It’s full steam ahead for Logan City Council when it comes to the new Bethania to Logan Village stage of rail the trail, but one group of residents wants it stopped 2km early.
The $7 million project is being co-funded by the council and state government, and will link the Bethania end of the trail to the already completed Logan Village-Yarrabilba stage.
It’s being built on a spur line of the de-commissioned Bethania-to-Beaudesert rail corridor.
While the majority of the project has been welcomed, Palm Lake Resort residents are up in arms.
Resident Noeline Burton said the rail trail is set to run right through the middle of their Waterford and Bethania villages, both gated communities.
“This trail will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is right on our doorsteps or metres away from our backyards,” Ms Burton said.
“It will also mean our pathways, facilities and access to neighbouring villages will be shared with the public.”
She said the rail trail, if built through the Palm Lake community, would cross a two-lane road designed for residents. It would cut off their fenced community garden and would impede with parking bays designated to motorhomes and caravans.
Residents are worried unwelcome public access to their facilities would be a safety concern.
“We live a peaceful and quiet lifestyle and to have an estimate of 5000 day-trippers come through each day, it’s going to open up a world of theft, burglaries, vandalism, noise, motorbikes whizzing through – the elderly residents are really scared,” she said.
“This is supposed to be a gated secure village with three locked gates that are meant to keep us safe, that will become absolutely useless.”
Ms Burton said they are not opposed to the Rail Trail. In fact, they like the idea.
“We are not opposed to the rail trail, all we want is for the trail to end at our property boundary or go an alternate route around us,” she said.
Councillor Laurie Koranski said the project was still in the ‘funding’ stages.
“At the moment, the council is still navigating its way through the funding announcements from the state government,” Cr Koranski said.
“Once that information has become available from TMR (Department of Transport and Main Roads) I’ll be better to poised to provide residents with an update.”
Cr Koranski said residents will have an opportunity to have their say.
“I’d like to reassure residents that there will be a formal community engagement process where everyone will have the opportunity to have their say,” she said.
“If residents have any concerns about where they’d like the trail to start and end, they can certainly present that to council, but the feasibility study did look wholistically into the trail between Bethania station and the Logan Village spur line connection to Yarrabilba.
“I am aware the residents have safety concerns regarding the trail and I’m very interested and learning more about their concerns and working with residents to try find a solution that works for everyone.”
She said safety was imperative, and might involve things like CCTV cameras, lighting or other solutions.
“I don’t want to comment prematurely, I would rather hear from the community and what the concerns are and then for us to develop a strategy based on those concerns,” she said.
She said council would also investigate secure access for residents between the neighbouring villages.
“I have made a commitment to the residents that I will write to them, as there are significant junctures that come along, and we will continue to do that.”
