‘Crime corridor’ concerns as state pushes ahead with rail trail through Palm Lakes Resort

E-scooters will be allowed to use a 1km strip of rail corridor land running through an up-market retirement village, despite protests from elderly residents who fear the track will be used as an escape route for young criminals.

Palm Lakes Resort resident Reg Broudfoot likes to drive his scooter to his garden, which has been built on the rail trail corridor.

E-scooters will be allowed to use a 1km strip of rail corridor land running through an up-market retirement village, despite protests from more than 200 residents who fear a 25km/h speed limit could lead to crashes on their property.

Palm Lake Resort Bethania residents hold fears the proposed $7m Bethania to Yarrabilba rail trail could create a crime corridor escape route for eshays on silent, but fast, e-scooters.

More than 100 residents met with Transport Minister Mark Bailey and Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman to discuss diverting the tourist trek around the outside of their gated village to nearby state roads.

The elderly residents said the tourist track could make it unsafe for them to walk between medical services on one side of the old rail line and their social services on the other side.

The meeting with the ministers was told of terms of the sublease with the state government set out the conditions for the use of the rail corridor.

Long-time Logan criminal lawyer Robert Burns said there were major concerns that the track would be used as an escape route by eshays speeding on silent e-scooters to and from Yarrabilba.

“Queensland police data shows crime in the area is already escalating and a dark track … could allow kids to move undetected,” he said.

“It could allow the significant criminal activity in Yarrabilba discreet access to all of the properties along the trail.

“The trail should not go through the middle of this gated retirement village where people have invested their money believing it will be a secure, safe place to live at least until 2048.

“The state must also reveal how much it will compensate Palm Lake if it does eventually break the lease — we expect it would attract hefty penalties.”

After the meeting, the Transport Department said there was no evidence to show rail trails led to crime spikes and it was likely to attract up to 50,000 tourists a year.

The department said Queensland Police Service would enforce the speed limits through the village.

Palm Lakes Resort resident Isabel Anderson looks across the corridor to neighbours living on the other side of the retirement village.

The department also said the rail corridor between the two sides of Palm Lakes Resort was TMR-controlled land but the Bethania Rail Trail was the responsibility of the Logan City Council.

“Logan City Council is able to install speed signs if e-scooter speeds up to 25km/h are appropriate,” the department said.

“Unless specifically signed, there are no speed limits for bike riders, reflecting the different risk profiles between the devices.

Palm Lakes Resort resident Isabel Anderson.

“Rail trails are typically for shared use by bikes, pedestrians, and horse riders.

“As such, the speed limit for e-scooters is 12km/h, unless otherwise signed.”

Logan City Council was contacted for comment.

The council is still in the process of completing detailed design work for its Bethania Rail Trail project and is yet to release details of the speed limit on the rail trail through the retirement village.

New speed limits and fines for e-scooters and other personal mobility devices were introduced across the state in November.

Residents at the meeting with the ministers said there were concerns about a spike in crime.

On dedicated bike paths, bike lanes and local streets the speed limit for e-scooters is 25km/h.

On footpaths and shared paths the limit is 12km/h, unless otherwise signed.

Since the new laws to February 14, there have been more than 1600 fines issued for e-scooter offences.

Speeding fines for e-scooter riders range from $143 to $575 depending on speed over the limit.

Public insurance liability costs if the track proceeds through the complex were also raised along with who would pay costs and damages if a resident were hit inside the complex grounds by a speeding e-scooter or cyclist.

Residents also asked the two ministers about the legalities of breaking a long-term lease Palm Lakes Resorts Bethania signed with the state Transport Department in 2018.

Under the deal, which expires in 2049, the village complex owners pay about $10,000 a year to lease a strip of land, which divides the complex with medical services on one side of the old rail line and social services on the other.

The retirement village has paid the state government for the lease for five years with residents using it to park caravans and vehicles inside the gated complex.