Game of catch-up
Read the article: ‘Heavy rail is essential, but it can’t be our only plan’
I was amused to read the Department of Transport and Main Roads is planning to future-proof our road and transport network. Sounds like empty political spin to me.
With all the catching up they have to do they will be at it for many decades. Haven’t they heard of “build it and they will come”? We have seen plenty of examples of relatively new roads locally needing expansion and retrofitting due to inability to cope with the exponential growth we are currently suffering from.
“Future-proofing”? In your dreams boys and girls!
Greg Clutton, Pelican Waters (March 22)
Infrastructure order
For travelling in cities, the primary goals of new projects surely ought to be: lower traffic congestion; alternative travel options (to cars); affordability for users and rate/taxpayers; and delivery sooner rather than later.
The order of priority would then be: firstly, new walking, cycling and better bus networks; secondly, expanding the rail network; and lastly, other major infrastructure.
When big infrastructure goes first, it short-changes all else, as funding only goes so far.
John Morandini, Gymea Bay, NSW (March 21)
Waste of money
Read the article: Bold new look: council freshens up branding
Many residents are disgusted with the logo change costing $60,000-plus. A ridiculous waste of ratepayers’ money!
Gabby Read, Tewantin (March 20)
Look to Scandinavia
Read the article: How a rental cap could impact the Sunshine Coast
Mr Devitt has only one thing on his mind: building more houses. The problem is if they (the builders) build more homes, the only people in this economic climate that are going to buy are those to live in. Who in their right mind in this economic climate would be buying an investment, now that we are having rate rises with no end in sight? You’d have to be crazy to do so. So this is not a solution for renters. And if you did invest, with a cap on rentals you’d be even more crazy.
So Tom Devitt you’re barking (mad) up the wrong tree. Help government with the Scandinavian scheme of building apartments to buy/rent, like the Queensland Government did in the early ’90s, which I took part in. Only the interest rate then was 19 per cent.
Suellyne Faux-Lott, Bokarina (March 22)
Identifying the cause
Re: the housing shortage on the Sunshine Coast. One word: Airbnb.
I’ve personally had one on each side of me and at $800 a night they are never going to be available to rent weekly. The old bomb houses are tarted up and sleep 10, so it’s a no-brainer.
No wonder businesses can’t hire staff. Where are they going to live?
Alan Binder, Mooloolaba (March 21)
Still empty
We were renting in Caloundra and had to move due to the three units being sold to a developer. We don’t blame owners as the money offered was significantly over what they paid. However, those three units are still sitting empty, this is two years after being told they are being demolished.
These three units could have easily been leased at a cheaper rate than the current high price, to families or a single mum with children living out of their cars.
It is wrong that developers buy old homes or small unit blocks with the intention of demolishing, yet years later the same places are still standing and empty.
Steve Simpson, Landsborough (March 18)
Feeling consequences
I am nearly 72 years old and find myself in a situation of having to move in with a friend temporarily until I can find somewhere to live. I have spent the past 12 years sharing a rented house with my son. We have just been asked to vacate.
I find the rents, even for a one-bedroom place, are far too expensive on my aged pension. Over my working life I have worked in low-paid work with very little superannuation. So I now find myself like a lot of women, some even younger than me, who can’t find a proper affordable place to live.
I will admit it is not only in Queensland, but all governments have really dropped the ball on housing over several years and these are the consequences of their failure. Too many people are suffering and far too many families also.
T. Hansen, Mountain Creek (March 20)
Retesting required
Read the article: Do we have the nation’s worst drivers?
Thank you for your article on driving fails. My opinion, if you are asking, is it’s so sad we don’t retest at all – I think each decade at least from your first test.
We just need simulators installed (then no one is hurt) and a new licence issued when we pass. If not, retraining and resitting for a new licence is required.
Sue Clarke, Minyama (March 20)
Rules ignored
I would like to add my opinion to your recent article. Due to my work I have travelled extensively throughout Queensland, NSW and the NT, and to a lesser extent Victoria, WA and SA.
I have long-held a belief that Queensland drivers are the worst in the nation, and in particular those who reside on the Sunshine Coast seem to be particularly bad.
