Roads, youth centres top Logan election wishlist of 16 projects
An Olympic venue, a youth centre, a bus station and a rail trail are some of the 16 projects on Logan council’s election wishlist. Read our blog from candidates in Forde, Rankin, Bowman and Wright.
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This is what is happening on the hustings today in Forde, Rankin, Bowman and Wright
TUESDAY, MAY 17
Logan City Council highlighted 16 projects as part of its election campaign program. A 2032 Olympics venue, a Greenbank Interchange on Middle and Teviot roads, Loganlea Rd widening project, Underwood Rd bus turnaround, Bethania to Logan Village recreational rail trail, the Park Ridge leisure centre, more funding for the Beenleigh Aquatic Centre stage 2, Waterford West District Park stage 2, Oliver’s Precinct First Nations space, Logan Central Youth Centre Park upgrades, Springwood Park, Forestglen Park and Jimboomba road and stormwater upgrades. Internet connectivity and mobile black spot remedies were also part of the council’s election wishlist.
Of those projects, the Australian Labor Party has promised $800,000 and the Liberal National Party $2 million for CCTV safety camera and monitoring room upgrades.
The ALP also promised $22.5 million for the Loganlea Rd upgrade, $840,000 for the Logan Central Youth Centre and $357,500 for the Underwood Rd bus turnaround.
The ALP also promised funding for the Urgent care medical centres, Inland Rail alignment, establishing a skills laboratory at the TAFE Loganlea campus and $7.3 million for Beenleigh’s Hammel Park redevelopment.
RANKIN:
Logan Central could get a new youth centre if the ALP wins on Saturday. Almost a third of residents in Logan Central are aged between 15 and 24, and Logan City Council has identified the area’s need for a space for young people. The Labor Party promised $840,000, in partnership with the Logan City Council and state government, to build the centre.
The project will cost $4.2 million in total with $2 million committed by the state and the remaining from the council.
A council-owned building at 22 Wilbur Street, Logan Central, next to the Logan Central Library, has been selected as the site given its proximity to public transport and other amenities. A needs assessment and co-design process is under way, and this work is expected to be completed by the middle of 2022.
MONDAY, MAY 16
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11
FORDE:
Department of Transport insiders were anxious about a $55 million announcement by LNP Forde candidate Bert van Manen to upgrade Exit 38.
They wanted to know when this funding would be spent just in case Exit 38 was going to be upgraded at the same time as Exit 41 and Exit 49 on the M1 Pacific Motorway.
If all three were to be upgraded at the same time, northbound motorists would not be able to get off the M1 from the northern section of the Gold Coast to after the Beenleigh Exit.
BOWMAN
Greens candidate Ian Mazlin stood his ground after local Redland City Council councillor Paul Golle took him to task about his stance on a massive Toondah Harbour redevelopment, which proposes 3600 units on the foreshore.
Cr Golle said only one candidate, Henry Pike (LNP), had spoken about his policies with local councillors. Cr Golle said a vote for the Greens would not stop the development. But Mr Mazlin said voting Green was a strong step towards saving RAMSAR wetlands.
“It’s on every candidate and party to take a clear position to the election that they’ll fight for if they win-and only the Greens have committed to oppose Toondah at Fed & state level.”
RANKIN
Rankin MP and Forde candidate Rowan Holzberger promised that an Albanese Labor Government would fund a TAFE Skills Laboratory at the Loganlea Campus of TAFE.
Labor’s $2.3 million commitment will be used for simulated clinical laboratory spaces to expand the current range of courses at the Loganlea TAFE Campus. The Skills Laboratory will provide an opportunity to undertake education and training in areas listed on the Australian Government Skills Priority List including pathology, laboratory techniques, and dental skills including prosthetics.
TUESDAY, MAY 10
Southside residents who have had to endure an escalating crime rate will get 20 new CCTV cameras under a $2 million election pledge from the LNP.
Cameras were likely to go in at Shailer Park, Waterford West, Loganlea, Waterford, Bethania, Park Ridge, North Mclean, Cornubia, Tanah Merah, Loganholme, Mt Warren Park, Eagleby and Beenleigh.
This is what is happening on the hustings today in Forde, Rankin, Bowman and Wright …
Forde MP Bert van Manen made the promise after police statistics showed rises in assaults, unlawful entries and property damage across parts of Logan in the three months from January.
There were 81 assaults in January and a further 98 in March.
Unlawful entries in Logan also rose from 62 in January to a further 68 in March.
Property damage crimes went up from 65 in January and February to 77 in March.
Trespass and vagrancy almost doubled from February to March.
Mr van Manen said CCTV cameras deterred criminals and helped crime fighters.
The federal government would work with Logan City Council to identify the best locations.
“This is a $6 million program, of which $2 million will be spent in our communities, in
the federal electorates of Forde and Wright,” Mr van Manen said.
Also on Tuesday, Rankin MP Jim Chalmers announced plans for a bus turnaround zone near Underwood Park at Priestdale.
FRIDAY, MAY 6
BOWMAN
Labor Party maverick Don Brown has done his own restaurant photo survey to gauge voter support by photographing the number of people at party meetings … not sure how he got the LNP Henry Pike photos … what do you think? …
TAKE OUR SURVEY HERE
RANKIN
Jim Chalmers, the man who will be Treasurer if the Labor Party wins this month’s federal election, has announced funding for a range of local projects in his electorate of Rankin, which covers Underwood, Springwood, Marsden, Regents Park, Heritage Park and Crestmead. Mr Chalmers, who took up the slack last week, when Anthony Albanese was sidelined with Covid, promised to widen Loganlea Rd between the Logan Motorway and the Pacific Motorway on-ramp to six lanes with a $22.5 million pledge.
