Logan and Albert Conservation Association

Jimboomba Times, Wednesday, December 17, 2008 reported the following

THE Federal government will spend $55.8 million on a rail upgrade from Acacia Ridge to Bromelton.

Member for Forde Brett Raguse said he was pleased to see infrastructure in the region receive a boost.

‘The commitment from the federal government means that nation building is high on the agenda' Mr Raguse said.  ‘I have been pushing for big picture infrastructure even before entering politics'
The rail upgrade will start in February 2009 with completion forecast for December 2009

A significant part of the project includes upgrading the present track to dual standard and narrow gauge track, which will allow for passenger services as well as freight trains to utilise the new track.

"This project will allow for Queensland trains, along with national freight trains to be able to use the track and most importantly allow for passenger trains. This is significant for the potential future growth in the region," Mr Raguse said.

The project will also include replacing wooden sleepers with concrete sleepers which will reduce transit times and remove speed restrictions which can occur with timber.
Mr Raguse said the improvement would aid efficiency and make the line more productive.

There is also mention of this topic on the Australian Transport Discussion Board which is online here.

A question to ask is what background studies have been done.  Hopefully that information will be available in the public domain. Using the name Bromelton without further description is ambiguous as different sections of the community attach or visualise vary differeing images.  Further information and explanations are needed.

Disgruntled elves took time from their Christmas duties to leave a special message for Kevin Rudd at his Morningside office.
The elves are angry about K Rudd's 5% care factor and 95% coal factor in dealing with Australia's climate change challenges.
A spokesperson for the elves said "the north pole is melting and we want K Rudd to know we're not happy. We want K Rudd to care more about Australia and the north pole than coal."
The last thing K Rudd needs in these economic times is a bunch of homeless, unemployed and wet elves seeking refugee status due to climate change.

Debbie Best Deputy Director-General Department of Natural Resources and Water encourages interested parties to make a submission if they have any issues they wish to raise in regard to the finalisation of this draft plan.

The draft plan is available for public comment and feedback. All submissions, properly made by 5pm, Friday 20 February 2009 will be considered by the Chief Executive of the Department of Natural Resources and Water (the department) prior to plan finalisation. A submission form is included with in the summary document. In accordance with the water resource plan, the Logan Basin Resource Operations Plan will initially deal with priority area 1, which is the area of the Logan River Water Supply Scheme. Subsequent amendments to the resource operations plan will occur to deal with other parts of the plan area including Moreton Bay Islands.

You can obtain a copy of the draft plan by contacting the department on 1800 308 252, by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by visiting the department's website at: www.nrw.qld.gov.au/wrp/logan. Please see the link to the public notice.

Loganlea to Jimboomba network upgrade information is available on the Energex website here.  Some individual landowners whose properties have been identified as being affected have been contacted by Energex.

However these concerned citizens are aware that there are far wider implications than a 40 metre easement across their land which is adjacent to the Logan River.

Given the current situation re environmental impacts of our traditional energy supplies, would we - the community, city and country - be better served by future investment being channeled to renewable sources and also targeting new growth areas for urban and industrial footprint expansion to be self contained and independantly energy sufficient?

Should this whole issue be debated openly before a corridor option is chosen by Energex? When do we review our comfortable ways of considering progress? Is more of the same what we want?

Local Logan Reserve resident Dieter Lacko was interviwed by Henry Tuttiett of the Jimboomba Times - the story was published 17 December 2008. Over 40 local residents gathered to discuss their concerns and how they could best resolve these.  Unfortunately neither Cr Phil Pigeon

Energex says that residential and commercial growth in South East Queensland and an increased demand for energy has led to a sharp rise in electricity consumption. As a result, the region's existing electricity supply is reaching capacity.

To meet increased demand, ENERGEX has embarked on a five year, $4 billion investment program across South East Queensland. This investment will reinforce the network and provide a more reliable and safe supply of electricity to residents and businesses.

Energex and Powerlink are not private companies: they are branches of Queensland government - this is a government service infrastructure. There is a Minister for Mines and Energy Mr Geoff Wilson.

It is proposed that Logan, one of the region's fastest growing areas, should benefit from this investment program. Neither Loganlea nor Jimboomba is a rapid growth area - see  Draft SEQ Regional plan.  Visit http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/regional-planning/draft-regional-plan-2009-2031.html.

South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program [SEQIPP] needs to be read in conjunction with SEQRP.
The South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program 2008-2026 outlines the government's infrastructure priorities for the South East Queensland (SEQ) region to support the SEQ Regional Plan. It represents a long-term commitment to infrastructure delivery in SEQ.

