Road upgrades needed
HAVE you noticed the trend around Redlands? Road intersection upgrades that take a single carriageway, briefly make two lanes at the new traffic lights, then narrows back to one lane.
I realise the plan is to widen the road to four lanes in the future, but that future is a long way off and it causes a problem now that didn't exist before the upgrade.
Impatient drivers speed down the outside lane and barge their way in at the narrowing. They don't have right of way to push in where there is no gap. But they do it anyway. I'm not talking about those more polite drivers who merge properly.
You also see cars going well in excess of the speed limit. It must be gratifying to speed past a line of 10 or 20 cars then jump in at the head of the queue. But for the rest of us it’s just rude. I've never seen a police radar in these places. Why not?
This is bad road design that encourages bad driving. Those drivers probably tell themselves that the government would not have put the extra lane there if they were not supposed to use it. And they have a point.
Come on government at all three levels: stop drip feeding infrastructure funds to the Redlands. These piece-meal road upgrades make us look like cheapskates.
- D. Tuffley, Redland Bay
Birkdale land
BIRKDALE Progress Association has called for bushland to be protected for its environmental, Indigenous and heritage significance (RCB, June 13).
With available land in the Redlands decreasing and with no area stated as being set aside for a university, I believe this land would be ideal for this use. Redland City has no university and residents travel long distances to attend universities in Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast. Anyone who has attended Griffith University at Nathan can vouch for its wonderful conservation of the environment. The university is surrounded by bushland with walking tracks and sports facilities that may be used by the public.
The communications centre (formerly the United States radio receiving station) could also be preserved on the Birkdale site. I hope the council realises that land like this is very important and that a university is required for present and future generations of Redland residents.
- J. Quinn, Capalaba
Attacks on native wildlife
PEOPLE who still believe that dog attacks do not do much harm to native wildlife should attend a necropsy on a koala after a dog attack. Particularly a koala that you may think your dog has just “mouthed”.
The koala is sitting there at the bottom of the tree in your yard and you call the Wildlife Rescue, just in case. Well that koala cannot climb back up that tree – it is in shock, as the dog does not just “mouth”. The majority of dogs grab smaller mammals and shake, with their canine teeth penetrating the skin and through to the major organs of the body. When the shaking occurs, livers are shredded, spleens damaged, stomachs ruptured, haemorrhages occur, as well as broken ribs as the ribs of a koala are quite fragile. Then when the owner of the dog approaches the koala, all they can see is a dazed koala sitting there with a bit of saliva on its fur and looking OK.
Any native animal that has been attacked by a dog or cat that has a wet surface on its body caused by saliva should be seen by a vet to check for any organ damage under the skin caused by teeth from shaking and then antibiotic treatment.
- J. Eva, Thornlands
Branding
I WAS pleased to be invited to our council’s general meeting when the branding program was approved. I can understand why an individual at the meeting was concerned that we are now one of 13 coasts but when you consider that before the branding program we were one of 100-plus cities, so it’s not a bad result.
It is interesting that some of our councilors initially were not in favour of the brand. After they spoke to their division constituents who were supportive of the brand the councilors changed their minds and became supportive.
I have lived in the Redlands for 14 years and love it. The majority of people I meet outside the Redlands have no idea where it is and what we have to offer. ‘Naturally Wonderful’ expresses what they can expect if they visit us.
If we get behind our new brand, it has the potential to put us on the map. Our brand will significantly increase the number of visitors to Redlands Coast. This means they will stay longer and spend more money and create more jobs for us and our children. Other Australian councils have been very successful and have spent millions of dollars with excellent returns.
- P. Robinson, Redlands Coast
WHEN I read that Andrew Laming had announced we are to be called the Redlands Coast, I had no problem with the name, but could not agree when he stated we would be consistent with the Gold and Sunshine coasts. The only thing we would be consistent with would be a similar name.
The Gold and Sunshine coasts offer plenty of accommodation with a range of prices to stay overnight or for a holiday. The Redlands Coast is not consistent with them.
The only place with lots of accommodation in the Redlands Coast is beautiful Stradbroke Island but first tourists have to pay between $68 to $99 to take their car there.
Then, unless they have a couple of people pooling their money, the cost of accommodation does not compare favourably to what the Gold and Sunshine coasts offer.
The Gold and Sunshine coasts cater for tourists in innumerable ways. We do not. We can offer a great visit for day trippers.
- S. Farley, Alexandra Hills
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