Articles: The Sunshine Valley Gazette

[Fares_Fair]

Article: Palmwoods 'stunted' by delayed rail upgrades
The Sunshine Valley Gazette, p1 and p3
Wednesday 21 March, 2012
by Richard Bruinsma

[Stillwater]

Keep that clipping, FF, good to quote the local member back to an LNP government minister.  The journalist did a good job chasing all those views.

The story also highlights an issue that needs to come to the fore -- the nexus between effective transport links and good town planning.  We see it in grander scale with the CRR project, for instance, and in government rhetoric about TODs.

[Jonno]

Is it just me or do the LNP candidate and Local Councillor both say that the duplication is important to allow road projects and intersection to be completed?  Only the ALP candidate mentions PT usage. 

[Stillwater]

The duplicated track on a new alignment will lead to a makeover of the town centre, including some reorganised intersections.

[Jonno]

Agree but that is not why the upgrade is required though nor it main benefits!

[Fares_Fair]

It's yet another solid reason for it to happen, but at a local level.
Our town's central development, and population of around 5000, is literally hamstrung until the duplication occurs.

The reasons for the major rail works have been very well documented by Sherine Conyers at the Maroochy Journal, and in the Sunshine Coast Daily.

[Stillwater]

The duplication to Nambour is needed because it will improve efficiency and frequency of passenger and freight services on the Sunshine Coast Line.  That's reason No.1.  The project requires realignment through some towns and that, in turn, will require some reconfiguration of streets.  The council has prepared its town plans based on the realignment, which people were promised would occur long before the 2031 completion date in Connecting SEQ 2031.  By delaying the SCL duplication and realignment until 2031, the state government is telling the people of Palmwoods, Eudlo and other railway towns that their viability must be put on hold for 20 years.  The council would like to put some more people in these towns, where there are sporting and social clubs and all the community infrastructure that would support a modest increase in population.  In refusing to undertake the track duplication and realignment to the timetable originally envisioned, the state government has embraced developments such as the Caloundra South new town.  There, the problem is the state's refusal to build the CAMCOS rail corridor, which Coasters were promised would be serving Caloundra by 2015.  Transport infrastructure is the biggest issue on the Sunny Coast at the moment.  Meanwhile, voters are frustrated that neither party leader has paid them a visit during the current election campaign.

[Jonno]

It's yet another solid reason for it to happen, but at a local level.
Our town's central development, and population of around 5000, is literally hamstrung until the duplication occurs.

The reasons for the major rail works have been very well documented by Sherine Conyers at the Maroochy Journal, and in the Sunshine Coast Daily.

Understand.  I just have a pet hate of politicians supporting public transport not because it is more efficient, costs less, has a positive NPV, safer, less polluting but becasue it gets buses off roads or allows road projects to go ahead.  They always sell it as improving roads and traffic never the ture reason. 

[Fares_Fair]

No worries, I see your point. 

[jimbo]

With the amount of Travellers coming and going throughout this region Mapleton, Monterville and Maleny Qld  I believe having the Maleny showgrounds is not enough...Caravans and Motor homes bring in money....More free camps please...So's we can spend up at the local stores