Security has tightened around properties acquired for key transport works after reports of trespassing and antisocial behaviour, while camera alarm faults have been fixed.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads has improved surveillance and signage near the Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade at Mountain Creek to safeguard the area.
A TMR spokesperson said the measures were necessary.
“TMR takes the safety of the community seriously and has bolstered security in response to reports of unauthorised access and antisocial behaviour at properties associated with the Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade and The Wave Stage 3 (Metro).”
“TMR understands the concerns of nearby residents and continues to work closely with the community, Queensland Police Service and private security providers to manage its properties and support neighbourhood safety.
“Existing security arrangements have been reinforced in response to reported incidents, including the installation of five 24-hour surveillance cameras throughout the area and signage to notify residents, visitors and potential troublemakers that CCTV surveillance is in operation.”
More than 50 properties in the Mountain Creek area are required for the projects. TMR owns 49 of them, with the resumption process underway for the remaining three.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads Brent Mickelberg said recently that TMR was committed to providing additional security measures “to stop those who want to do the wrong thing … particularly in those vacated properties”.
“It’s obviously a matter for Queensland Police as well, and I know they have increased their efforts to ensure that those who are doing the wrong thing are held to account.
“There’s only a small amount of properties left to be acquired and then for residents to vacate, and then we’ll get on with the job of demolishing those houses and doing the work required to build the Mooloolaba interchange and The Wave Stage 3, which will be a game-changing investment on the Sunny Coast.”
But the installation of security measures came with a temporary problem.
TMR was made aware of an issue resulting in alarm activations on some of the cameras, prompting complaints from some locals on social media.
Once notified, TMR worked with its security provider to investigate the issue and silence the alarm functionality.
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Meanwhile, a Queensland Police spokesperson confirmed that police were called to reports of trespassers causing damage to vacant properties at Mountain Creek in late July and early August, prompting investigations, and they were also called to more reports of trespassers at vacant properties in early and mid-September.
Further patrols and enquiries failed to locate offenders.
“Anyone who sees any suspicious activity is urged to contact police to report it,” they said, before offering advice to locals.
“Regularly assessing home security and introducing targeted security measures can help keep Queenslanders safe from opportunistic offenders.”
“This can include installing visible CCTV cameras and bolstering fencing around properties.”
The MRIU and the Wave Stage 3 are expected to significantly improve traffic flow and public transport on the Sunshine Coast.
The former consists of a major redesign and rebuild of a prominent Sunshine Motorway interchange. Early works for the first phase of the upgrade are underway, including site preparation and clearing, service relocations and geotechnical investigations.
Meanwhile, the latter is expected to include of a public transport metro vehicle system between Birtinya and Sunshine Coast Airport, including stations at Mountain Creek and Maroochydore.
It will connect to Stage 2 of The Wave, which will feature a rail line and stations between Birtinya and Caloundra, and Stage 1, from Caloundra to Beerwah.
The owners of dozens of properties that were earmarked for acquisition for Stage 3 have been spared, after the transport corridor between Birtinya and Mountain Creek was confirmed.
Recently released maps showed some properties, mainly in one area of Mountain Creek, were still set to be affected but the owners of 81 properties previously identified as potentially impacted were recently notified their land won’t be needed for the project.
