Shock vote: Green light as councillors support more Coast green bridges
A super majority of councillors, in a shock vote, have made a call on where to investigate more pedestrian and cyclist bridges across the Gold Coast. FIND OUT ALL THE DETAILS
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A SUPER majority of councillors, in a shock vote, have given the green light to investigating more pedestrian and cyclist bridges across the Gold Coast.
A report to council’s transport committee had showed designs of flash new green bridges earmarked for top Coast locations like Surfers Paradise.
The recommendation in committee that council proceed with investigations on four key locations after looking at 46 bridges across 14 council divisions had divided councillors.
The vote was 4-3 in favour at committee but a majority of councillors were expected to oppose the move at Tuesday’s full council meeting.
However, an amendment by Councillor Hermann Vorster, which included support for a planning design on a Robina Parkway bridge, was supported by all councillors except for Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, Nerang-based councillor Peter Young and new councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden.
Transport committee chair Pauline Young had urged colleagues to back the report which was to investigate 24 potential green bridge projects.
She said council must look at road congestion busting alternatives and the intention was not build expensive entry statement bridges like the Isle of Capri bridge linking to Surfers Paradise.
“I think we need to ensure we are a multi-modal transport system in the city,” Councillor Young said.
But Cr Gates who strongly opposed the recommendation to proceed with an investigation on green bridges was concerned about the lack of costings and community consultation.
She said council had “limited funding” and there was a need to know the number of people who would use the bridges outlined in the report.
“I don’t know about them (the other bridges). I have difficulty in supporting this today,” she said.
The key locations listed in the report are Australia Avenue to Allambi Avenue at Broadbeach, Lionel Avenue to Walton Street at Southport, Resort to Halborne drives, Robina, and Reedmans Road to Mirambeena Drive at Pimpama.
Councillor Peter Young recommended at a transport meeting last Tuesday that senior council officers talk to transport department bureaucrats about fast-forwarding replacement of the Ferry Street bridge across the Nerang River. It would also include a cycleway.
He also recommended that priority be given to green bridges as part of the state government’s plans for the Coomera Connector project in the city’s north, including the section across Saltwater Creek.
Cr Owen-Jones supported the move with the bridge part of a State Government funded project in his division but cautioned residents on “thinking about bridges turning up soon”.
“The actual decision today is to build business cases. We’re not making a funding decision,” he said.
EARLIER
IMPRESSIVE designs show flash new green bridges are earmarked for top Gold Coast locations like Surfers Paradise.
But an increasing number of councillors don’t want them, worried about cost and a “bridge dumping cyclists and pedestrians at residents’ front doors”.
Bulletin readers also chimed in.
“Great idea as we need them badly and will get cars off the road,” Gold Coaster wrote.
Alan added: “Rather than the grand green bridges over the river, why not several small ones over the canals and lakes that prevent easy cycle and pedestrian movement through the suburbs.”
Christian liked the idea.
“New green bridge from Surfers Paradise over to Chevron Island please.”
READ ALL THE COMMENTS BELOW
Councillors were divided at a transport committee meeting on Tuesday about a report on four potential green bridge locations.
The locations are Australia Avenue to Allambi Avenue at Broadbeach, Lionel Avenue to Walton Street at Southport, Resort to Halborne drives, Robina, and Reedmans Road to Mirambeena Drive at Pimpama.
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Councillor Peter Young recommended that senior council officers talk to transport department bureaucrats about fast-forwarding replacement of the Ferry Street bridge across the Nerang River. It would also include a cycleway.
He also recommended that priority be given to green bridges as part of the state government’s plans for the Coomera Connector project in the city’s north, including the section across Saltwater Creek.
Cr Young gained support from committee chair Pauline Young, Brooke Patterson and Darren Taylor to win the vote 4-3. But the recommendation could be lost at full council.
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates was the first councillor to speak strongly against the report, saying she did not see green bridges as a solution to traffic congestion and was concerned about a lack of community consultation.
“I will not be supporting this when it comes to full council,” she said. “The major flaw that I see in entire body of work, unless I missed it in the report, is the total lack of consultation.
“There are suggestions here that I know will appall some of the people who live in these locations. They won’t want a bridge dumping cyclists and pedestrians at their front doors.”
Cr Gates said the first step should be to find if communities wanted the bridges.
Transport director Alton Twine told councillors: “One of the big problems with consultation is if you consult with the community and they say ‘yeah, we actually really want it’ and you do the work and find it’s not achievable and costs the roof.
“We need to do the work to convince us all that this thing is going to stack up before we talk to people because it may not.”
Mr Twine said the first step was to do the planning design and business case for four bridges, which was not a huge impost on resourcing.
Robina councillor Hermann Vorster strongly supported Cr Gates, urging other councillors not to support the recommendation.
He said infrastructure should be built where growth occurred rather than “retrofitting it where it would be nice to be”. His other concern was the rates bill.
Cr Young told colleagues the Coomera Connector and light rail was an example of “retrofitting” where there had been demand for added infrastructure.
“We have got a strategic objective that has long been identified in our city’s transport strategy to shift the mode the way people move. Clearly, active transport is a big focus and big hope and we have to provide the right facilities for people to be able to do that.”
He said he had confidence in the process and there was nothing in the motion that said the four bridges would go ahead.
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