A walking and cycling pathway is being proposed to be built on a disused rail line running from Bethania railway station to Logan Village.
Part of the construction includes changes to nine existing old bridges. Most of which will need major work to be fit for purpose, some will need to be totally rebuilt.
The estimated cost of this project is more than $13 million and will probably be a lot more by the time it’s completed. Plus the ongoing maintenance costs.
Do we really need it?
Look around, Logan already has some very good parks and walking and cycling facilities.
I am not against rail trails, in general most are located in picturesque rural areas e.g. the Mary Valley rail trail and the Brisbane Valley rail trail – they have nice country views.
This proposed local trail mostly goes past cleared rural properties, suburban houses, an over 50’s residential park and some industrial area. Not much to see there for walkers and cyclists.
This old rail corridor is about twenty metres wide, most of which would need to be cleared to build the path.
We need more bushland, not less.
My suggestion – the existing old rail line could be left as a bushland corridor instead of converting it to a paved pathway thereby promoting native wildlife and assisting wildlife movement. Particularly our endangered Koalas that currently live adjacent to the old rail corridor in the existing Woodlands Environmental Park and the Sanctuary Parklands.
Some Eucalypt trees that Koalas prefer could be planted in the bush corridor. I’m sure the various Koala protection organisations would help as well as local volunteers, I certainly would.
We are loosing more and more bushland due to the demand for housing in the Logan area. Having a permanent corridor of natural bush protecting our native flora and fauna would be a great benefit to us all. Not just creating another long strip of paving.
In this situation we should be thinking conservation not construction.
If the owners of this land, the Transport and Main Roads department in conjunction with Logan City Council want to use this land for another purpose, then a bush nature reserve would be a much better idea.
To leave this old rail corridor as a nature reserve would cost a fraction of the $13 million proposed to build the rail trail. Couldn’t that money be better spent elsewhere in areas of greater priority than a walking / cycling trail.
Remember, that $13 million is not Logan Council money, it is yours, funded by your rates.
It is their responsibility to spend your rates money wisely.
In these tough economic times, shouldn’t the Logan City Council focus on spending your hard earned money on improving and maintaining current infrastructure like suburban roads, footpaths, public toilets, parks and flood mitigation projects etc. Also, having the money in place for future development of a growing Logan city instead of an unnecessary rail trail pathway.
I know many people who live and work near the proposed rail trail and their extended families and friends who are also Logan residents don’t want it to go ahead.
Don’t forget the council elections are coming up soon, March next year. So voters who are against the rail trail going ahead in its current form could be quite a substantial voting block, so keep that in mind potential mayoral and division candidates. Being for or against the rail trail could certainly affect who gets elected to the next Logan City Council.
If you agree with me please message your thoughts to your division councillor or future candidates for mayor or your division when they announce themselves.
Let’s be proactive – people power does work.
Michael McGrath
Bethania.
