Clontarf local Sue Johnson calls $19M Moreton Bay Clontarf overpass an eyesore

Through tears, a distressed local has spoken out about her battle against a 'ridiculous eyesore' development north of Brisbane which could send her and hundreds of others moving out of the area.

Through tears, a distressed local has spoken out about her battle against a ‘ridiculous eyesore’ development north of Brisbane which could send her and 330 others moving out of the area.

The $19 million dollar overpass is for Elizabeth Avenue at Clontarf in the Moreton Bay region, with construction to start mid 2022. It has been 80 percent funded by the federal government and 20 percent by the state government.

According to the Department of Transport the overpass was designed to provide a safer passage between Clontarf Beach State High School‘s facilities and both sides of Elizabeth Avenue.

North western aerial view of Elizabeth Avenue, Clontarf, construct active transport overpass - Queensland Department of Transports and Main Roads.

Long time Clontarf locals have not taken the news of the development lightly and have banded together to fight back against the ‘horrible, huge structure’.

Clontarf resident Susan Johnson, 69, has been left frustrated to the point of tears after battling this development for three years, and constantly chasing more information.

“I’ve asked and asked. Not one of them knew any details,” she said.

“No one wanted to be held accountable, any questions about this project have just been met with complete silence.“

Mrs Johnson has called Clontarf her home for most of her life and is heartbroken by the news.

She said has even considered moving, and she‘s not the only one.

“It‘s really affecting our lives. I feel like we’re just getting squeezed out and nobody cares,” she said.

“To be honest I really feel like putting a for sale sign on my house”.

“You would think for $19 million it would look nice but it‘s ugly, it will look like a railway bridge.”

Susan Johnson, 69, creator of Say NO to the $19 million pedestrian overpass petition.

After being fed up with a lack of answers, Ms Johnson started a petition against the development.

The petition has more than 330 signatures and has created a stir in the community, with locals taking to a local Facebook community group to express their disdain.

“I think it‘s a waste of money and won’t even be used. I think it would of been better to spend that money build an overpass at Hercules Road. If teenagers cannot cross the road at a set of lights there’s a problem,“ a local said.

“$19m! Are they making it out of solid gold? You could build 40 big houses for that much money. Council need a reality check,” another local commented.

Campaigning for the Say NO to the $19 million pedestrian overpass at Elizabeth Avenue Clontarf Petition

There is also a major concern for the safety of the many koalas and wildlife that have been sighted in the greenery surrounding Elizabeth avenue.

“They don’t care about the koalas or wildlife, they have just told me that the Koala population is no longer viable. I’ve sighted 12 in the last two years,” Susan Johnson said.

A spokesman from the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads said they had considered the environmental impact.

“Care has been taken to ensure environmental assessments have been completed to determine if the vegetation in the project area is significant for koalas or other species,” they said.

“Vegetation will be retained where possible, but some tree removal will be required to install the overpass.”

Moreton Bay Regional Council has declined to comment, despite its involvement protecting nearby wildlife and preserving the environment.

The Department of Education Queensland has also declined to comment.