiers Ashes by Family 1950’s-1977 in ANZAC Park

"Between the late 1950s and 1977, to my certain knowledge it was common practice for the ashes of returned soldiers to be placed in ANZAC park by their families. As a young boy, and later as a boarding school student, I came across and/or witnessed at least seven or eight small family gatherings to either scatter the ashes of family members or bury an urn containing those ashes. Between 1970 and 1977 I lived at 16 Wool Street, Toowong in my late Aunt’s house, Minnie Harriet McClymont (nee Palmer)... read more of Arthur's Statement HERE

Blog archive story HERE

Image: Lieutenant J.W. Annat

TRANSCITY - Brisbane BMD Constructions, Italian company Ghella and Spanish company Acciona

About TRANSCITY HERE
Transcity is an integrated team comprising BMD Constructions, Italian company Ghella and Spanish company Acciona. This team will be supplemented by a number of locally based specialist companies to provide skills and knowledge to deliver Legacy Way.

Do the Spanish or Italians allow construction workforce car parks to be constructed on their sacred memorial ground and in their public parks?

Do they want their construction companies associated with the desecration of Australian ANZAC memorial ground?

Do they want their workforce to park on the ashes and urns of the fallen which are in the grounds of ANZAC Park Toowong?

Brisbane BMD Constructions, Ghella, Acciona, and Brisbane City Council - their names will live for evermore, but for all the wrong reasons.

To the Resident from the Acting Project Director Legacy Way

14,000 MISLEADING letters from BCC Legacy Way distributed today. Read the letter HERE

Note when reading the letter that while the Coordinator-General refused in December 2010, Brisbane City Council's Application for evaluation of environmental effects of proposed change October 2010 in relation to the construction workforce car park in ANZAC Park, BCC again have listed ANZAC Park on their list of options. There are the alternative sites which we don't have a list of until next week and the ANZAC Park site is also on that list. The letter is somewhat misleading.

We asked them not to distribute this letter but they ignored our request. In response to our feedback BCC Northern Link Legacy Way have now clarified this on their Newsroom website HERE

"As part of the assessment of the proposed sites, Council will give further consideration to alternative locations to understand if locating parking elsewhere could reduce disturbance to the community while providing a workable solution for the project. Anzac Park will be reconsidered as an option."

We don't expect that everyone who received the letter is a regular visitor to their Newsroom website, so please pass on the complete information.

MEDIA: The Courier-Mail - Stories from the eastern end of the project

'Brisbane Grammar School loses playing field to Legacy Way tunnel project' HERE

'Inner-north tunnel disruption anger' HERE

MEDIA: brisbanetimes.com.au February 16 2011

Tunnel delay would cost $220m: Council HERE

Legacy Way Community Liaison Group Member - Friends of ANZAC Park Representative

Friends of ANZAC Park now has a representative. The purpose of the Community Liaison Group (CLG) is to provide community input on a range of matters. The CLGs will provide an advisory role to Transcity on community issues, concerns and values. The first meeting will be on Wednesday 16 February. Please email us if you have anything you would like to add to the meeting agenda. Resolving the car park matter is a top priority. What are your key issues and other priorities in relation to the tunnel project?

Two-up, the game is back in play!

The BCC Legacy Way Spinner throws again!

Today we have been advised that BCC Legacy Way now have their list of sites for the construction workforce car park site. We know that ANZAC Park is on that list of options which means they want to try again to get approval to destroy our heritage listed public park. We will find out what all the sites under consideration are next week.

BCC Legacy Way were advised by the Coordinator-General when their first proposal was refused in December 2010 that they must consult with the public on their parking plan.

They will now consult with the public and will be conducting Community Consultation Sessions in the coming weeks. At these sessions members of the community will be invited to gain more information and provide their feedback on the workforce parking options directly to the consultation team. We will let you know when and so will BCC Legacy Way.

BCC Legacy Way will then submit a further Application for evaluation of environmental effects of proposed change in March 2011 to the Coordinator-General with their proposal to attempt to satisfy the imposed condition for off-street workforce car parking for the tunnel project. This will be evaluated by the Coordinator-General - allowed or refused.

Whether the ANZAC Park site makes it into that Application for evaluation of environmental effects of proposed change is another matter! If it does we will have another opportunity to write submissions to the Coordinator-General objecting to the destruction of our park.

However BCC Legacy way were advised to fully explore other options before they can even reconsider the ANZAC Park site. We believe there are other options which will satisfy the imposed condition and will again fight to save our park.

Two-up was played extensively by Australian soldiers in World War 1- Two heads the Spinner wins, Two tails the Spinner loses, Odds the Spinner throws again. "Come on Spinner!" Friends of ANZAC Park see two tails hitting the ground. Time to place your bets!

Letter to Residents - RE Legacy Way - Handover to Transcity

FROM Peter Livesey Project Director Legacy Way HERE

(But there is still the matter of the construction workforce carparking to be resolved and we are still waiting for the list of sites which BCC has identified for the off-street carpark or carparks. It was BCC who offered up our beautiful ANZAC Park for destruction to the tunnel bidders in the first place. Surely BCC must have the list by now - that is, those sites which are alternatives to the ANZAC Park site.) Waiting, Waiting!

