Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be give to letters of 100 words or less.
- Read the story: Caravan parks hit record high visitor numbers
Good story on the boom of the caravan parks around Noosa, only wished you had mentioned the ridiculous and exorbitant prices they charge per night.
Peter Jones, Alexandra Headland
- Read the story: Foreshore plan given green light by new council
Last Saturday I was at my old surf club at Merewether Beach, Newcastle, where my brothers and I were club members for many years. One brother is a life member of the club. While at the beachfront I saw what I believe is the concrete step/seating plan for Mooloolaba (see picture below).
I did not find one person or group of people who were happy with the arrangement. I do not know when the work was completed or what involvement the surf club or its members, or the community, may have had.
The following is a sample of the comments:
“The original atmosphere of the beachfront has been ‘destroyed’ by ugly/dirty concrete.”
“The dimensions of the seating/steps makes it near impossible for the average person to use. Children cannot step up from the seats without assistance. Even the average adult can’t do the same. If you sit on the seated area you easily scrape your skin/legs on the concrete. There is no comfortable back rest when you are seated.”
“In summer the area is not useable unless you have something to sit on and is quite thick. You can’t even walk on the concrete promenade without something on your feet and there is no alternative facility.”
“You can’t directly access the beach from the bottom step. Sometimes the sand is washed away and the step/height makes it impossible. There are no easily accessible ramps.”
At the Mooloolaba Surf Club briefing by the council and technical advisers, it was mentioned that the proposed arrangement was/is used at Manly Beach. Was there ever any follow-up with the locals to see if they were happy with the result? They certainly aren’t with those that I spoke to. They were all locals.
Surely it is never too late to revisit this most concerning problem area. As a resident of Mooloolaba for about 18 years and a member of our local surf club, I can only hope that we can learn from other local areas, particularly the locals, who have had the experience of a similar construction to that proposed.
Ian Walton, Mooloolaba
- Read the story: Council opts to tweak holiday car park plans
I appreciate tourism is a very integral part of Noosa’s economy but as a resident/ratepayer of Noosa, parking is a nightmare at all times of the year.
Is it time we introduced paid parking for visitors and some permit parking for residents in allocated areas?
Paid parking could contribute to longer-term parking solutions for the area.
Laurie Cassar, Noosaville
Lions Park as a car park – I think is a purely disgusting idea. This is, and always will be, a park. Get the bus from Noosa Junction if you wish to get to Hastings Street, instead of clogging up Noosa Parade and the major road into Hastings Street past the Reef Hotel.
Shame on council and those wishing to use the Lions Park as a car park, let alone the Lions organisation for making money.
Pam Brownlee, Noosa Heads
- Read the story: Station officially opens as top officer stands down
My family and I have resided in Cooroy 25 years.
Congratulations to Sergeant Mal Scott for keeping Cooroy and its environs safe and having a wonderful rapport with the local communities for the term of his tenure.
We certainly wish Sgt Scott all the very best in whatever he undertakes.
Phil Broad, Nambour
We live in Sundew Street, apparently the last street in Mudjimba to get kerbs and channeling sorted.
Last year, our turn came to the top to get our kerbs and channeling done, money was allocated and so we were set. Oh, except that the previous Division 8 councillor did an unannounced survey of the street to get opinion. This was done during the middle of the day and midweek, on a normal working week so, funnily enough, almost nobody was at home.
However, it was obviously enough of a response for the ex-councillor Jason O’Pray to conclude that the street didn’t want the upgrade and that he could move the allocated monies elsewhere. This he did.
With the advent of the newly elected councillor Taylor Bunnag, who was approached by residents about health problems due to poor drainage, the moving of the monies was revealed. It now seems that we will be waiting much longer for the works, and the works will have to be done in at least two sections. Otherwise, it could be another 10 years before the funds are available.
Well done Jason. Again.
Peter and Carol Watkins, Mudjimba
I live across from that crazy intersection.
I’ve seen many crashes and near misses in the last 15 years. The place is getting wild, with people taking risky moves to get across that intersection. I have even been woken up in the late hours, to rescue people who have crashed there and diverted traffic to help others avoid.
The houses across need their own road, with a barrier between the road and the driveways they pull in and out of. People flying around that corner going south cut across the bike lines all the time. It’s so unsafe for myself, my wife and my neighbours to reverse out of the driveway or to drive out.
Matthew Webb, Marcoola
- Read the story: Investigations underway after blitz on building sites
I worked in the building industry since I left school, which covers 46 years.
I was subcontracting a job at Indooroopilly in Brisbane many years ago and the supervisor left the builder in the lurch. I was on site and the builder paid me extra to supervise and QBCC came out and fined me $2500 for subcontracting my supervisor licence, which apparently you’re not allowed to do. I was fined, the builder fined and I paid all my licences up to a year ago.
Now, many builders have gone bust and the QBCC are supposed to check on the financial status of all people who hold a licence. Why aren’t they picking up the signs of builders going broke before it happens instead of fining someone like me who has all the tickets?
The ignorant inspectors would not listen to reason. They were of the opinion I should have been on wages for six weeks instead of subcontracting. They need to look at the big picture. The building industry doesn’t hire people short-term like the government does. So all I have to say is look at the builders’ accountants that are putting wrong figures up.
Dave Sutton, Alexandra Hills
- Read the story: Wheels in motion for multibillion-dollar rail line
It is good that this project is going ahead but how on earth can the line just as far as Caloundra from Beerwah cost $5.4 billion?
That is 5400 times $1 million. As this is taxpayer money we should be allowed to see the figures in this estimate. When you look at rail projects throughout the world this price tag is way out on all the other projects, even when you remove the Chinese builds. And why a 1km tunnel under Little Mountain?
Modern electric trains these days can handle quite steep gradients so surely it’s cheaper to go around Little Mountain than under it and/or reroute the line above main roads as in Bangkok. Something not mentioned yet is the proposed timetable. Passengers will no longer tolerate all stations to Petrie on every service as at present. Trains will have to be fast and frequent to attract motorists from their cars.
I often wonder who is running Translink and their apparent experience.
Ken Coulter, Ilkley
Termination of the rail line at Caloundra for the foreseeable future will bring little benefit to commuters living north of Mooloolaba, as it will be no closer than catching a train at Landsborough.
According to an artist’s impression of a train station at Maroochydore, the picture shows that the station is on a raised platform one storey above ground level like the skyrail from Brisbane CBD to the Brisbane Airport. I hope this is true for the whole rail link through to the city.
I have been urging this option for a couple of years, as I believe this type of elevated line down the centre of any four-lane road will cause the least disruption to traffic below, and result in no loss of car traffic lanes.
Alan Ward, Buderim
- Read the story: ‘Better suited elsewhere’: draft airport scheme scrutinised
Well said Gerard Joyce of Verrierdale, you have hit the nail right on the head, a direct hit!
I, for one, completely agree with you. I wanted to voice my opinion as well on this matter, but could not put my anger into words.
You have done it for me, and said so well, you have covered everything I am so angry about. Thank you!
Rudy Formigoni, Marcoola
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb for accountability, credibility and transparency. Preference will be give to letters of 100 words or less.
