Southern bay islanders angry at Bribie bridge plan after years lobbying for their own crossing
Southern Moreton Bay island residents, who have fought for a bridge since the 1960s, have slammed the $700m Bribie Island pledge as political favouritism.
Redlands Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Redlands Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A state government pledge to build a $700 million second bridge to Bribie Island has triggered outrage from southern Moreton Bay island residents who have campaigned unsuccessfully for 65 years to get their own bridge.
Southern Moreton Bay Islands Chamber of Commerce president Dan Golin slammed the Bribie bridge spending as “political skulduggery’’ and a doubling up of resources to the detriment of one of the lowest socio-economic areas in the state.
Mr Golin said the need for a bridge to Russell Island was far greater.
He said Tuesday’s announcement by Premier Steven Miles was a slap in the face for hardworking island businesses.
But one barge operator conceded a Russell Island bridge would be much more expensive than one to Bribie as it would need to be higher to allow bigger boats to travel underneath.
He said the Labor Party was backing Pumicestone MP Ali King, who has 5.3 per cent margin, over Redlands MP Kim Richards whose margin was 3.9 per cent.
“The state has been talking about improvements since the 1960s, but all we have had over the past 11 years is a promise of a $15 million mainland car park at Weinam Creek,” he said.
“All we have had from the state and the local council are a few new foreshore parking spots when the last census said the population on the four islands increased massively.
“It is a disgrace that a government is so blatant about pork barrelling, with funding for the Bribie bridge skyrocketing from an estimated $200 million in 2020 to $700 million this week.
“Lives are in jeopardy on the southern bay islands, with no fast ferry or barge service even though an operator had applied to run a 2.5km short trip service from southern Redland Bay to Rocky Point.
“The chamber’s calculations show the population on the four islands has risen from 10,500 in 2021 to more than 15,500 this year, which puts enormous pressure on ferry and barge services.
“This is just pork barrelling at its worst and will not pay off in October.”
Mr Golin said it would also be impossible for the ferry and barge operator Sealink, which has a monopoly on island transport, to continue the level of service if the islands’ population continued to rise at about 15 per cent a year.
Brisbane-based marine service provider Atoll Logistics ditched its 2021 plans for a 20-minute short-haul barge run from Rocky Passage Rd, south of Redland Bay, to the southern tip of Russell Island after facing $15,000 charges for environmental assessments.
The Rocky Passage Rd site is less than 1km from land in Wallaby Rd, Redland Bay which was compulsorily acquired from an elderly Redland Bay widow last year for a joint state and council pontoon and car park.
Atoll Logistics’ Stuart Osborn said the route was opened up to other operators but deemed unviable as the council limited access to pontoons and insisted on “huge” landing fees.
Mr Osborn said a bridge to Russell Island from the mainland would need to be much higher than the 4.8m-high Bribie Island bridge, adding to the cost.
“A bridge to Russell Island would cost twice as much as another one to Bribie because it would have to have a large air draft for sailing vessels to pass under, meaning bigger piles and more expensive equipment to build it,” Mr Osborn said.
“Building a bridge with a swing opening or similar would create ongoing employment and assist with paying for the maintenance of the bridge in the long term but due to labour rates increasing, the charge to vessels would be expensive unless a toll was introduced.”
The state government defended its $700 million Bribie pledge, claiming there were more important safety and other high-priority projects than a bridge to Russell Island.
“A bridge to the southern Moreton Bay islands needs to be assessed against these competing priorities,” a statement after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting at Bribie said.
“The current island ferry and barge services will continue to provide access for the foreseeable future.
“Transport infrastructure, such as a potential bridge to Russell Island, requires careful planning and a high level of co-operation and investment from all levels of government.”
The state Transport Department denied knowledge of the compulsory Redland Bay land acquisition but said TransLink had recently introduced a new and improved ferry timetable for the southern Moreton Bay islands.
In August last year, the then Transport Minister Mark Bailey identified a $3.3 million two-lane boat ramp in Wallaby Rd at Redland Bay with central floating walkway and car park as “a high priority project”, to be completed in 2025.
Calls for witnesses after man dies in ute rollover in Brisbane’s west
Police are calling for witnesses and an investigation is under way after a man from NSW died in a tragic early-morning crash on one of Brisbane’s busiest roads at Rocklea.
Not to be sneezed at: MAFS star tackles incontinence stigma
Married At First Sight star Susie Bradley is using the announcement of her second engagement to ex-league legend Todd Carney to address the taboo topic of incontinence in women.