The Lord Mayor’s 2018-19 Council Budget has continued to focus on projects that will have little benefit for residents of Deagon Ward like the upgrade of Kingsford Smith Drive and the Metro project at the expense of local projects like the Brighton Foreshore upgrade and fixing the Einbunpin Lagoon.
The much needed upgrade of the Brighton Foreshore, previously funded and planned for, was put on hold by the Lord Mayor seven years ago.
The Lord Mayor withdrew funding for the Brighton Foreshore seven years ago to divert money to flood affected parts of Brisbane. Those projects have long been completed and Council was refunded those costs by the State and Federal Governments time.
There is no question of funding being available, it is all about priorities for the Lord Mayor.
This budget allocates just $221,000 for footpath reconstruction on Flinders Parade, in reality this project will take millions of dollars.
There is no doubt that an upgrade of the Brighton Foreshore is supported by the community, it seems the only person who doesn’t support it is the Lord Mayor.
Similarly the Einbunpin Lagoon is in desperate need of work to improve both water quality and amenity and instead of an overall plan we have seen more piecemeal funding of just $277,000.
While the lack of adequate funding for the Brighton Foreshore and Einbunpin Lagoon is disappointing, a number of other projects have received funding, including road resurfacing, kerb and channelling, park infrastructure, local drainage and waterways maintenance.
I’m pleased to have secured even more funding this year for road resurfacing work around the Deagon Ward.
Road resurfacing projects include:
- Albion Street, Sandgate
- Barclay Street, Deagon
- Bartholomew Street, Zillmere
- Borella Street, Sandgate
- Bournewood Street, Brighton
- Capel Street, Brighton
- Carrie Street, Zillmere
- Caludette Street, Brighton,
- Coward Street, Deagon
- Eleventh Ave, Brighton
- Hack Street, Zillmere
- Hall Street, Brighton
- Handford Road, Taigum
- Haywal Street, Taigum
- Holmes Street, Brighton
- Loftus Street, Deagon
- Muller Road, Boondall
- Narrabri Street, Brighton
- Palina Street, Brighton
- Parkmore Street, Boondall
- Peacock Street, Boondall
- Perkins Street, Sandgate
- Racecourse Road, Deagon
- Roghan Road, Taigum
- Roscommon Road, Boondall
- Sackett Street, Brighton
- Seaview Lane, Shorncliffe
- Sixteenth Ave, Brighton
- Spano Street, Zillmere
- Wolsey Street, Sandgate
After lobbying for more road funding, we have seen a few projects funded including over $500,000 for road design of Handford Road at Zillmere and $103,000 for Local Access Improvements at Baskerville Street in Brighton.
I have been requesting more funding for Racecourse Road in Deagon to make access and parking better for the Deagon Sports Oval and the Sandgate Cricket Club for the last few years. We have secured $80,000 for minor road construction and over $90,000 for resurfacing.
I recently asked for feedback on congestion busting projects around the Deagon Ward and while that list is long, we will see action on Zillmere Road at the intersection of Handford Road, Jennings Street and the Zillmere Eagles Driveway, totalling $318,000.
I am very disappointed that out of the 15 Traffic Calming projects announced across Brisbane that Boondall will miss out again. I have surveyed several streets including Lynhurst, Normanhurst, Rostrevor and Aberdeen and have presented petitions to Council. While Council Officers have said traffic calming will assist with the high number of rat-runners, the Lord Mayor has once again left Boondall out.
Park upgrades are very important to me and I have lobbied the Lord Mayor for a number of upgrades and am pleased that we have secured $107,000 for upgrades at Decker Park, $160,000 for Deagon Sportsground Park, $23,000 for the Sandgate Foreshores Park and $67,000 for Songbird Way Park in Taigum.
I’m very pleased we will see $80,000 on enhanced safety lighting at Curlew Park, which is something I have been working on for some time.
Disappointingly for Zillmere residents, the $400,000 allocated to upgrades at O’Callaghan Park in last year’s budget was not carried out and this year has been slashed to just $213,000. I will be calling for the full amount to be reinstated to ensure our community doesn’t miss out.
There is further funding of $110,000 for major waterways vegetation management on Cabbage Tree Creek at Depot Road, Lemke Road and Roghan Road and also the Zillman Waterholes at Sandgate Road.
Community festivals make our area a wonderful place to live and while my request for extra festival funding for events like Sandgate Sunset Run have not been successful, we have seen continued funding for the Einbunpin Festival, Bluewater Festival, Christmas in Sandgate, South Pacific Islander Christmas, Music by the Sea, Sandcliffe Writers Festival and the Zillmere Festival.
Following extensive community consultation, the new Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre will be delivered over the coming years.
Over $4 million has been allocated to building the new Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre where new generations of locals will be able to learn about and enjoy out world famous wetlands.
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