A point of clarification: TOD

[ozbob]

On the Courier Mail web site yesterday there was an article Brisbane land supply may run out by 2016


I made a comment:

No land, watch them build up and over! Disguised as environmental friendly TODs (transit oriented developments) and other master-schemes dreamt up by the 'mates'. Won't stop them the mere fact of having no land. No Sir!

Congestion will reign supreme!!

As is the case with bloggs comments are often cryptic and short by necessity which fits the media format.

Some people think my comment means that I am opposed to TODs.  Far from it.  What I am highlighting (and with retrospectroscope on, not that well with that comment!) is that the term TOD is being increasingly used by development as a badge of honour and a perhaps as a way of swaying development application outcomes. 

We need to guard against this IMHO.  To my mind TODs are in fact essential, but they must either be immediately accessible to the existing transport structure (eg. proposed TOD at Milton) or the transport infrastructure is in place first or built as an absolute requirement of the development.  Springfield is sometimes touted as a TOD.  Unfortunately the key transport component, the rail has been further pushed back 2015, and despite the assurances of late this could easily change again.  This leaves the region essentially car dependent and not actually achieving the TOD aim.  With looming fuel price increases there will be serious consequences unless the community generally gets on with proper transport infrastructure.

I have submitted this clarification to the blogg, but they have chosen not to add it at this time.

A point of clarification. I support TODs (transit oriented developements) done for the benefit of the community.
I don't support TODs which are really commercial developments using the TOD concept as a lever for gaining planning permissions and so forth.  Springfield comes to mind.  Oft touted as a TOD is actually car dependent and will be for the foreseeable future unless we get moving with the railway line.

This was not clear in my previous comment.

As recent events down south have indicated.  All is not what it seems at times when it comes to planning.

Cheers
Ozbob

Later Footnote:  My further clarification comment has now been added to the blog.

[mufreight]

The present shortage of land for residential purposes at reasonable cost is the reason that residential development is expanding at the present almost explosive rate into areas beyond present transport infrastructure, examples being Redcliff peninsular Petrie area, Ferny Grove into the Samford valley, Springfield and Ripley, Rosewood west to Gatton and beyond and the Fernvale, Lowood and Esk areas.
Most of these people who move into these areas do so because of housing cost then have to commute for employment on roads that are at or beyond capacity and thus are faced with further costs.
Where is there alternative to the private car, public transport.
Kipper-Ring well that is a 100 year story.
Ferny Grove to Samford, well there used to be a railway but they tore it up.
Springfield and Ripley, it is rumored that a line is being built to Sporingfield that has had a completion date slip from 2010 to 2015 but if the Government has other more important infrastructure demands on it's finances such as another coal line or heated toilet seats for its politicians could see it completion date slip further.
Rosewood west, again the Member for Ipswich is against expanding the electrification as it would encourage residential sprall.  Good excuse for not spending money that has already been spent on water works and ensuring that commuter traffic does not further restrict the operation of coal trains.
Fernvale,Lowood and Esk well they had a railway but the current Government tore it up.  One would think that they might have learnt a lesson from the Gold Coast line, but then it must be remembered that they are all knowing politicians and this is the smart state.
You could write to your local member and ask him/her WHY? the answers could be interesting even if only for their potential use for propagating mushrooms.
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