The Greens Ian Mazlin was out and about today ahead of pre-polling booths opening on Monday. Mr Mazlin said he was getting ready for a walk for Toondah Harbour on Sunday. “In the balance of power, the Greens will push the next government to reject the Walker Group’s proposal and support the development of a new public ferry terminal and modernised tourist facilities in public hands, without 3600 apartments on protected shorebird habitat.”
FORDE
MP Bert van Manen announces Loganholme Cricket Club will receive funds from a re-elected Coalition Government to upgrade lights at its Tansey Park home.
The announcement follows last week’s tennis funding promise for junior and adult players, through schools, tertiary institutions, local clubs and associations, as well as private centres and coaches. Mr van Manen said the next Ash Barty or Patrick Rafter could be living in Beenleigh, which is why the federal government and Tennis Queensland will invest $5 million to finance Tennis Queensland’s master plan to grow and sustain the sport from grassroots to elite level. “I believe the best way to discover our best tennis prospects is while they’re young,” Mr van Manen said.
THURSDAY, MAY 3
Forde MP Bert van Manen ledges $500,000 with the local council for the Ormeau Bulldogs AFL Club if the coalition is re-elected. “It is always difficult for a sports club to find the funds to upgrade facilities,” Mr Van Manen said, “That is why I am pleased to be able to help the Doggies. “The Federal Government, in partnership with Gold Coast City council, is backing the club’s plans to upgrade its lighting system.” The money will be for lighting for the playing field and carparks.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022
With less than three weeks to go, candidates south of the Brisbane River have been slinging around pledges and in some cases cash to win over voters.
A series of well-attended “Meet the Candidates” sessions have been held, with the latest at Eagleby.
Sitting MP Bert van Manen pledged $150,000 for the Twin Rivers Community Mallet Sports Club if the Liberal National Party wins this month’s election. The club has just moved to new premises in Eagleby
MONDAY, MAY 3
All eight candidates for Forde attended a forum at Eagleby’s Palm Lodge Resort where the bid announcement was that former Animal Justice Party candidate Linda McCarthy, had resigned from that party and withdrawn as a candidate.
She withdrew along with the AJP candidate Rankin Suzanne Clarke after conflicts claims they had misused their personal social media platforms to express their views on transgender issues which the party did not endorse.
Each candidate was invited to speak briefly about what they would bring to Forde.
Sitting MP Bert van Manen (LNP) told he had supported the group trying to reroute the Coomera Connector away from Eagleby. He stated that the consultation was totally inadequate and called it farcical. He has also brought the issue to the attention of Environment Minister Sussan Ley.
The Labor candidate Rowan Holzberger also spoke of strong connections to the area and his belief that the Coomera Connector was wrongly located. He said he was authorised by Shadow Environment Minister Terri Butler to tell the group a Labour government would support the EPBC Act with regard to federal approval for the road.
He also spoke on being able to improve the economy.
The LDP candidate Tobby Sutherland spoke of his career as an athlete, his teaching career and expressed strong views about changes to the curriculum to stop “woke” views in schools and spoke of the Freedom Manifesto and his party would support and encourage small businesses to invest in growth of the economy. He said his party would be arguing for the Inland Rail to go from Toowoomba to Gladstone – not to the Port of Brisbane.
Greens candidate Jordan Hall spoke of his support for maintaining the environment in general and Eagleby in particular. When the issue of homelessness was raised, he spoke of 100,000 homes being built with repayments tied to income level. He stated welfare payments should immediately be raised to $88 a day.
Independent Chris Greaves told of the difficulties he had faced in life and the fact “small voices” should be heard. He spoke of the difficulties faced by volunteer groups and grants to organisations with paid staff instead of to the volunteers who do the work.
The TNL candidate Sam Holland spoke passionately about his family’s experience caring for an aged relative. He said there was a need for birth to death care, free child care and quality aged care. He also spoke about the need to maintain biodiversity in the environment and his work towards that. He said that should he be in a position to hold the balance of power he would never support the Coomera Connector even if it meant an election would have to be called.
United Australia Party’s Roxanne O’Halloran said she wanted to be a voice for the community and a government that recognised that political decisions did not always match what the community believed was important. She said that although she was inexperienced she felt it necessary to become politically involved.
Pauline Hanson One Nation Party’s Seschelle Matterson also mentioned her political inexperience and said she was a psychologist who gave her a great awareness of the issues facing the community. She said that political decisions that affected peoples’ lives were not always aligned with what people need.
ELECTION EVENTS
SATURDAY MAY 7 2pm: A public meeting will be held on Saturday, May 7 at 2pm until 3pm at Redlands Memorial Hall, Cleveland with a quick presentation from (formerly The New Liberals) Bowman TNL candidate Phil Johnson giving his policy statements and taking questions.
SUNDAY, MAY 8: Walk for Toondah in Cleveland starts at Raby Bay Harbour Park at 9am. It’s an opportunity for locals to find out about the planned $1.3 billion Toondah Harbour development. Local Indigenous Elder, Uncle Norm Enoch will deliver the Welcome to Country before the walk. As well, Jerry Coleby-Williams (Gardening Australia) and Robert Bush (Qld Wader Group) will speak. Local environmental groups will have stalls at the park. Beako, the giant Eastern Curlew puppet, will also make a special appearance.
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