Below is my list of road rules I regularly see ignored by Sunshine Coast and Queensland drivers:
- Speeding – particularly in roadworks where posted reduced speed limits are consistently ignored.
- Tailgating – particularly when having the audacity to do the speed limit in roadworks.
- Not using an indicator – commonly see this day in day out.
- No common courtesy given, especially when merging.
- Driving through red lights.
- Blatant disregard for common road rules.
The above list is not something I notice just from time to time, these are common occurrences I see every single day.
Peter Sonneveld, Landsborough (March 21)
Common complaints
In answering the questions listed in the Sunshine Coast News, the most annoying behaviour is tailgating. I drive within the speed limit but other drivers constantly tailgate to try to make me drive faster.
Common courtesy is another big issue.
Thirdly, when entering a double-lane roundabout throughout the Sunshine Coast I indicate my exit to the right or straight through. When entering the inside lane of a roundabout from a single lane, road traffic still keeps entering on my left to the outside lane. This makes it hard to change lanes soon after the roundabout or to exit to the left out of the roundabout. I’ve seen many near-accidents occur due to this.
Speeding and red light running is also a major problem due to drivers knowing that there is a lack of police watching.
Denis Ball, Caloundra (March 20)
Planning failure
Read the article: Frustration builds over rail duplication project
The two single biggest items stopping the rail duplication in the Beerburrum to Nambour line, that seem to get little or no attention from the government, are the Landsborough and Beerburrum bridges over the rail lines. The Beerburrum bridge is unavoidable, the omission of a bridge at Landsborough will be criminal.
To date there is no design for Landsborough, even options for discussion. The bridge has been in the too-hard basket for years now. They are building a car park in Landsborough, what are the odds a part of it will be demolished for a future bridge? Why build this when you haven’t finalised at least the design detail for the other major infrastructure?
Wasn’t it the lack of a plan at Beerburrum that stopped the original duplication project all those years ago?
The existing bridge needs to stay in operation while the new bridge is built, or else you risk isolating the village and school from the highway.
The bigger question, and the elephant in the room that seems to get no mention, is the railway network’s capacity south of Petrie with the recent (in railway years) addition of the Redcliffe/Kippa-Ring line to provide for additional services. People I have spoken to that are involved in programming rail traffic are suggesting there is no capacity for additional services. So we are expending millions to save a collective couple of minutes with straightened-out lines and line duplication, and there is doubt about any additional services being available. This is without trying to feed in services from a new Maroochydore/Caloundra line.
If there is ever a Maroochydore line through Caloundra, assuming they overcome the network issues south of Petrie, who is going to park at the new car park in Landsborough, assuming it survives any eventual new bridge? It is after all being installed to cater to the Coast-based commuters that start their journey south from Landsborough.
Planning is a word that may seem to have little or no understanding in the current transport management team.
For example: who spends $6 million on resurfacing a very serviceable road (the Bruce Highway from Roys Road to Caloundra Road) to dig it up in two to three years when the six-lane roadworks creep north? Particularly when (and yes I know these roads fall under the responsibility of local governments) there are roads in the hinterland closed since last March – surely the Labor state government could have diverted these funds to local authorities to get these roads repaired?
Designs for the new Bruce Highway works at Maroochydore Road have managed to make a bad situation worse. It’s not just the light co-ordination, but the unnecessarily tight right turn heading onto Maroochydore Road. The new southbound exit to access Forest Glen is poorly signed. And the roundabout at the start of the Glenview northbound exit, primarily designed to service the new Toll depot, is difficult for trucks to negotiate.
Let’s not mention the much-hailed “Diamond Exchange” at Caloundra, which seems to be specifically designed to punish the commuters traveling from Steve Erwin Way heading east. Last point here, why was all this work in this section not built as six lanes?
Finally, let’s ask the question of the Roys Road interchange. There were several options here to allow for the new feeder road south out of Aura. What did the brains trust fall on? More traffic lights, apparently the only option to control traffic on the Sunshine Coast.
Is this endemic of a failed system, or a test of providing as much overbearing hype to convince us that all these projects are the making life for Sunshine Coast residents so much (not) better?
Greg Paddick, Peachester (March 19)
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via: news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
