St Lucia Campus Master Plan

[ozbob]

St Lucia Campus Master Plan 2015

--> http://www.uq.edu.au/about/st-lucia/masterplan/home

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Extra 1180 car parks and pedestrian bridge to West End planned for UQ in 2015 master plan

[#Metro]

UQ Has the power to build whatever it likes. This can mean less NIMBY and more student accommodation along Hawken Drive.

[SurfRail]

What it likes is car parking by all accounts

[aldonius]

The interesting thing is that UQ appears to be able to do it on the cheap, at least compared to some cost estimates that regularly get thrown around here. We're about to build a 500-space carpark over the sports field adjacent to the walkway up from the Lakes bus station - and put a new sports field on top - and apparently for $25M all up.

[#Metro]

UQ has a very good property and facilities division and I think the university has the capability to do a lot of things in-house.
UQ is proposing to remove the buses from Chancellors Place and put them on Hawken Drive. I think that would cause a lot of pedestrian problems as it would mean large volumes of people crossing roads in that area.

[James]

UQ has a very good property and facilities division and I think the university has the capability to do a lot of things in-house.
UQ is proposing to remove the buses from Chancellors Place and put them on Hawken Drive. I think that would cause a lot of pedestrian problems as it would mean large volumes of people crossing roads in that area.

They actually intend to make Chancellors Place pedestrian-only (or something like that) and turn Hawken Drive into the bus zone. I don't agree with the notion, personally. You can keep the buses in Chancellors and still have the development along Hawken Drive. Just segregate it so most of the academic facilities are on one side. Perhaps if there are capacity issues on Chancellors, you could use extra capacity on Hawken Drive.

I personally don't get what a lot of people in St Lucia are complaining about. The new accommodation will be all for students (i.e. colleges and apartments), and going by my experience with students living on campus, they don't have cars and don't get on the roads in peak hour (unlike students who live in shared housing further away). The development seems to fit in with the area on the whole.

[#Metro]

ANU in Canberra had major student accommodation issues. Their solution was for the university to intervene and make a very large development with retail - ANU Exchange. It is excellent.

ANU Exchange Developments https://goo.gl/maps/Ulorp

There were some pre-fab experiments as well http://practice.architectus.com.au/2012/02/prefabricated-student-housing-at-anu-campus

[BrizCommuter]

Brisbanetimes --> Extra 1180 car parks and pedestrian bridge to West End planned for UQ in 2015 master plan

Just what the roads to UQ need, another 2000+ car movements per day!

[pandmaster]

UQ's parking policies are woefully inadequate. At Monash Clayton (admittedly Australia's first drive-in university) they really encourage carpooling, have a pretty good permit scheme for students rather than casual parking only. Casual parking there is much more expensive than UQ's pathetic $4 a day.

The bus network does not help feed people into bus routes to UQ either, particularly from the west with congestion issues. A serious transport policy for UQ would involve dedicated infrastructure from UQ to some point west.

[techblitz]

good article outlining where demand for inner city share accomodation is.....

http://news.domain.com.au/domain/domain-news/the-cost-of-shared-accommodation-surges-in-brisbane-20150620-ghs2ui.html

Suburb   Average weekly cost of a room
Dutton Park   276.04
Brisbane CBD   268.36
Teneriffe   259.13
South Brisbane   256.35
Milton   242.49
Springhill   240.98
Fortitude Valley   240.21
St Lucia   239.41
Kangaroo Point   235.81
Newstead   234.67

The city's 10 priciest postcodes are all situated within a short distance of the Brisbane CBD, the Brisbane River and the city's university campuses.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Tunnel plan for Queensland University

A TUNNEL would be built to carry buses to a new underground transit centre below the University of Queensland, according to a fresh masterplan for the St Lucia campus.

The latest vision for the future of Brisbane's biggest university also features a bridge for light rail or buses over the river from West End, transforming access from the CBD.

A new village, with high-rise unit blocks to accommodate hundreds of extra students along with shops and cafes, would also be developed.

