Veteran furious at memorial road resumption

Faye Clarke was disgusted when she heard a proposed road upgrade would require resumption of a significant part of her friends’ resting place.

FAYE Clarke was disgusted when she heard a proposed road upgrade would require resumption of a significant part of her friends' resting place.

Sunshine Coast Council may cut into a significant portion of the RSL's main memorial garden to make way for a four-lane roadway, bike line and footpath.

The project is intended to reduce traffic congestion in Caloundra by connecting Nicklin Way to the RSL's fence line on Third Avenue.

But it has caused a stir among the veteran community.

Reflecting on her time as an army nurse, Ms Clarke said "it was a very important part" of her life that defined history and who she was.

She said the RSL's Registered War Memorial Garden was the only place of rest for her friends who she worked with on the hospital ship and died when it was bombed.

"The RSL is more than just a building … it's a memorial for a lot of people who have lost lives, including those girls," Ms Clarke said.

"How can they do that to those girls?

"How dare take they take that memorial away from them."

The RSL sub-branch has launched a petition to stop the resumption of 7.5m of their memorial garden for the planned road upgrade.

State Member for Caloundra Mark McArdle said he would support them all the way through.

"I am acutely aware of the need to resolve traffic issues in Caloundra as this is something I have advocated for, for some time," Mr McArdle said.

"This is a matter that needs to be rectified with the utmost priority, however we must investigate a route for this road extension that protects this incredibly important memorial.

"It cannot be a case of the memorial gardens or traffic congestion relief - we need to investigate a plan that allows for both to exist."

RSL sub-branch secretary Heather Christie said any disruption to the garden as a result of a resumption would be a travesty.

"The gardens were to be a memorial icon to commemorate all those who served in the Australian Defence Forces," Ms Christie said.

"They commemorate 39 conflicts that the Australian Defence Forces have served in.

"The gardens have been carefully planned to a master plan with a majority of features now in place, but with other yet to be constructed and/or placed."

Sunshine Coast Council Deputy Mayor Tim Dwyer said without the upgrade, traffic congestion would continue to worsen.

"The project is a legacy project for Caloundra that must provide benefit to the wider community long into the future," Cr Dwyer said.

"Council acknowledges the importance of the memorial garden and is working with the Caloundra RSL to ensure it is restored and relocated at no cost to the Caloundra RSL."

Mr McArdle said the RSL was a body that he had "long supported" and he would stand behind them in their fight.

"The community can support the RSL sub-branch by signing the petition which will be available at the Caloundra RSL, my office at 1/20 Ormuz Ave, and various businesses across the Sunshine Coast," Mr McArdle said.

"The petition will also be available to sign whenever the sub-branch is running the Bunnings Caloundra sausage sizzle."

Originally published as