News Item - Past, present and future infrastructure changes in Brisbane City

 Submitted by :  Robert Standish-White/Charles Ivin               Date updated: 1 January 2015

Brisconnections
Gateway Duplication Project
Northern Busway Project
Airport Link Project
Brisbane Airport - Second Runway Project
Port of Brisbane
Gateway North Bikeway

These infrastructure changes pertain mainly to those greatly affecting Kedron Brook Catchment. Links to the web sites of the major projects are given below in the relevant sections.

Introduction

These infrastructure changes pertain mainly to those greatly affecting Kedron Brook Catchment. This page provides links to websites of relevant organisations giving detailed information on the significant changes being made to our major roadways and infrastructures.

To get the "big picture", it is important for any enquirer to be aware of the home page and structure of these individual web sites so that they can get the overall viewpoint of what is going on and how each part interacts. These organisations are responsible for dissemination of information and spend much time, money and resources to ensure this happens.

BrisConnections

BrisConnections, as contractor, has delivered the $4.8 billion Airport Link, Northern Busway (Windsor to Kedron) and Airport Roundabout Upgrade projects - Australia's biggest road infrastructure project. The link, http://www.brisconnections.com.au/, is the safest to start with since their website changes too quickly to give specific links here to more direct subjects. The main sections such as Projects, Progress, Traffic and News are easily linked from the top navigation bar.

Gateway Duplication Project

This project was finished in 2012.

Top

Northern Busway Project

Use the link: http://www.translink.com.au/northernbusway .

Airport Link Project

This project is virtually complete. BrisConnections (above) gave progress reports and construction issues relating to the construction of the Airport Link and Airport Roundabout Upgrade projects. The following link mainly covers the final outcomes such as the tunnel features, maps, effect on the environment and sustainability, planned maintenance, etc. Use the link: http://www.airportlinkm7.com.au/about-airportlinkm7.aspx .

Brisbane Airport - Second Runway Project

Within the list of significant projects for this immense undertaking are new roads, upgrades to terminals, improvements to the existing runway system and the delivery of the New Parallel Runway. The decrease in numbers of air travellers due to a dip in the world economy allowed the rate of construction of this project to be spread out over the next decade. For further information on the planning and implementation of this project, use the link: http://www.bne.com.au/corporate/bne-major-projects.

The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, following a consultation and public comment period, approved the Minor Variation to the Major Development Plan (MDP) for the New Parallel Runway (NPR) project at Brisbane Airport (Minor Variation). This relates to an important environmental protection affection the Lewin's Rail. A copy of the document, 'New Parallel Runway Project Minor Variation to MDP (Approved 8 February 2011)', is no longer obtainable via a link from the Brisbane Airport Corporation web site page but a down-sized copy (1.2 MB pdf file) is available here.

Briefly, the runway location must be changed to fit in the longer runway to enable an internationally recommended extension of the length of the Runway End Safety Areas since the original plan was presented. Because this runway change encrouches upon the present wildlife habitat, an 11 ha area of Casuarina glauca plantation was made available to provide an even larger habitat area suitable for the uncommon bird, Lewins's Rail. This was more than just an essential swap of property from overwise unrequired land. One part of this huge project is the construction of proper drainage of tidal waters and stormwater from the Brisbane Airport and environs. Plans are shown that indicate how existing wildlife habitats will not be significantly affected, particularly for the Lewin's Rail.

One interesting outcome of the drainage plan is that it presumed a potential temporary drainage construction zone within the present bird's habitat area. This temporary drain was to be eventually replaced by a future mangrove-lined drain by the finish. With the exception of this drainage construction site area, there is an existing 40 m buffer zone provided to the south of the Lewin's Rail Environmentally Significant Area as part of the Airport Environment Strategy. This is an interesting document from which to learn more about interactions of infrastructure on our wildlife habitats.

In 2015, the foundation sand laying and consolidation is well on the way for the second runway.

Port of Brisbane

For many years, the fresh water lake and wetlands at the Port of Brisbane have been regarded by the public as being very valuable to them and wildlife and likewise by the Port of Brisbane... until recently. With a change in the State Government and management at the Port Brisbane, it has become apparent that development at any cost is now more important than people and nature. The Port of Brisbane web site gives a big picture impression of the port. The environment section on their web site is mainly about aspirations and 'wooly stuff'; not even the slightest mention of any details of the importance of the fresh water lake and wetlands associated with the port.

Wildlife Bayside gives more details about the importance of the wetlands on their website. See item in the 'Development' section entitled 'To greed, all nature is insufficient." Seneca', dated 16/12/2012, and in the 'Wildlife Queensland Bayside Branch' section entitled 'Wildlife Bayside submission to the Port of Brisbane 2013 Land Use Plan', dated 6/02/2013 .

Top

Gateway North Bikeway

The Gateway North Bikeway Project is a combined pedestrian and cycle pathway at Nundah. Construction commenced in January 2013. It is part of the wider Gateway Bikeway Project, with responsibility for construction shared between Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, and Brisbane City Council (BCC).

The section project at Nundah will provide access between local bikeways and roads such as:

• the eastern end of the Moreton Bay Cycleway,
• near the existing bicycle criterium circuit Nudgee Road,
• north of Schulz Canal at Nudgee Road,
• south of Schulz Canal, and,
• the proposed Brisbane Airport Corporation's (BAC) cycle network.

The web page Gateway North Bikeway on the BCC's website gives more details and gives a link to the project plan.

The bikeway will be approximately one kilometre in length, and will be 4.5 metres wide at the widest point(at the bridge and loop access under the Old Gateway Bridge), tapering to 3 metres at either end (north of Schulz Canal and at the BAC property boundary).

Features of the bikeway include:

• 138 metre bridge over Schulz Canal (Nudgee Road)
• looped access from the new bridge to the eastern side of the Old Gateway Motorway
• shared path that will link to the proposed BAC cycle network, and,
• shared path that connects to the Moreton Bay Cycleway.

The project is part of Lord Mayor Graham Quirk's commitment for Brisbane City Council to provide $120 million in new bikeway infrastructure over four years, as part of the“Better Bikeways 4 Brisbane” program. The project was substantially finished by the ens of 2014. Other improvements elsewhere along the bikeway were carried out in 2014.

(Copy for this last section was mainly extracted from the relevant page on the BCC web site.)