And a new university precinct would be established 2km away at Long Pocket, linked to the main campus by a riverfront footpath.

But the long-awaited masterplan, to be released on Monday, has infuriated a local community group which has accused university hierarchy of "bullyboy tactics'' and paying lip service in a long consultation process.

People who were present in briefings have revealed key details to The Courier-Mail.

The draft masterplan proposes a high-frequency bus service loop running through the uni between Dutton Park and Indooroopilly.

Services across the Eleanor Schonell Bridge over Brisbane River, which currently turn around at the UQ Lakes stop, would run via a tunnel under the main campus area before re-emerging and running down Hawken Drive.

The new document proposes a new river bridge from ­Orleigh Park, West End, to Guyatt Park in St Lucia and says a key priority is to "ensure the bridge is capable of accommodating mass transit in the form of light rail or buses''.

The disused heritage-listed art deco style Avalon Theatre would be renovated as part of a new precinct to include medium density housing. UQ chief operating officer Greg Pringle said the draft plan was a "flexible'' conceptual document to guide future investment.

[aldonius]

The first draft of this landed in early 2015. No mention of a tunnel then!

I'm glad it's included though, it's certainly needed. Even if they are a little shortsighted on the eastern endpoint of the routes that might use it.

[ozbob]

Updated >> http://www.uq.edu.au/about/st-lucia/masterplan/home

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland University masterplan released

A TUNNEL would be built to carry buses to a major new underground transit centre below the University of Queensland, according to a fresh masterplan for the St Lucia campus.

The latest vision for the future of Brisbane's biggest university also features a bridge for light rail or buses over the river from West End, transforming access from the CBD.

A new village, with high-rise unit blocks to accommodate hundreds of extra students along with shops and cafes would also be developed.

And a new university precinct would be established 2km away at Long Pocket, linked to the main campus by a riverfront footpath.

But the long-awaited masterplan — released on Monday — has infuriated a local community group which has accused university hierarchy of ''bully boy tactics'' and paying lip service in a long consultation process.

A community infrastructure designation issued by the State Government means development within the campus boundaries does not require Brisbane City Council approval.

UQ has spent years evolving the draft masterplan as a vision to guide the development of the campus where more than 44,500 students are enrolled in courses. Members of a community reference group were this week told it has now been approved by the University Senate.

It will be unveiled publicly next week but people who were present in briefings have revealed key details to The Courier-Mail.

Traffic and transport have been identified as priority issues. The draft masterplan proposes a high-frequency bus service loop running through the uni between Dutton Park and Indooroopilly.

Services across the Eleanor Schonell Bridge over the Brisbane — which currently turn around at the UQ Lakes stop — would run via a tunnel under the main campus area before re-emerging and running down Hawken Drive.

"Turning Hawken Drive into the Hawken Highway is a gross breach of trust,'' St Lucia Community Association president James Mackay said.

"It's one lane each way and they want to have a day and night high-frequency bus service going straight past a local school and through narrow 50km/h streets.''

A town planner told The Courier-Mail the move would likely necessitate the road to be widened to three or four lanes, requiring property acquisitions, although that does not appear in the masterplan.

The new document proposes a new river bridge. "To ensure the sustainable operation of the campus, a second crossing that links to the city via West End is unequivocally required,'' it says.

Originally flagged as a pedestrian/cyclist crossing, the draft masterplan now says a key priority is to ''ensure the bridge is capable of accommodating mass transit in the form of light rail or buses.''

A map in the document shows a possible route linking West End's Orleigh Park with Guyatt Park in St Lucia before running along Macquarie St towards the uni.

A third river bridge, joining the campus to Yeronga is envisaged in the longer term.

Mr Mackay said a new student village in the Coldridge St/Walcott St area of the campus would include ''three main wings with four buildings each'' of between six and 11 storeys plus shops and food outlets.

The disused heritage-listed art deco style Avalon Theatre would be renovated as part of a new precinct to include medium density housing.

