Beaconsfield, Eaglemount residents petition Mackay council for bus stop
Senior Mackay residents have spoken of wilting in the “stifling heat or pouring rain” in their pleas for a new bus shelter with an absolutely outrageous price tag. See why it’s so expensive.
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Senior Mackay residents have spoken of standing in the “stifling heat or pouring rain” in their pleas for a new bus shelter.
Margot Old said residents at Beaconsfield’s Eaglemount Retirement Village relied on the bus to get healthcare and visit loved ones as most were pensioners and could not afford taxis.
The Residents Committee president said it was not unreasonable to ask Mackay Regional Council for a sheltered bus stop along Primavera Boulevard “especially” when many across Mackay, including those recently upgraded, were going unused.
Ms Old said residents at Breezes, Westminster Lodge and Cascade Gardens all had sheltered stops within a short walking distance meanwhile at Eaglemount, the nearest was a kilometre away near Beaconsfield State School.
She added the village’s main entrance was relocated to Primavera Bvd for the creation of Miraflores Estate a decade ago as she asked why the developer was not made to provide a sheltered bus stop.
“This would have been an ideal opportunity by council to make good on a previous promise of a bus stop for our village,” Ms Old said to councillors as she urged them to make “life a little safer” for residents who were effectively ratepayers via fees they paid to live there.
“Our elderly residents, some with mobility challenges must wait in Primavera Bvd … to catch the bus … standing in all weathers, stifling heat or pouring rain with no seat or shelter in sight. I ask would you be prepared to do that or have your elderly relatives to do the same?” she asked during the ordinary meeting of council on Wednesday.
Agenda documents reveal councillors were recommended to reject the petition call for the bus shelter infrastructure which was estimated to cost about $365,000, despite an actual structure only costing about $15,000 according to Mayor Greg Williamson.
Councillor George Christensen queried the high costs as Infrastructure and Operations director Jason Devitt explained a new shelter also required pavement, kerb and median works to abide by the Disability Discrimination Act.
It is currently classified as a ‘hail and ride’, meaning it does not need to meet the same criteria.
Councillor Martin Bella said while the petition had “great merit”, councillors had sworn to “look at the wider picture” as he called on his peers to label what projects should lose funding or be de-prioritised to pay for the new shelter.
Councillor Alison Jones warned not building the shelter could damage the council’s reputation as it was committed to 20 years ago as she raised an alternative motion to prioritise the project in long term financial plans.
Ms Jones added the council’s vision was to create a “safe, healthy and engaged region” as she asked why could they not approach Translink to help fund the project as they had for the newly built bus shelter at Royal Sands.
Both Mr Williamson and Mr Bella rejected her premise of a former councillor’s promise as justification as Mr Bella remarked it “flies in the face of objectivity”.
CEO Scott Owens then explained if the project was listed in a long term or 10-year plan, it would as with any other project, then be annually reviewed regarding when it should be completed.
Ms Jones’ motion was passed 10 to one with only Mr Bella voting against it.
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