Residents are actively pushing for a 900-m long shortcut connecting Canvey Rd and Mt Nebo Rd. This stretch of new road would spell a 14-km difference in the daily commute of residents who regularly travel between The Gap and Upper Kedron.
More than 280 signatures have already been collected by Upper Kedron resident Wade Phillips, the proponent of the petition which calls for Brisbane City Council to provide Canvey Rd access to Mt Nebo Rd, The Gap.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
“Currently the only way Ferny Grove and Upper Kedron residents to access Waterworks Road is via Settlement Road. This road connection is earmarked as Active Transport (Emergency Services) and Pedestrians only. I seek to open the road for all road users,” Mr Phillips explained.
“No further traffic will utilise Waterworks Road as everyone who will use the Canvey Road connection to Mt Nebo road already uses Settlement Road. This adds 15 minutes (of) transit every day, plus fuel and pollution, and costs.”
The link has been the subject of an unsuccessful lobby by the Ferny Grove Upper Kedron Residents Association (FGUKRA) during the preparation and deliberations for the Ferny Grove – Upper Kedron Neighbourhood Plan in 2018.
At the time, BCC rejected the call, citing the accident rate on Mt Nebo Rd and Mt Glorious Rd, both popular routes for recreational motorbike riders. Today, residents continue to express support the link as it would save those who head into The Gap for work approximately 14 km of driving each day.
To commuters such as those living in the new Ellendale estate, this would make a massive difference, particularly since it’s only 200 m from the nearest Ellendale house to Mt Nebo Rd.
“Allow all traffic to utilise the road, not just emergency vehicles,” Mr Phillips added.
The last day of submission of suggestions to the council has passed and a lot of residents have expressed animosity towards the plan to build a second access onto Mt Nebo Road, citing the inevitable increase of traffic in the area.
Photo credit: Google Maps
Their Issues
The draft for the neighbourhood plan only proposes emergency access onto the road. Residents are worried that over time, “emergency access” will turn into a full vehicle access road. Creating another access onto Mt Nebo Road is deemed unacceptable by the residents saying that this would worsen the existing traffic congestion along the Waterworks Road corridor.
They also think that such access can cause harm to their health due to an increase in air pollutants. Other issues include an increase on vehicle strikes on the conservation of significant fauna, compromise accessibility to residential and business areas, higher risk of injuries to leisure users since there are a lot of people who use the road especially cyclists on the weekends.
Unnecessary?
To add to that, the Western Brisbane Transport Network Strategy published by the Queensland Government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads, doesn’t see any necessary improvements to be done on the Waterworks Road corridor. This places limitations on the road’s capacity to accommodate an increase in transportation associated with the Cedar Woods development.
The council is now reviewing the submissions they have received on the draft neighborhood plan. And once everything is complete, this neighborhood plan will be a part of Brisbane’s planning scheme, Brisbane City Plan 2014.