A riverfront footpath would link the main campus to an 8.9-hectare site two kilometres away at Long Pocket, previously owned by the government's ecosciences unit, which would be redeveloped with research facilities and possibly units for postgraduate students and visiting academics.

Mr Mackay slammed the plan for buildings of up to eight storeys in a low density neighbourhood. It is understood that site would be subject to City Council planning controls.

"The uni has done a great deal of community consultation but it has amounted to no more than lip service at this time as they are still trying to get away with whatever they can," Mr Mackay said. "They're hearing but they're not listening.''

UQ chief operating officer Greg Pringle said the draft masterplan set out "a long-range vision, and a suite of supporting strategies and initiatives, that seek to guide investment and change on the campus over the next 20 years."

It was ''a flexible document'' to provide ''conceptual guidance'', not a "detailed delivery plan'.

The draft masterplan has been released on Monday, open to public consultation for a month, with a final version to be released in July.

Read the full UQ masterplan here.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Council anger as UQ plans new bridge to West End

The University of Queensland's plans for a bridge in the middle of a Brisbane City Council-owned park at West End has angered the council and a community group, who said they had heard "not a peep" from the uni.

UQ's master plan shows a second "green bridge" – similar to the Eleanor Schonell Bridge at Dutton Park – built across to West End to help shape its next 20 years.

However, UQ plans to land the bridge in the middle of Orleigh Park at West End for its 50,000 students.

The council will now ask the Queensland government to refuse a planning exemption for the university so it cannot bypass standard development controls including court appeals, accepting community feedback and paying infrastructure charges.


A new underground busway is proposed, connecting the UQ Lakes stop and the UQ Chancellors bus stop. Photo: UQ

The St Lucia Community Association, which was part of the community consultation, questions the impact on Hawken Drive of plans to build an underground bus station under the university and plans to increase buses to Indooroopilly and Toowong.

The university also proposes increases in density in parts of St Lucia, Indooroopilly and Long Pocket.

The plan proposes a new underground bus station linking the existing UQ St Lucia Lakes bus station and the Chancellor's Place bus station and a "longer-term" new bridge to Yeronga. It is proposing to build a second campus at Long Pocket.

However, the master plan includes the council's earlier Metro plan, not the revised Metro plan, which already offers extra buses over the Eleanor Schonell Bridge.

The University of Queensland's new master plan shows the second bridge to West End should be capable of carrying light rail or mass transit traffic.

The bridge could run between St Lucia's Guyatt Park and West End's Orleigh Park.

"The delivery of the Eleanor Schonell Bridge markedly changed travel habits to and from campus," the plan says.

"To ensure the sustainable operation of the campus, a second crossing that links to the city centre via West End is unequivocally required."

The link is part of the University of Queensland's "short-to-medium" term view of the redeveloped Avalon Theatre area near Guyatt Park at St Lucia.

Brisbane City Council's city planning chairman Cr Julian Simmonds said the plan asked for "an extra eight storeys along Hawken Drive, eight storeys at Indooroopilly and six storeys near the Avalon Theatre precinct".

"And they can't leave that for ratepayers to foot the bill for," Cr Simmonds said.

Cr Simmonds said he was "embarrassed" the plan included Brisbane City Council's old Metro project, not the new version, which promises extra buses over the Eleanor Schonell Bridge.

He also asked if the West End community had been asked its view of landing the proposed bridge in Orleigh Park.

"Whether residents are prepared to lose their council green space for a bridge is also yet to be discussed by the community," he said.

"But I would be very surprised if the community was prepared to fund hundreds of millions of dollars of new infrastructure without the University of Queensland coming to the party."

West End Community Association president Dr Erin Evans said they had heard "not a peep" from UQ.

"Given the lack of green space in this area we would want to consider this proposal very carefully," Dr Evans said.

St Lucia Community Association spokesperson James Mackay said residents at the community meetings were told the bridge was for pedestrians and cyclists.

