This shows just how cryptic koalas are; around but invariably unseen unless by fluke or when they turn up dead or injured.

Chris Hosking who reported the sighting, said:

While driving to this property to see the koala, a red-necked wallaby jumped in front of me and would have been struck had I been driving more quickly.

I remain intrigued that the GHD environmental report found “no long term effects on wildlife populations” if Gap Creek Road is sealed and becomes a traffic corridor with increased volumes and speed of vehicles.

• GCA submission
• Annex A

» Read the full story

To all those Gap residents who supported the GCA’s campaign to oppose a Western Brisbane Bypass through The Gap, thanks for your support and encouragement along the way.

The GCA believes that the State Government’s decision today to scrap any plan for an ‘inner’ Bypass to the west of Mt. Cootha is a great result for local residents and will go a long way towards preserving the unique green and leafy lifestyle of our lovely suburb.

Those of you who have read the preliminary findings of the WBTNI Taskforce and this mornings Press Release from the Deputy Premier on this subject will be aware that there are still a number of road, tunnel and public transport options to be considered as part of the Western Brisbane Transport Network study.

These options are summarized in a map on the WBTNI web site at www.wbtni.net.au – just scroll down to the bottom of the first page.

It is indeed pleasing to see that the dreaded ‘dotted line’ through The Gap, featured in the SE Queensland Regional Plan has now disappeared, hopefully for ever.

As a matter of principal, the GCA supports the concept of a western ring road from Toowong via Stafford to the Bruce Highway at Carseldine using new tunnel/s and existing road transport corridors’ – this appears to be the preferred option of the WBTNI. If this option does receive Government support, we then look forward to working with the WBTNI on the details of such a proposal.

The WBTNI is now seeking public comment on its proposals and the GCA intends making such a submission, however for the submission to realistically reflect the views of Gap residents we need your views to include in the submission, so please add comments to this post.

A document dated October 1999 prepared by the Brisbane City Council (BCC), that has just been discovered by the Gap Community Association, indicates that the BCC is predicting traffic on Gap Creek Road to increase by 554% by 2011 if the upgrade goes ahead.

Of more concern is an apparent plan to route some of the increased traffic along School Road, Hilder Road (past the Hilder Road School) and then onto Settlement Road via Kaloma Road.

Other projected traffic increases according to the BCC document are:

• Dillon Road +324%
• Payne Road +131%
• School Road +218%
• Illowra Street +50%

Apart from the environmental, pollution and traffic congestion concerns, what effect will these significant increases in traffic through The Gap have on our property values? No wonder the BCC has decided to defer a public announcement on The Gap Creek Road upgrade until after the election!

Map showing change in daily traffic volume on streets in The Gap if Gap Creek Road was upgraded by 2011 (JPG, 935 Kb) »

Map showing percentage change in daily traffic volume on streets in The Gap if Gap Creek Road was upgraded by 2011 (JPG, 935 Kb) »

At this time, the candidates standing for election are as follows:

• Liberal Party – M/s. Geraldine Knapp (Incumbent)
• Labor Party – Mr. John Laing
• Green Party – Dr. Robert Hogg

All three candidates attended the Gap Community Association (GCA) Meeting held on the 30th January 2008 and were invited to advise the meeting of their respective positions on the proposed upgrade of Gap Creek and Dillon Roads between Kenmore and The Gap.

M/s. Knapp advised the meeting that she is in favour of the planned upgrade whilst Mr. Laing and Dr. Hogg advised of their opposition to the upgrade.

Residents of The Gap may be aware that the GCA conducted a survey of local residents in December 2006 on the proposed upgrade, the results being 955 (70.1%) responses against the upgrade and 407 (29.9%) in favour of an upgrade.

The decision to conduct our survey was approved and paid for by the Brisbane City Council and the survey results were counted in the BCC Gap Ward Office by BCC and GCA representatives – the GCA believes this to be the only credible and ‘transparent’ survey carried out on this subject to date.

Based on the results of our survey, the GCA has, and will continue to oppose the upgrade due to the majority concern of residents on this important issue.

The concerns of residents are many, but may be summarised as follows:

• The destruction of fauna and flora in the Heritage Listed Brisbane Forest Park due to the sealing and realigning of the road through the Park – the BCC acknowledge that over 700 trees will be destroyed as part of the upgrade.
  Indeed, the Australia Koala Foundation (AKF) has publicly agreed with the concerns of Gap residents and the AKF will be mounting their own campaign to oppose the Gap Creek Road upgrade on environmental grounds.
• The negative impact on the quality of life in our green, ‘leafy’ suburb due to the increase in traffic through The Gap, particularly Payne, Illowra, Settlement and Waterworks Roads on which a number of schools are located.
• CO2 pollution from extra exhaust emissions.
• The fear that once the BCC seals and upgrades the road, further upgrades to the level of ‘ring road’ or ‘Western Brisbane Bypass’ could follow. The comment in BCC Newsletter No. 2 comparing the proposed upgrade to the ‘Western Freeway’, five kilometres to the east, further supports our concerns.