Update for ‘Save ANZAC Park’ Supporters

At the moment Supporters are waiting for BCC Northern Link ‘Legacy Way’ to get back to us with information on their plans in relation to community consultation regarding their parking plan for the tunnel project. (The Coordinator-General advised them in the Report on Project Changes 2010 that they must undertake community consultation).

We are also waiting for the list of alternative sites, which will not include the ANZAC Park site. (The Coordinator-General advised them in the same report, to 'fully explore all other options' for their parking plan, before the ANZAC Park site can even be reconsidered.)

The Coordinator-General also advised BCC in refusing their first proposal to destroy ANZAC Park “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, Coordinator-General’s Report on Project Changes December 2010 HERE

If the Legacy Way Project is to go ahead we at Friends of ANZAC Park Toowong – ‘Save ANZAC Park’ - support a win-win resolution to this parking matter – car parking sites that will not disturb the community and destroy parks, and which will provide satisfactory off-street car parking for the construction workers.

Remember to visit The Legacy Way Visitors' Information Centre Level 2, 80-88 Jephson Street, Toowong, from Monday 7 February.

Find the (refused) ANZAC Park construction workers' car park proposal in BCC Application for Project Change October 2010 HERE and the (refused) amendment to the proposal in Further Information to Application for Project Change November 2010 HERE
Both refused by the CG December 2010.

'Clem7 tunnel would never have been built based on actual traffic numbers'

The Courier-Mail February 05, 2011 HERE

But Legacy believes: 'In addition to the naming rights, Brisbane Legacy will receive 1c for each toll collected from Legacy Way to be adjusted annually for CPI. Council has guaranteed that the grant in any financial year will not be less than $100,000.00 other than in the first and last financial years of the agreement where the amount will be pro- rated on a daily basis. This arrangement will operate from the opening of Legacy Way in 2014 for the life of the toll (expected to be in the vicinity of 40 years).' Brisbane Legacy News - Northern Link tunnel named 'Legacy Way' HERE

Our thoughts are with those affected by Cyclone Yasi in North and Far North Queensland on Wednesday night.

MEDIA: Westside News, 1 February 2011, 'Flooding won't stop tunnel link'

'SUGGESTIONS the Northern Link tunnel should be postponed because of the floods have been dismissed.

Bardon’s Lord Mayoral candidate Ray Smith called for work on the Northern Link tunnel to be stopped indefinitely while the city undertakes flood repairs.

“It is completely infeasible for the Lord Mayor to push ahead with another expensive toll tunnel at this time,” Mr Smith said.'

Read story HERE

(Labor Lord Mayor candidate for BCC elections in 2012, Ray Smith, has been very supportive of our campaign to Save ANZAC Park. He also attended both our picnic in the park and our tentative victory drinks last year. Thanks Ray.)

Image: Anzac Park Toowong actual site of refused proposal for construction workers' car park. All trees in this area are of cultural heritage significance - community tree planting in the park began back in 1916 and other trees in the park were planted as a memorial to the fallen. The trees in the proposed area were all tagged back in December 2010, which usually means they will be cut down. Shame on BCC if you reconsider the ANZAC Park site. Photo taken yesterday.

MEDIA: 'Brisbane Council counts devastating costs' The Courier-Mail 1 February 2011

Courier Mail, 01-02-2011, Ed: 1, Pg: 5, NEWS

BRISBANE City Council will determine this week just how much last month's devastating flood has cost the city. A mini budget review will be held tomorrow and Thursday with a final announcement on which projects will face the axe, expected by the end of the month...Council opposition leader Shayne Sutton urged Lord Mayor Campbell Newman to cut the Northern Link tunnel, now know as Legacy Way, and keep other projects...Cr Newman has ruled out scrapping the tunnel...Cr Matic has been placed in charge of the Environment Recovery Committee. HERE

Farcical!

Legacy Way Visitors' Information Centre

February 2011
Change of location for Legacy Way visitors' information centre
The Legacy Way visitors' information centre is moving from 160 Edward Street in the City to Level 2, 80-88 Jephson Street, Toowong.

From Monday 7 February, the new opening hours for the centre in Toowong will be:

• Monday: 9am-5pm
• Tuesday: 9am-5pm
• Wednesday: 9am-5pm
• Thursday: 9am-8pm
• Friday: 9am-5pm

For information about the new visitors' information centre or construction on Legacy Way, please call Transcity's information line on 1800 778 772.

Northern Link (Legacy Way) Newsroom HERE

TRANSCITY Community Website HERE

(Please note it is BCC Northern Link Legacy Way (not Transcity) who have been advised by the Coordinator-General to consult with the community regarding the imposed condition for off street car parking and who must satisfy the condition. We expect to have in the next few weeks a list of alternative sites to the ANZAC Park site which must be fully explored by BCC.)