They learnt the bridge would carry buses and light rail only when the information was given to them in hard copy.

"The problem is the university administration has a pattern of behaviour of saying one thing and doing another," Mr Mackay said.

He also questioned the impact of large numbers of extra buses running along Hawken Drive.

"Hawken Drive is for low-frequency buses," Mr Mackay said.

"Will they need to expand Hawken Drive to accommodate extra buses," he said.

"How can we put any faith in what they say?

"We don't want it to turn into the Hawken Highway."

The public transport options are part of the draft University of Queensland master plan released on Monday for public comments.

Quick facts
   

• There are 99,200 commuter trips to the University of Queensland each day and 63 per cent of them made by public transport or bike;
• Travel 'demand" to University of Queensland has increased by 31 per cent, but ferry travel has dropped;
• Car share of transport has dropped from 59 per cent to 38 per cent (2002 to 2017).

[ozbob]

Draft University of Queensland master plan finally released and local residents aren't happy. @ebonycavallaro #9News pic.twitter.com/4FVpe82m6M

— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) March 13, 2017

[#Metro]

It seems like a generally good plan. Don't buy the claptrap about Hawken Drive. Plenty of buses use that road.
It is a bit of a rollercoaster, but that's ok.

Do the NIMBYs realise that if they block bus improvements students and staff will have to drive in their cars causing even worse congestion?

There is some acknowledgement that bus services need to be improved in the North West (Bardon, West Toowong, Ashgrove etc) and the University can be a powerful lobby for that.

The bridge to West End was on the table in the 1990s. WECA campaigned massively against that and killed the light rail project that came with it. To be fair there is probably no need for a bridge at that location now as the Eleanor Schonell Bridge does the job and much faster too. There would be no benefit as the ferry only takes about 5 minutes or so to go from West End Ferry Terminal to UQ Campus.

There does need to be lots more housing. Too much NIMBY in that area (Emerson was the past president of the community association there) has meant that rents are unaffordable and properties to buy unaffordable too.

[aldonius]

Hawken Drive gets 11-12 BPH right now, across four services.

[#Metro]

New Bus Network Proposal http://tiny.cc/newnetwork

Route 411 needs to be upgraded to BUZ standard or similar (7 am - 7 pm at least) and merged with the GCL to create a new service

going through to Brookside Shopping Centre and Mitchelton.


911 UQ - Mitchelton CityConnector - shown on map linked

[James]

It seems like a generally good plan. Don't buy the claptrap about Hawken Drive. Plenty of buses use that road.
It is a bit of a rollercoaster, but that's ok.

Do the NIMBYs realise that if they block bus improvements students and staff will have to drive in their cars causing even worse congestion?

There does need to be lots more housing. Too much NIMBY in that area (Emerson was the past president of the community association there) has meant that rents are unaffordable and properties to buy unaffordable too.

I don't see any issue with running a HF service - really, it already exists in the form of the 428/432, just only during semesters and on bizarre frequencies which nobody can understand. I doubt the NIMBYs care about cars, the 2P zone takes care of most of the problem and the congestion is counter-peak to them.

Your problem with St Lucia is it is too ritzy - it is seen as one of the most desirable suburbs in Brisbane, particularly that area around Hawken Dr/Ironside. The situation is only getting worse, as the old Uni student dogbox houses get demolished and turned into a) million dollar homes; or b) $750k "luxury apartments". Look south of the river for more affordable areas - Fairfield, Yeerongpilly and Moorooka come to mind.

What I'd like to see is a tunnel continue towards Indro, or perhaps have a portal around Carmody Rd and send traffic down there. There is most certainly an issue as to where the tunnel would surface.

[Mr X]

Disagree with a bus bridge to Orleigh Park. UQ has taken enough parkland away at Dutton Park, no need to ruin Orleigh too.
I can't see why they can't build their bloody bridge at the end of Boundary St. And UQ should contribute to the funding of it.