The GCA also notes that the BCC is unable to provide residents with a guarantee that the road/s will not be further upgraded as any such decision would in all likelihood be the prerogative of the State or Federal Governments and not the BCC. Indeed, the State Government-funded Western Brisbane Transport Network Investigation (WBTNI) is currently investigating the need, or otherwise, for a Western Brisbane Bypass and if established, the route that it should take.

If you, like The Gap Community Association, are concerned about our quality of life as a result of these planned upgrades, then we urge you to consider the respective positions of the three candidates on this important issue when you cast your vote on Saturday, 15th March 2008.

If, like the GCA, you are concerned about the likely increase in traffic through The Gap arising from such an upgrade or that an upgraded road will become a ‘defacto’ Western Bypass through The Gap, then the GCA urges you to cast a vote against the upgrade.

The Brisbane City Council has publicly stated that their decision on the upgrade will be influenced by public opinion so this may be your last opportunity to have your say.

Simply SMS the reader poll on number 0429 395 726 with the words NO UPGRADE.

• President: Terry Mendies
• Vice President: Andrew McMicking
• Secretary: Tony Barker
• Acting Treasurer: Tony Barker

Major items to be addressed by the GCA in 2007/08:

• Impact of the State Government’s Western Brisbane Transport Network Investigation (WBTNI).
• Opposition to an ‘inner’ Western Brisbane Bypass proceeding through The Gap to the east of the Enoggera Reservoir.
• Impact of the proposed Ashgrove Golf Club residential development.
• Concerns regarding the upgrading of Dillon/Gap Creek Roads and the likely impact of increased traffic volumes along Payne, Illowra, Settlement and Waterworks Roads.
• Policing issues in The Gap including concerns about hooning, graffiti and vandalism.
• Concerns over the activities at the old quarry site in Settlement Road in relation to noise, dust, visual pollution and traffic hazards.
• The need for bus pull-in lanes on Waterworks Road to improve traffic flows in the T2 lane.
• Creating more underground power lines.
• Creating a library and community centre in The Gap.

Memberships and donations

The activities of the GCA are funded almost exclusively from membership fees and donations.

If you would like to join the GCA, pay your 2007/08 membership fee (Personal $10, Family $15) or make a donation to support our activities please post a cheque to the GCA @ PO BOX 447, The Gap, QLD, 4061.

Receipts will be issued for all monies received by the GCA.

Further information about the proposal and the progress of the Development Approval (DA) can be found Brisbane City Council’s website (Reference No. a001864903).

The Ashgrove Golf Club website will be periodically updated when new information becomes available.

Should you have experience any technical difficulties or queries or wish to provide feedback about the website or the community consultation process please email ashgrove@pmm.com.au.

Download the PDF (94 Kb)

We are being asked by the State Fovernment to comment on the Draft Terms of Reference by no later than the 31st July 2007.

The Gap Community Association (GCA) will be lodging a submission to the State Government on the Draft Terms of Reference, however, we need input from local residents to assist in this task.

Some of the issues that the GCA proposes including in our submission are as follows:

1. Environmental considerations should be taken into account for all aspects of the Study and not just for a possible further study to determine the location and timing of a future Western Bypass (Item 10 of the Draft). In particular, the environmental issues that are peculiar to The Gap (refer Annexure 1) need to be taken into account.
2. The Brisbane City Council’s (BCC) decision to upgrade Gap Creek and Dillon Roads should be investigated as well as the strategic merits of the TransApex Northern Link proposal (Item 5 of the Draft). Pending these investigations, the BCC should defer any work on the upgrade of Gap Creek/Dillon Roads as such work could end being in conflict with the recommendations of the WBTNI.
3. An upgrade and widening of Metro Route 5 northwards from the Toowong Cemetery should be included as a third ‘bypass’ option in item 9 of the Draft.
4. The study should specifically address the need for bus ‘pull-in’ lanes on Waterworks Road inbound and outbound.
5. During peakhours, traffic in the T2 lane is only as fast as the slowest bus and is currently almost gridlocked – serious safety issues also arise from the limited number of pull-in lanes (refer Annexure 2)
6. Wherever roads need to be built, widened or upgraded arising from the WBTNI, power poles should be replaced by underground cabling for safety and aesthetic reasons.

I am sure that there are other issues that The Gap residents would like to raise and if so, we urge you to either email or post them to the GCA (PO Box 447, The Gap) or to submit them directly to the WBTNI Study Group. Don’t forget they need to be received by WBTNI by the 31st July 2007.