Bus depot - Sherwood (Rocklea) articles discussion

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Council to spend $90m on new bus depot

Council to spend $90m on new bus depot
Tony Moore
August 5, 2009 - 10:36AM

Objections have been raised over a plan to build a $90 million bus depot metres from a local school in Brisbane's south.

Brisbane City Council will spend the money on vacant industrial land and a bus depot for 200 buses on Sherwood Road at Sherwood, near the Brisbane Markets.

The site is 500 metres from Sherwood State School.

LNP councillor Nicole Johnston last night objected to her own party's plans to build the depot so close to the school because it would increase traffic and put children and others at risk.

The school is on the corner of Oxley and Sherwood roads, while Graceville State School and Corinda High School are also in the immediate vicinity of the planned depot.

The eight-hectare block of land has been vacant since 2007, when a warehouse on the site was destroyed by fire.

At last night's Brisbane City Council meeting, Cr Johnston stood to protest against the plans.

In a shaking voice, she said she was concerned the large number of buses increased the possibility of a bus accident on either busy Oxley Road or Sherwood Road.

Both roads connect Brisbane's western suburbs.

The council has a second option to build the depot further south at Larapinta .

The Sherwood site would be bought for $16.5 million, while a further $75 million would be needed to build the depot.

The council plans to buy the land, then lease it back in a similar operation to other bus depots at Willawong.

The council's ruling LNP party rushed through the vote on the decision after Cr Johnston's comments to prevent further debate.

The Labor Opposition immediately objected to the plan, accusing the administration of gagging debate on the decision after Cr Johnston stood to object.

But the council's Public Transport Committee chair Cr Jane Prentice said the council had to act quickly because the land could have been bought and used for a range of industrial purposes, including a metal foundry or pet food factory.

She said the council needed a strategic location for public transport in the inner south, and the community would be better off with a bus depot to house 200 buses.

"It will cut down on the time that buses run without passengers.

"Usually a bus runs 'empty' all the way back to depots at Mt Gravatt and Willawong in order to refuel so this is a great strategic location to keep servicing the community better."

The new depot will not include a bus building facility or gas refuelling centre.

[david]

"Usually a bus runs 'empty' all the way back to depots at Mt Gravatt and Willawong in order to refuel so this is a great strategic location to keep servicing the community better."

The new depot will not include a bus building facility or gas refuelling centre.

Lol... didn't they just contradict themselves there?

Most of the buses are gas these days, so what's the point of having a new depot without a gas refuelling station. Also, I cannot think of too many bus routes that would use the depot (maybe 104, 105 and 106, and even then, the Toowong/Richlands depot is not that far away...), so I don't think that Sherwood is the right place to put it. It should be closer to Yeronga IMO.

[Otto]

There is public pressure to move Carina Depot. When opened 40 years ago, the depot was out in the sticks, but now is surrounded by high density housing. Surrounding residents have the pleasure of breathing in the beautiful Diesel exhaust fumes from 4:30 every morning and can listen to the sounds of buses moving around the yard till 1am at night and virtually 24 hours from Friday morning to Sunday night.

I beleive the Council would be wiser to relocate Carina depot to a more suitable location and cashing in on the real estate that is now Carina Depot.

[O_128]

yeh move the depo out to hemmant or murrarie maybe?

[Arnz]

There is public pressure to move Carina Depot. When opened 40 years ago, the depot was out in the sticks, but now is surrounded by high density housing. Surrounding residents have the pleasure of breathing in the beautiful Diesel exhaust fumes from 4:30 every morning and can listen to the sounds of buses moving around the yard till 1am at night and virtually 24 hours from Friday morning to Sunday night.

I beleive the Council would be wiser to relocate Carina depot to a more suitable location and cashing in on the real estate that is now Carina Depot.

While at the same time Eastern Suburbs gets new CNG buses if Carina depot is ever moved to a suitable location (near a gas line).  

Apart from the Mercs or the upcoming Volvo diesels orders, Carina is usually the ugly sister of the BT depots, getting every other depot's hand-me-down buses.