[#Metro]

Your problem with St Lucia is it is too ritzy - it is seen as one of the most desirable suburbs in Brisbane, particularly that area around Hawken Dr/Ironside. The situation is only getting worse, as the old Uni student dogbox houses get demolished and turned into a) million dollar homes; or b) $750k "luxury apartments". Look south of the river for more affordable areas - Fairfield, Yeerongpilly and Moorooka come to mind.

The median price for houses is $956,448 and the median price for units is $483,703.

Absolutely ridiculous prices for homes, the outcome of homes not getting built. That also means lots of commuting if you can't live locally.

What's next - put up a gate on Hawken Drive?

https://homesales.com.au/location/st-lucia-qld/

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Underground buses could cut St Lucia road traffic by 20 per cent: UQ

St Lucia traffic could be cut by 20 per cent if a multimillion underground bus interchange was built underneath the main part of the University of Queensland, the university's vice chancellor believes.

A new underground bus interchange is included in the University of Queensland's 20-year master plan which was released for comment on Monday.

Draft plans are unveiled for a billion dollar expansion at the University of Queensland, including a bus tunnel. 7 News Queensland

More efficient bus usage would further cut car usage in St Lucia, UQ Professor Peter Hoj told Fairfax Media, as the campus grew in line with population growth in south-east Queensland.

"We have traffic modelling for [consultancy] MRCagney which indicates that if we had the opportunity for buses to 'go through' the university – and in this case we would want it to go under UQ – you would reduce traffic on the St Lucia road network by 20 per cent," he said.

The university planned to take buses from Eleanor Schonell Bridge, have them run into a new bus interchange built underground between the Lakes bus station and the Chancellors bus station, then link to Indooroopilly and Toowong.

"So we are simply signalling to the people that would be planning to deal with our awful traffic congestion that we want to be part of the solution, not an obstacle."

Professor Hoj said UQ would spend $500 million on new campus buildings in the next five years and $100 million a year maintaining its "$3 billion" estate.

It would ask for state and federal government funds to help build new infrastructure.

"When it comes to a piece of infrastructure that helps the whole state, not just the UQ, that would have to be done in partnership between the state, perhaps with assistance from the federal government and UQ," Professor Hoj said.

He said the university's first priority in its 15-20 year plan was to "rejuvenate" its existing campus.

Short to medium term plans

2018: Start of construction of new student accommodation, to be finished by 2020

2020: Plans to have 1300 additional units to St Lucia campus

2022 onwards: Plans for new green bridges; public transport issues

New green bridges – West End and Yeronga

Profesor Hoj appeared unaware of the impact of building a green bridge capable of carrying light rail into West End's Orleigh Park itself.

The proposal on Monday angered the West End Community Association – which had not had input towards the planning – and Brisbane City Council's city planning chair Cr Julian Simmonds.

However Professor Hoj said it was a plan for the "five to eight-year" time frame and that further feasibility studies would be done.

He said the original suggestion was to build a bridge from the university campus across to Boundary Street at West End.

"When we first started building our first inclination was that bridge across Boundary Street was the place, because it has been planned since the 1920s," Professor Hoj said.

However he said traffic consultant MRCagney had instead recommended the second green bridge be built across to Orleigh Park.

"Their insight into other ambitions of public transport and bicycle pathways in Brisbane have led them to believe that it makes much more sense to have a bridge across to Guyatt Park, rather than at the Toowong Rowing Club," Professor Hoj said.

"So that's the reason why."

He said the university was told by MR Cagney it would "give access to a public park" and that the university planned Saturday markets on the St Lucia side of the river.

When pressed why the Boundary Street link was rejected, Professor Hoj said the university "was driven by facts".

"All I can say is that we have been driven by data and what traffic experts tell us," he said.

"We don't deal in opinion. We deal in facts and that is the facts we have been given."

Professor Hoj said the university had put forward its master plan so it could be debated as state (Cross River Rail) and local (Brisbane Metro) plans were finalised.

