A RESIDENT has accused council of failing a transparency test in redeveloping Moores Farm into car parking at Weinam Creek.
She said council had allowed Redland Investment Corporation to put the Redland Bay ferry terminal project together without community consultation.
The ferry terminal is being redeveloped to solve major car parking issues at that terminal.
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Orchard Beach resident Junita Grosvenor told councillors they needed to think about other ways to solve Southern Moreton Bay Islanders’ need for a second car park at the terminal.
She said SMBI residents had suggested a cable car barge should run between southern Russell Island and Redland Bay as one solution.
Council should also move planned boat trailer parking away from Moores Road, which would further restrict commuter parking, she said.
Ms Grosvenor’s spoke to councillors before they considered a contract to engage RIC to build public car parking at Moores Road.
The item was listed on the council’s meeting agenda as confidential. Councillors decided the matter would not be discussed at open council as that would be contrary to public interest and could prejudice the interests of local government or enable a person to gain financial advantage.
Cr Mark Edwards said Ms Grosvenor, a former candidate for division five, was out of touch with the community.
He said planning for the PDA had dragged on for too long and people wanted the infrastructure to be delivered sooner rather than later.
Council had engaged with the public extensively since the Weinam Creek PDA was declared five years ago.
“There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, that the majority of the islands and mainland community want Weinam Creek transformed into a beautiful precinct that offers efficient user friendly transport and is a destination in itself to visit,” he said.
Ms Grosvenor said she did not consider sprawling car parks along Redland foreshores as a good fix to SMBI commuter transport problems.
Bulging car parks at Weinam Creek already attracted vandals and thieves, she said.
She could also not understand why ratepayers were being asked to foot the bill for public transport issues, which was the responsibility of the state government.
“This PDA does not seem to be being planned in a holistic, sustainable or even practical way for SMBI commuters,” she said.
Cr Edwards said he had already tried to get a barge run from Russell Island to the mainland before becoming a councillor.
This had failed as operators did not consider it economically viable.
Cr Edwards said a cable car barge could not run from Russell to Redland Bay and would not offer any travel time reductions.
Stage one would be developed by RIC, the council-owned subsidiary, with council.
Works, including site preparation for dwellings and the construction of ground-level car parks and a footbridge connecting Moores Road site to the marina, would begin next year.
Cr Edwards said ratepayers would not be left with unfunded debt.
