Letters to the editor

As I have to use this form of transport, I am familiar with how it runs.

A point of interest for you, is that the 7.40am bus 274, departing Victoria Point, has never arrived at the Cleveland station on time to catch the 8.24 train to the city.

In my use of the trains I have found them to be on time. The greatest problem is the bus timetable. It is geared to meet the ferry service from Coochiemudlo Island, which makes it impossible to meet the trains on time due to a tight schedule plus a lot of traffic and red lights.

- D. Bernoth, Redlands

THE pro-business vested interests who try to hijack the debate about Toondah Harbour should recognise that commercial fishing is also a business. 

Prawn trawlers have been operating in Moreton Bay since the 1950s. The areas they are allowed to trawl are heavily regulated to protect prawn nursery habitat and other components of the bay ecosystem.

I wonder how the prawn trawler operators will feel when they are told that the nursery habitat they have been legally obliged to protect for the past 60 or so years is to be handed to a developer to build units. 

There is also the recreational fishing that depends on the same nursery habitat. 

As habitat decreases from developments like Brisbane Airport, Port of Brisbane and Raby Bay, the ability of the system to recover from natural disasters is reduced and the value of remnant habitat increases. 

In the Gulf of Carpentaria and Exmouth Gulf the commercial tiger prawn fishery is massively reduced when seagrasses are destroyed by cyclones.

When the seagrass recovers so do the prawn catches. Just how much of an ecosystem can you remove before it collapses? Who knows? It's a bit like cutting roots off a tree. When it dies you can be sure that was one too many. 

- R. Pendrey, Cleveland

IT WAS great to see Cleveland buzzing with people on the Brisbane Ekka holiday. Markets were packed and restaurants seemed to be doing a good trade. 

The only downside was the behaviour of drivers. 

Throughout the day I experienced multiple incidents of impatience and rudeness. So many showed no consideration for anyone else on the road or in car parks. I saw one elderly driver looking stressed and upset in her car in the Woolworths car park. The poor lady looked totally overwhelmed with pushy and aggressive drivers around her. 

Is this a sign of things to come if we end up with 10,000 more residents?

- R. O'Connor, Cleveland

MY WALK at midday to a friend's place saw two sprinklers on a grass nature strip.

With 25C at that time, a lot of water would evaporate so this is a poor use of our natural resources. It is time for Redland City Council restrictions as the Weather Bureau forecast is no rain until Christmas.

South-east Queensland dams are at 70 per cent. It's time to think smart about water consumption. Even throwing out kitchen water on the garden like grandma used to would be good. It’s too late when we run out. 

- C. Ford, Ormiston 

B. CORNES’ unhappy experience with his fall in Main Street, Redland Bay (RCB, August 15) and Redland City Council’s hand-washing of it, is a common thing.

My 75-year-old wife had a similar fall at Redland Bay some months ago, although happily that did not require a hospital visit.

We also reported the incident to council, with the same wholly unsatisfactory outcome as B. Cornes’ action.

We know of several other such incidents and one day someone will die as a result of falling on badly surfaced footpaths.  

May I suggest that if council cannot or will not make regular checks – which it should – at the least they should start a campaign for residents to report faulty surfaces and then respond speedily.

- L.R. Watson, Redland Bay

IT IS unfortunate that some wish to carry on arguments after canal problems have been considered.

By moving to a differential rate Redland City Council can address emerging problems straight away rather than wait for a new implementation plan to be adopted.

This is in line with recently completed cost reduction trials.

Council has accepted the community’s strong recommendation to continue maintaining canal revetment walls and has agreed to work with representatives of Raby Bay Ratepayers Association to improve management and reduce costs.

The association hopes we can now see an end to continued criticism and move forward to mutual cooperation and support.

- T. Lovett, Raby Bay

WE HAVE already lost parking behind the library.

When asked about the proposed development of an aged care facility on land used for public parking and the lack of parks at Cleveland, mayor Karen Williams’ flippant reply was that extra car parks will be made available at RPAC.

Is she aware that those car parks are available only to patrons and visitors to RPAC, as signed, and that others will be towed? Her idea of park and walk is ridiculous for the ageing and business accessibility.

- M. Wilkinson, Redlands

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