However he said the university had a "bigger picture" objective to provide access to education as widely as possible.

"Because nothing powers democracy and prosperity more than people being educated."

[James]

The median price for houses is $956,448 and the median price for units is $483,703.

Absolutely ridiculous prices for homes, the outcome of homes not getting built. That also means lots of commuting if you can't live locally.

What's next - put up a gate on Hawken Drive?

Where do you build more houses though? On the few remaining areas of parkland left in St Lucia? Bulldoze one of the churches around Ironside?

Houses further out in the city just make the outer suburbs more affordable, it doesn't do much to make the inner city affordable. Fact is, without cash incentives, developers are going to continue to go after the 'luxury' segment of the market compared to the 'affordable student dives ft. small bedrooms', particularly in a suburb with a premium attracted to it like St Lucia. Better off looking in neighbouring suburbs for cheaper land.

[STB]

It seems like a generally good plan. Don't buy the claptrap about Hawken Drive. Plenty of buses use that road.
It is a bit of a rollercoaster, but that's ok.

Do the NIMBYs realise that if they block bus improvements students and staff will have to drive in their cars causing even worse congestion?

There does need to be lots more housing. Too much NIMBY in that area (Emerson was the past president of the community association there) has meant that rents are unaffordable and properties to buy unaffordable too.

I don't see any issue with running a HF service - really, it already exists in the form of the 428/432, just only during semesters and on bizarre frequencies which nobody can understand. I doubt the NIMBYs care about cars, the 2P zone takes care of most of the problem and the congestion is counter-peak to them.

Your problem with St Lucia is it is too ritzy - it is seen as one of the most desirable suburbs in Brisbane, particularly that area around Hawken Dr/Ironside. The situation is only getting worse, as the old Uni student dogbox houses get demolished and turned into a) million dollar homes; or b) $750k "luxury apartments". Look south of the river for more affordable areas - Fairfield, Yeerongpilly and Moorooka come to mind.

What I'd like to see is a tunnel continue towards Indro, or perhaps have a portal around Carmody Rd and send traffic down there. There is most certainly an issue as to where the tunnel would surface.

Which will just push the students further out from the uni to areas with more affordable rents, which makes having a HF service to those outer areas linking in with Toowong and Indooroopilly even more important in the longer term IMO.

I can see areas like Chapel Hill, Bardon, Ashgrove etc becoming more important student share accommodations in the longer term for all universities (not just UQ).

[#Metro]

Which will just push the students further out from the uni to areas with more affordable rents, which makes having a HF service to those outer areas linking in with Toowong and Indooroopilly even more important in the longer term IMO.

I can see areas like Chapel Hill, Bardon, Ashgrove etc becoming more important student share accommodations in the longer term for all universities (not just UQ).

+1

[#Metro]

Where do you build more houses though? On the few remaining areas of parkland left in St Lucia? Bulldoze one of the churches around Ironside?

Okay, maybe not single family homes. I was thinking more "missing middle" type homes.

Houses further out in the city just make the outer suburbs more affordable, it doesn't do much to make the inner city affordable. Fact is, without cash incentives, developers are going to continue to go after the 'luxury' segment of the market compared to the 'affordable student dives ft. small bedrooms', particularly in a suburb with a premium attracted to it like St Lucia. Better off looking in neighbouring suburbs for cheaper land.

Well there is that development out at SouthBank - Urbanest. I don't think that's sitting on cheap land. They make up for the cost by intensively using the land - a big building.

UQ owns a number of old homes on Hawken drive right in front of chancellors place. That's one place. Another place is the Long Pocket site.

I do have some stories. I went to a rental inspection in St Lucia many many years ago - and I was told "Oh, do you mind? There is someone living in the pantry"

Another time I was at in inspection around Taringa/Toowong. After showing me the house and all the features, they took me to "the bedroom" which was through the house outside and in a back shed/garage.

There were similar issues out near Griffith Uni / Sunnybank. One home was packed with 37 people on mattresses.

