6 Chancellor Street

SHERWOOD Q 4075

7 November 2004

Brisbane City Council

Community & Lifestyle

GPO P O Box 1434

Brisbane Q 4001.

Dear Sir,

St Lucia Golf Precinct Open Day – Feedback - Bikeway. 

As a weekday bicycle commuter between Sherwood and Edward Street Brisbane, I am particularly interested in the ongoing development of a more direct, yet dedicated ‘off-road’ cycle-path from Indooroopilly to the City.  I have been using the Oxley Road, Indooroopilly Bike Bridge, Witton Road, Western Freeway Bikeway 14.65Km route to the City for more than twelve months, for both commuting and recreational cycling. 

I appreciate Council holding the Precinct Open Day to facilitate public awareness of the proposal alternatives, and to be made aware of public opinion regarding the alternative proposals for the Precinct, particularly in relation to bike-ways. 

In relation to the St Lucia Golf Club Precinct, I welcome the construction of an ‘off-road’ shared pedestrian/cyclist perimeter access for suburban walking, and urban cycle commuting.  I prefer dedicated ‘off-road’ pathways, evidenced by my choosing of my current cycle commuting route for its predominant availability along that route. 

I would prefer the precinct perimeter access to be protected from wayward golf shots by a semi-continuous fence, in the style used on the Jindalee Golf Course – Sinnamon Road interface, yet discontinuous through the use of overlapping panels in the fence alignment to permit pedestrian access to the golf course when golfing is not occurring, whilst preventing golf ball impacts on pedestrian and cyclist pathway users, when golfing is occurring. 

Further, whilst I commend the concept plan approach to minimizing the number of trees requiring removal along the shared access path, I would prefer to see all the trees maintained at a bigger distance from the access path. 

This could be achieved by making the pathway slightly more tortuous, thereby providing a bigger buffer distance from the pathway edge to the tree trunks.  This has the advantages of retaining more/all trees, reducing cyclists riding speed, reducing the risk of cyclists impacting the tree trunks, and reducing the likelihood of the pathway cast in-situ slabs being made uneven at their joint lines by developing tree roots. 

Alternatively Council might consider the use of permeable asphalt for the pathway thereby allowing for both water ingress to the tree root zone and for root growth to less injuriously affect the pathway surface, thereby minimizing the adverse impacts on the established trees, pathway users and Council’s pathway maintenance costs.  These savings could be used to construct more ‘off-road’ shared pedestrian/cyclist pathways. 

I trust that this feedback might be constructively helpful.

Yours truly,

John C Taylor.