[ozbob]

From The Satellite 12th August 2009 page 1

BUS DEPOT OUTRAGE

[Otto]

 
Apart from the Mercs or the upcoming Volvo diesels orders, Carina is usually the ugly sister of the BT depots, getting every other depot's hand-me-down buses.

Seems Carina will be getting the first 80 of the Volvo B7RLE bus order... ( will be the first NEW bus deliveries for Carina in 8 years )

[Arnz]

 
Apart from the Mercs or the upcoming Volvo diesels orders, Carina is usually the ugly sister of the BT depots, getting every other depot's hand-me-down buses.

Seems Carina will be getting the first 80 of the Volvo B7RLE bus order... ( will be the first NEW bus deliveries for Carina in 8 years )

IIRC, 741-745 were the last buses delivered "new" to Carina sometime ago.  I cant remember the year when those units were delivered.  Was 741-745 delivered in 2002 or 2003?.. either way thats 7-8 years.

[ozbob]

OT, there was a protest meeting at Sherwood this morning concerning this proposed depot.

Council have reassured residents that community consultation will be ongoing before any final decision is made.

[ozbob]

From the Sunday Mail 16th August 2009 page 20

Parties 'hijack' bus rally

[#Metro]

Hmm. Precisely where are they building this depot? Is there a google map of the site?
I suspect that it is in some paddock/industrial whoop-whoop place where there isn't a single residence for miles.

[ozbob]

The proposed bus depot is at 496 Sherwood Road

[ozbob]

From the Satellite 19th August 2009 page 3

More meetings planned




From the Satellite 19th August 2009 page 15  advertisment

[#Metro]

If it fails, people will get... Seafood factory? Concrete Batching plant? Landscape supplies with manures or trucks entering/exiting at all hours of the night?

The Garden City Depot is located next to a busy shopping centre. I don't believe that many people have been knocked down by a bus.

[haakon]

The road in question is has a lot of trucks coming and going due to the Rocklea markets etc. A few buses aren't going to cause much more congestion.

[ozbob]

BCC --> http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:BASE::pc=PC_5867

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Sherwood bus depot survives backlash

Sherwood bus depot survives backlash
TONY MOORE
November 10, 2009 - 6:42PM

A controversial new bus depot will be built in Sherwood despite the local LNP councillor crossing the floor to vote against the project.

Brisbane City Council this afternoon voted 16-11 to build two new bus depots by 2012, one near the Rocklea Markets on Sherwood Road, and one on the city's north, in Eagle Farm.

Local councillor LNP Nicole Johnston (Tennyson) crossed the floor to vote with the ALP in a failed bid to topple the Sherwood project, after revealing she had more than 1200 signatures across six petitions set up opposing the depot.

"I would have received another 500 letters, email and had many phone calls," Cr Johnston said.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the most accurate figures on community attitudes to the project were contained in a phone poll of 400 residents in October. That poll, by Enhance, showed 39 per cent supported the Sherwood depot, 38 per cent gave it little or no support, while 22 per cent remained neutral.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

LNP councillor sides with Labor over bus depot

LNP councillor sides with Labor over bus depot
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Bruce McMahon

November 11, 2009 07:55am

LNP councillor Nicole Johnston yesterday broke ranks to join the Labor opposition in voting against the Sherwood bus depot in Brisbanes southwest.

Cr Johnston, the first of Lord Mayor Campbell Newmans administration to cross the floor, has opposed the $75 million depot since it was mooted in August.

I did make a commitment to stand up and to act in the public interest, to be an advocate for the community I represent, Cr Johnston told the council meeting.

I renew my support for the Lord Mayors public transport agenda and for his broad agenda for this city. But I am opposed to the construction of the Sherwood bus depot, Cr Johnston said.

Cr Johnston highlighted a 1500-strong petition from residents in her Tennyson ward, concerned about traffic congestion and public amenity around the depot on Sherwood Road.

Labor leader Shayne Sutton claimed Cr Newman had broken a promise to reconsider the location if there was enough community opposition.

Along with the petitions, there were four community protests and 709 pieces of correspondence to council, Cr Sutton said.

To be completed by 2011, the depot will house 200 Brisbane City Council buses. A BCC telephone survey of 400 local residents was said to find 39 per cent supporting the project, 38 per cent holding little support and 22 per cent neutral.