Students rent mattress space for $90 pw
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/students-rent-mattress-space-for-90pw-20090917-fsnd.html

UniLodge have built an apartment complex on campus. I suspect they can because it is uni land. More of those would be a good thing.
https://unilodge.com.au/lodge/st-lucia/

Luxury or not, you just need more housing. On campus, off campus, whatever. New housing eventually becomes old housing and (more) affordable.

[aldonius]

UQ owns a number of old homes on Hawken drive right in front of chancellors place. That's one place. Another place is the Long Pocket site.

If you read the relevant section of the masterplan... UQ are putting in decent-density student apartments along that end of Hawken Drive, and pushing out a number of research/industry type activities to Long Pocket.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes

Bus tunnel under UQ

> http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/video/video-news/video-qld-news/bus-tunnel-under-uq-20170314-4rp72.html

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> UQ should spend its money on students, not bridges

A University of Queensland proposal to build a bridge to West End instead of making education more affordable says a lot about the pretensions of an institution that has lost its way. 

The UQ Draft Master Plan calls for an investigation into the viability of two bridges, the first of which would be between West End and St Lucia, and the second between the university and Yeronga.

Draft plans are unveiled for a billion dollar expansion at the University of Queensland, including a bus tunnel. 7 News Queensland

The plan is silent on funding. Since the Brisbane City Council doesn't want it, and the state government is focused on cross river rail, the money will likely have to come from the university.

Brisbane's former town planning czar, Peter Cumming, has estimated the cost of the bridge would exceed $100 million when land acquisition in St Lucia is included.

They should be helping students instead.

The university claims that "a second crossing that links to the city centre via West End is unequivocally required"  to ensure the sustainability of the campus. However, no proof of this is actually offered. Instead, there is a boast that the bridge will be "a lasting visual symbol of the university's partnership with the city and leadership role in design."

It's second-rate thinking from an institution that claims to be one of "global leaders in education."

As Mr Cumming says: "It's a scurrilous proposal without any evidence or financial wherewithal.  Where is the cost benefit analysis?"  Where indeed?

Instead of building monuments to itself, the university should be focusing on its core role, which is education.  A big part of that should be making education affordable for people with ability. 

For example, a four-year postgraduate degree in medicine costs around $84,000. For the cost of a $100 million bridge, the university could pay the course fees of almost 1200 doctors with this money. They could actually solve the shortage of medical practitioners across the state in one fell swoop.

It is not as if the University of Queensland is short of money.  In 2015, it had more than $400 million in cash and shares. Moreover it made a net profit for the year of $58 million. When you add in depreciation the cash surplus for the year jumps to $183 million.

One can legitimately question why they are not doing more for students. With many students struggling to meet tertiary course costs, university fees remain a real impediment to getting a degree.

The students who struggle most are those from remote areas of Queensland. They have to leave home and pay for accommodation on top of their university fees.   

The Tertiary Access Research paper commissioned by the Isolated Children's Parents Association in 2013 found that more than 50 per cent of young people surveyed from rural and remote areas lived between 501-2000 kilometres from their nearest tertiary education centre. Ninety-three per cent struggled to meet the costs of living away.

ICPA national president Wendy Hick told me that just getting to university is a real battle for these students.

"Regional and rural students are underepresented at university. The cost of relocating and living away from home can be a huge burden for these students who often have to move hundreds or thousands of kilometres away in order to study," she said.

"Past statistics have shown only 4.5 per cent of 'very remote' school leavers were continuing on to higher education, with cost of relocation cited as a major factor."

All the while, the university is rattling the tin with wealthy donors seeking money. In 2015, they received more than $50 million in donations and bequests. 

One wonders how many donors would have contributed if they knew the university that had gone to them on bended knee was planning on building bridges instead of spending its considerable resources on students.

The University of Queensland is a good university, but its management clearly have their priorities wrong. The real assets of a university are the minds it shapes and creates, and the contribution they make to the greater world. Building bridges is not part of this.

