Community scores a win after school opens up green space

Furious residents have had a win after a leading Brisbane school backflipped on a decision to lock them out of a community green space.

Taringa resident Ken at the locked gate at Vera St Common.

Toowong residents have scored a people power victory after a leading school reversed its decision to lock a gate which allowed access to a popular common and community garden.

Locals started a letter-writing campaign and flooded social media after the Queensland Academy of Science, Mathematics and Technology (QASMT) blocked access to Vera St Common.

The common, and the community garden within it, is the social hub of that part of Toowong and is used by gardeners, cyclists accessing a Council bikepath, children playing sport, and dog walkers.

Over the weekend the gate was opened and QASMT sent a letter to neighbours telling them they could resume dog walking and other uses if they obeyed rules.

“After long negotiations with the Departmentof Education Security and Facilities, I am pleased to advise that we will unlock the gate on Vera St this afternoon,’’ principal Kath Kayrooz said in her letter, dated May 8.

But she said users would still have to abide by social distancing rules, pick up dog faeces, keep their dogs on leashes and use the land, on the north bank of Toowong Creek, only in daylight hours.

Ms Kayrooz also confirmed that the decision to block access came after residents complained about social distancing breaches to DoE regional office.

Neighbour Brendan Grice, who moved to the area a year ago, said he was pleased but had never seen unsafe numbers there.

More people used the nearby Wests Rugby Club’s fields, he said.

Sign put up by QASMT warning residents the common was closed. It was reopened on the weekend.

“It (Vera St Common) is very social, the community is almost centred on the use of the grounds,’’ Mr Grice said.

“The land north of Toowong Creek is part of the school grounds, but in the year I’ve lived here I’ve seen them use it only three times for volleyball and once for badminton.

“Most people are using it outside school hours or on weekends.

“This is land that was bequeathed to the state by (the son of) an ex premier of Queensland, Sir Arthur Palmer (who served in the 1870s), for a school but also for community use.’’

Locals believe the real reason for the closure was previous protests by environmentalists opposed to QASMT’s building works adjacent to the creek.

An Extinction Rebellion crew staged a protest last year and there were reports of a fire at the construction site, but it has been peaceful for many months.

Security guards now patrol the area 24 hours a day.

Ms Kayrooz said the land was sold to the Government, not donated.

Her letter acknowledged the concerns and said that was the reason it would go ahead with a security fence.

“As there has been an increase in vandalism incidents at the QASMT over the last six months, the Department has committed to providing security fencing for the academy which is expected to be completed in late June,’’ she wrote.

The community garden organiser was given a key to the gate after the initial closure and could let people in, but users were allowed to bring along compost only on Sunday mornings from 8-10.30am.

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Neighbours said they wanted an end to recent conflict with the school and to foster a more cooperative relationship, similar to Indorooopilly State High School which allows neighbours to use its playing fields after hours as an unofficial offleash dog park.

In return, the neighbours fundraise for the school each year, police the collection of dog faeces via a Facebook “shame’’ page, pick up litter and keep an eye out for vandals and thieves.

Ms Kayrooz also acknowledged in her letter that principals had the discretion to work with residents on access to school property.

“The Academy, in its former incarnations as Toowong State High, Toowong

College and now as QASMT, has made these green spaces available for local residents to spend their recreation time in what has been a beautiful community gesture since 1963,’’ a statement from some neighbours read.

“Locals have picnics at the Vera St park, kids immerse themselves in nature playing in the creek and many have learnt to ride their bikes along this flat space.

“Daily you will see people exercising, walking their dogs, riding their bikes and playing basketball and tennis. This has been the case for decades.

“They have also used the lower part of the grounds, including the oval and Vera St Park, as a thoroughfare to connect to Miskin St.

“This is particularly important given the steep topography of the area and the use as a cycling and walking route, away from traffic.

“The recent expansion of the Academy has had an inevitable, undesirable impact on the local community in a number of ways including; increased foot and vehicle traffic; decreased on-street parking; restricted access to their own residences during school evening events as a result of school traffic; increased pollution (including construction noise) which has had a

damaging impact on the native habitat.

“It is our hope that the Academy seeks to maintain the beautiful natural environment in which they are situated and use it as a learning tool as students study topics like ecosystems and sustainability practices.’’

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State Greens MP for the local seat of Maiwar, Michael Berkman, said he was not consulted on the closure or told the reason for it, despite a sign on the gate asking residents to contact him or Education Minister Grace Grace for information.

“Initially, we were told that the (school’s) facilities manager advised some residents that the direction to close access was made by the Department, and that this was a further response to the ongoing construction on site, rather than a response to COVID-19,’’ Mr Berkman said.

“I wrote to the Minister on April 29 to ask that the Department restore access to the Community Garden and Miskin St, from Vera St.

“We were also told by the Minister’s office that QASMT undertook to advise all residents who use the space, yet this appears not to have been done in writing by the Department or QASMT.’’

Sign put up by the Vera St Community Garden organisers.

Mr Berkman said he had also written to QASMT principal Kath Kayrooz seeking answers.

Mr Grice and other neighbours said they were told last year by the school that access might be limited during construction but would be restored upon completion of work.

Other school gates were still unlocked, although a gate on the Soudan St bridge was closed last year after protests from environmentalists.

Maiwar LNP candidate, Lauren Day, accused Mr Berkman of not being “across this issue’’.

LNP candidate for Maiwar, Lauren Day, at the site.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing a pattern of the current state Member blaming everyone but himself for his failures to know what’s going on,’’ Ms Day said.

“He is proving to be both ineffective in Parliament and asleep at the wheel in his own electorate.’’

LNP councillor for Walter Taylor ward James Mackay said locals should be disappointed in Mr Berkman “who apparently didn’t even know the fence was being built’’.