Action at last after standoff sees kids forced to Uber to school
Six years after residents were promised bus services in this boom suburb, kids are still taking Ubers to school due to a political standoff. But action is coming after a breakthrough this week.
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A bus service should have started as soon as next month in the former salad bowl of Brisbane, Pallara, but a standoff between Council and the State Government means some children are being forced to take Ubers to school.
A new neighbourhood plan six years ago ushered in a huge housing boom in the southwestern suburb but, as yet, there are no buses.
Frustrated residents also have to put up cracked and potholed streets with no curbing or footpaths.
Now, after a long campaign from residents, there is acton at last.
ALP MP for Algester, Leeanne Enoch, said this week locals would begin to notice bus stop building activity in coming months.
“To deliver the service we needed Brisbane City Council to provide permanent, and accessible bus shelters for commuters,” she said.
“Council have now agreed to deliver these bus stops so we can get on with the job of providing an extended 126 service.
“The extensive new coverage area will mean that a large number of residents will now be within walking distance of public transport from their homes for the first time.
The council confirmed there was a “plan to work towards six stops which is now under way”.
Under the changes, route 126 (Sunnybank to Acacia Ridge) will be realigned and extended to run along Mains Rd and south to Ritchie Rd, providing Pallara residents a bus route to Sunnybank Plaza and CBD connections, or to Heathwood.
Labor Council Opposition Leader, Jared Cassidy, earlier this month claimed Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and local LNP Councillor Angela Owen had allowed Pallara to become one of Brisbane’s most neglected suburbs.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey then wrote to Council, saying TransLink supported a business case presented by Council officers for amended route 126 bus services and “stands ready to implement these services’’.
The amended route would connect Heathwood and Pallara with Sunnybank, via Altandi train station.
That agreement was, however, subject to Council providing bus stops that met federal accessibility laws.
“I am further advised that TransLink has always advocated bus stops on an amended route 126 that comply with Australian law,’’ Mr Bailey said in his letter to Civic Cabinet Chair for Transport, Councillor Ryan Murphy.
“As I understand it, the proposed interim solution would focus on delivering a smaller
number of BCC delivered bus stops to areas, where there are current residents, with other stops to be deployed after commencement of services.
“I am advised that these discussions are progressing well.’’
Council said it was well aware Pallara needed better bus services and had been “fighting for many years’’ to get the State Government to fund them.
“There has been almost no growth funding from the State Government for Brisbane bus services in the last decade,’’ a spokeswoman said.
“We’ve now submitted four business cases supporting the case for Pallara bus services, but each has been rejected.
“The State Government has come up with every excuse in the book.’’
Resident Samantha Spaliviero has petitioned Council for action, with 888 signatures so far.
She cares for three children, including on the autism spectrum, who attend three different schools.
Ms Spaliviero, who drives some of the children to school, also has to use Uber taxi services because there is no bus.
“I started wondering if it was just me until I saw an old lady waiting for an Uber,’’ she said.
“After asking around, and seeing the responses to the petition, it seems I’m far from the only one.
“That’s probably why you only have to wait one minute for an Uber to turn up around here.’’
She said the roads were also unsafe, with many lacking footpaths or curbs as well as many potholes and cracked surfaces.
There had been multiple accidents on Ritchie Rd, which attracted hoons doing burnouts, she said.
Ms Spaliviero said some of the housing estate’s sales pitches had promised public transport, but five years on from the start of the subdivision boom there still weren’t even bus stops or shelters.
“Our community is willing to accept change, but we need change in order for our suburb to grow in a manner that is also community-driven by providing basic public transport services,’’ she said.
In the past decade most of the few remaining farms in the former rural area have sold to developers, including the 34ha second-generation Zivec family produce farm.
In 2015 Council forecast as many as 6000 new homes could be built in the area, under the Lower Oxley Creek South Neighbourhood Plan.
The neighbourhood plan, and the announcement of the $100 million Oxley Creek
Transformation Master Plan, sparked a surge in development applications after 2015.
One of the biggest developers is Turrisi Properties, a platinum sponsor of the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Trust, has developed a string of sold-out housing projects in recent years including the 70-lot Pallara Land.
AusBuild is selling its multistage Prominence at Pallara townhouse and house project on Ritchie Rd, while another developer applied for a 26-lot subdivision on Ritchie Rd in 2016.
The same year, a development application (DA) was submitted for a project including 18 townhouses, a swim school and childcare centre.
Also in 2016, a DA was lodged for a 30-lot estate on Falkland St East, while Stockland Development has been moving ahead with its multistage Pallara Residential Estate on Burman Rd.
In 2017 there were two DAs lodged for projects on Van Dieren Rd, including a 42-lot estate and an 18-lot housing estate with 48 duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes.
Cr Cassidy accused Crs Schrinner and Owen of “putting the cart before the horse’’.
“Residents are suffering because of their poor management,’’ he said.
“Being a pedestrian in Pallara is dangerous and the fact residents are being forced to use private transport, taxis and Ubers to get around is simply unacceptable.
“Residents in Pallara have been crying out for basic active and public transport options for years now and the LNP Council has refused.’’
Cr Cassidy pointed out that the State Government would not provide bus services without Council first building bus stops and footpaths.
But Council said it would “continue to work in the best interests of Pallara residents to deliver new bus stops and infrastructure so that services can start as soon as possible’’.
“My strong advocacy as the local councillor has helped secure a new school bus service, land for a new sports park, stormwater improvements, additional greenspace and funding to upgrade Ritchie Rd for Pallara residents,’’ Cr Owen said.
“This has been achieved in the past two years alone.
“I won’t stop standing up for the needs of Pallara, while Labor is more interested in playing politics.’’
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