[ozbob]

Register here to attend a community information session on 25 March about UQ's new draft masterplan. https://t.co/vCBXr5O8Cv pic.twitter.com/zbamRapxLo

— UQ News (@UQ_News) March 14, 2017

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> University of Queensland says its transport plan will slash traffic congestion in St Lucia

UNIVERSITY of Queensland Vice-Chancellor Peter Høj has hit back at critics of the institution's bold public transport plans, saying they'll slash traffic congestion by 20 per cent.

A new draft masterplan proposes a bus station underneath the St Lucia campus and a bridge across the Brisbane River to West End capable of carrying the proposed Metro or light rail.

The suggestions have drawn fire from community groups on both sides of the river and from Brisbane City Council, which claims it was kept in the dark.

But Professor Høj insisted the public and council were kept informed during consultations, and he questioned whether disgruntled members of a community reference group were representative of St Lucia, where residents have an average age of under 25, according to ABS data.

He said as "a small town'' with 51,000 students and 7000 staff, the uni is striving to help solve the city's transport problems.

"I would love somebody to just come up with a plan so I didn't have to worry about it, but I don't think it's going to happen," he said. "Sometimes you have to help create the debate that brings action."

The masterplan was not a development plan, but an indication of the university's thinking going forward.

However, Prof Høj said taxpayers and ratepayers would have to fund the lion's share of the hundreds of millions of dollars it would cost to build the transport infrastructure to, and through, the university.

"It's primarily a benefit to the state because the state wants its population educated, they want them to get there without clogging up the roads,'' he said.

It would create cross-city public transport links without having to go via the CBD and could link up to the proposed Cross River Rail system.

UQ's forward budget had pencilled in a contribution towards a pedestrian/bicycle bridge originally envisaged between St Lucia and West End, but Prof Høj said they would be less enthusiastic if that option ruled out a connection capable of taking buses or Metro.

The hundreds of millions of dollars needed for a bus tunnel and transit centre underneath Chancellor Place on the campus would be well beyond the university's funding capacity.

However, modelling had shown it could take 20 per cent of current vehicles off St Lucia's roads.

Plans for high-rise development, including accommodation for another 1300 students, have also been criticised but Prof Høj said that would also help reduce traffic flow.

This is the second attempt at developing the masterplan after a review of the first process in 2015 found UQ had not engaged sufficiently with the community. St Lucia Community Association has again accused the uni of "bully boy tactics''.

Prof Høj defended the university's approach, saying the community had been "ever present'' in the process. He noted the most vocal opponents were those aged far above the area's average age range.

"They have been here a long time but it's important to remember they haven't been here as long as the university," Prof Høj said.

The public consultation period on the draft has been extended to April 28.

Residents fear for park's future

ST LUCIA residents fear they could lose part of Guyatt Park under plans by the University of Queensland to build a pedestrian bridge to West End.

UQ's draft St Lucia Campus Master Plan revealed the university was considering two options for a bridge that could take buses and trains.

One would take up university land and cross to Boundary St, West End. The other, UQ's preferred option, would cross between Guyatt Park, on the St Lucia side, and Orleigh Park, at West End.

Ron Morgan, who has lived at St Lucia for 15 years, said Guyatt Park would lose its "soul" if a bridge was built over it.

YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) Queensland co-founder and town planner Natalie Rayment said the loss of parkland to make way for a second green bridge could be offset by the traffic improvements it would bring for St Lucia residents.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Høj said a bridge would require local and state government leadership, approval, co-operation and funding, and consultation with St Lucia and West End residents.

[kram0]

While it is nothing but a dream at present as we can't even get CRR off the ground, but if the governments (state and federal), council and university were serious about fixing congestion, they would have a project such as this fast tracked to be built by 2025. Anything else is a half baked solution.

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/brisbanedevelopment.com/brisbane-needs-an-east-west-mass-rapid-transit/amp/