The Sherwood bus depot plan was later passed by councillors by 15-11.

[ozbob]

Interview 612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast --> here!

LNP councillor crosses the floor, the first time in 18 years
11 November 2009

Brisbane City Council approved the Sherwood Bus Depot, 15-11, in a vote last night. But not without LNP councillor for Tennyson Ward Nicole Johnston sticking to her guns in opposing the project and crossing the floor to vote with Labor.

Councillor Johnston made headlines recently - banned from council chambers for alleged inappropriate treatment of council officers at a neighbourhood plan meeting.

Last night it was back to business for the councillor, opposing the Sherwood Bus Depot:

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Work starts on controversial bus depot

Work starts on controversial bus depot
Tony Moore
November 2, 2010 - 1:00PM

Sherwood residents are predicting the 200 buses and 400 staff vehicles entering the new $64 million Sherwood Bus Depot each day will create havoc on Sherwood Road.

The construction of the bus depot has been bitterly opposed by local councillor Nicole Johnston, who resigned from council's ruling Liberal National Party in May, largely in protest of the decision.

New traffic lights will be installed to the east of a raised section of road where the Tennyson rail line runs beneath Sherwood Road.

Rachel Peapell, president of Sherwood State School P and C Association and Leigh Park from the Walter Taylor South Action Group accepted the bus depot would go ahead.

"It is here, but we want vastly improved access along Sherwood Road, because with the buses turning on and off here it is going to major impact back at the Sherwood Road/Oxley Road intersection where the school is," Ms Park said.

Ms Park said the new traffic lights will cause traffic to bank up along Sherwood Road.

"My understanding is that around 2pm, which is the peak hour for the state school up there, there is upwards of 90 buses coming out to get to their lines from here," she said.

"The issue is that because most of them are heading east they are going to have to cross over the lanes, and because of that, they will bank up the traffic up along Sherwood Road."

The depot's developer, Commercial and Industrial Property Pty Ltd, confirmed they would install a set of traffic lights on Sherwood Road, which runs past the Brisbane Markets, to allow better access to the site.

Ms Peapell said she was disappointed there was no changes to the design of the Sherwood Road and Oxley Road intersection, where Sherwood State School is located.

"Our biggest concern is the safety of the kids," she said.

Ms Peapell said there had already been several children hit by cars.

"We have had a quite a few instances there. We have had one child hit at the lights and we have had a number of near misses where kids have actually touched the bonnets of cars," she said.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman turned the sod on the project this morning and said the new depot would house 200 buses.

He said he believed the extra number of bus movements near the Sherwood State School were inconsequential.

"If there are things that are required, they will be done," Cr Newman said.

Brisbane City Council bought the site in 2009 after a warehouse on the 7.9 hectare site was destroyed by fire in 2007 to house a third bus depot to the existing Mt Gravatt and Willawong depots.

The Sherwood bus depot will be finished late next year.

[somebody]

200 buses would make it the biggest BT bus depot in Brisbane.  It's a really inconvenient location for bus operations too.

There isn't anywhere you could put a bus depot and have people not complain about it.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Stats shoot down Sherwood bus concerns

Stats shoot down Sherwood bus concerns
Tony Moore
November 3, 2010 - 11:25AM

Traffic studies dispel claims the new Sherwood bus depot will cause road chaos every afternoon, according to Brisbane City Council.

Residents believe about 90 of the 200 buses at the facility will cram Sherwood Road just before the afternoon peak.

Leigh Park from the Walter Taylor South Action Group said the buses would leave the site at 2pm, sparking concerns for the safety of students at the Sherwood State School.

The council has said traffic modelling showed the depot at full capacity would provide an additional 708 traffic movements a day.

About 80 per cent of this traffic heads eastwards towards Rocklea, away from the school, a spokeswoman for Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said.

About 11 per cent of the new traffic from the depot will travel along Oxley Road, with two new vehicle movements passing Sherwood State School between 8am and 9am.

There will be 18 extra vehicles past the school in the afternoon peak hour between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

An extra six vehicles will be added to Oxley Road between 4pm and 6pm.

New traffic lights are being built on Sherwood Road near the depot.