The SEQ Infrastructure Plan was first released in 2005 and is updated annually to reflect and align with the latest planning and budget commitments. It sets timeframes and budgets to ensure infrastructure is delivered to support the region's growth.

The 2008 edition of the plan details around 300 identifiable projects, with an investment of just over $107 billion (inclusive of federal government contributions and other revenue sources):

$83.5 billion in road, rail and public transport
$8 billion in water
$3.5 billion in energy networks
$12 billion in social and community infrastructure.

Of particular note is the chapter on energy available as 11 page pdf file from the main page link above. 

Kilowatt Ours is creating a network of homeowners and renters in America dedicated to striving for Net-Zero energy usage in their homes and apartments. Kilowatt Ours is the story of filmmaker and conservationist Jeff Barrie's 18-month journey across the southeastern U.S. to document energy-related problems and present practical, cost-saving solutions for consumers. Widespread problems revealed in Kilowatt Ours include mountaintop removal, air pollution, global warming, childhood asthma, and mercury contamination.

The film Kilowatt Ours shows the city of Austin as they built what they call an "energy conservation power plant." Rather than build a new coal-fired power plant, the community decided it was a priority to advocate aggressive energy conservation efforts instead. After 20 years, Austin now saves more than 600 megawatts of electricity every day - one power plant worth of electricity, generated strictly from energy savings. Here is a link to watch a short clip from Kilowatt Ours, featuring this initiative.

"The Story of Stuff " is a  highly informative and entertaining web video that documents the destructive impacts of consumerism and waste. The video features American activist Annie Leonard taking viewers through the process of creating a consumer good - from the extraction of materials to the disposal.

Topics discussed include materials economy, linear systems, the golden arrow of consumption, wealthy corporations, the role of government, toxics, human breast milk, toxic waste. Check it out but beware: Your trash will never look the same.

This is the full version however you can select other links to view it in chapters.

Scientists and researchers from Queensland University  and  from Queensland University of Technology are trying to learn more about koalas' breeding habits by listening to the animals' bellows. Mobile phones and GPS collars are being used. This study was reported by National Geographic.  The brief news clip with male koala vocalisations is available here.

Meanwhile concerned citizens fear for the long term survival of koalas in their natural environment. Debbie Tabart from the Australian Koala Fountation is featured on this video advocating for a National Koala Plan.

Ignoring calls for strong action on climate change, the Federal Government has announced its plan to cut carbon pollution by just 5% (increasing this to 15% only if other major polluters commit to a global agreement).

Let the Government know that this decision is unacceptable.

This decision does not place Australia in a position to save the Murray-Darling Basin, the Great Barrier Reef or the Australian Alps.  Instead, it will hold back progress towards an effective international climate change agreement.

The Government has disregarded the advice of top scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - that state that developed countries, as a group, must reduce their carbon pollution by 25-40% - and community support for greater action on climate change.

What's more, the plan will see billions of taxpayers' dollars handed directly to big polluters. However, this is not the final word. Let the Government know that this decision is unacceptable and must be revisited via the media and your local MP.

Visit the Australian Conservation Foundation website for tips on what to do.

BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW!

VISIT YOUR MP

WRITE TO A PAPER

CALL TALKBACK RADIO

Contact or email your friends and family, encourage them to make their voice heard too.  Download the community action kit [26 p 2.69 MB pdf] from this page

To avoid dangerous climate change, and give our icons a fighting chance, we must commit to reducing our carbon pollution by at least a third by 2020.

Some of these online polls are still accepting votes.

See:

The Australian Online Poll on the target at - http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22073824-5013404,00.html

The Age Online Poll on the Target at - http://www.theage.com.au/polls/form.html

The Canberra Times Online Poll on the target -- http://www.canberratimes.com.au/polls/

The Western Austarlian - Do the Carbon Cuts go far enough Poll? at. http://www.thewest.com.au/  (Scroll half way down the cover page)

 There may be new polls you'd like to follow eg The Australian's poll, at time of editing concerns, the Christmas shopping dollar.

The Queensland government long term planning strategy for protecting koala habitat values through planning and development process is the establishment of a new Koala State Planning Policy in 2009.

The finalisation of the mapping and a new Koala State Planning Policy will, we hope, help determine the appropriate protection mechanisms to ensure the long term protection of koalas in SEQ. The timing of this work will also allow the outcomes to be considered in the final SEQ Regional Plan 2009-2031 in July 2009. The draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009-2031 is open for submissions from December 2008 to 3 April 2009.

Draft SEQ Koala State planning regulatory provisions can be downloaded here.

   Submissions close 27 February 2009