No money for dangerous level crossing but millions for unnecessary bridge

Eligibility - Queensland residents
Principal Petitioner:
Mark McLean
PO Box 3506
NEWMARKET QLD 4051
Total Signatures - 306
Sponsoring Member: The Clerk of the Parliament
Posting Date: 5/11/2021
Closing Date: 3/5/2022
Tabled Date: 10/5/2022
Responded By: Hon Mark Bailey MP on 9/6/2022
TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland residents draw to the attention of the House that every year people are injured at level crossings but the elimination of level crossings does not appear to be a government priority.

In January 2020 Queensland Rail announced the closure of the Frederick Street Bridge Alderley because it was unsafe, low use and within 450 metres of the Alderley Avenue Bridge.

Five months after that announcement, Cr Andrew Wines, Jimmy Sullivan MP and Mark Bailey MP agreed to re-build the bridge despite safety concerns that have been raised for years about the Wilston Road Newmarket level crossing (800 metres south of the Frederick Street Bridge) that remain unaddressed. This level crossing can be closed because there are two bridges and one underpass within 1.5 km and Wilston Road is signposted “Local Traffic Only”.

The decision to spend millions of dollars rebuilding the bridge is a failure of both local and state governments to follow due process and has put Queenslanders in harm’s way.

The Queensland Level Crossing Safety Strategy 2012-2021 states that TMR will explore opportunities to eliminate level crossings where appropriate, but no level crossings have been eliminated over the past 10 years.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to call on the Minister for Transport and Main Roads to make public safety his first priority by working with local governments to identify and eliminate at least 10 level crossings on the SEQ network and to make those plans public.