----- Original Message -----
From: The Rivermouth Action Group Inc
To: CEOoffice@brisbane.qld.gov.au ; Lord Mayor ; thepremier@ministeral.qld.gov.au ; TransportandMainRoads@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Cc: editorial@wynnumherald.com.au ; cmonline@qnp.newsltd.com.au ; pictorial@qnp.newsltd.com.au
Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 12:55 AM
Subject: Port Road: a Road to Disaster PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE IMMEDIATE
Today our Secretary, Mr Barry Wilson, of The Rivermouth Action Group Inc was contacted by a land owner at Lytton about the flooding of his and adjacent properties.
Upon inspection Mr Wilson discovered that the consortium responsible for the building the Port Road Motorway duplication and extension called "Port Connect" a Joint development by Queensland Transport & BMD Seymour White has built two dams across an important drainage channel metres several metres apart near Lytton Road not far from Port West where the "Green Bridge" is being built.
Mr Wilson said, "Calling the Bridge GREEN will not undo the flooding which it construction has caused."
"Any engineer who undertakes or allows such actions which blocks a drainage channel without making provisions for a diversion especially during the 'wet season' should be sanctioned by their professional body, Engineers Australia and the Queensland Board of Engineers should be looking seriously at these actions of registered engineers involved with a view to deregistration or retaining or working under another Board Certified engineer for an extended time.", Mr Wilson commented.
Mr Wilson said, "Our Group tried to set up a meeting in April 2011 to discuss the hydrology and flooding issues in the Lytton area with Port Connect but our many requests were ignored by senior Queensland Transport engineers."
"Over December 2011, January and February 2012 several residents' properties at Ragnor Road, Hemmant were flooded due to substantial blockage of the drainage channel under the Cleveland Rail Line and Port Road at Hemmant put in place by Port Connect." Mr Wilson commented.
Mr Wilson continued, "Now in April 2012 a wide area of flooding has occurred with increased levels due to actions by Port Connect blocking an important local drainage at Lytton."
"Several land owners met with the Brisbane City Council's Engineer late last year to discuss drainage issues involving this drain." "The engineer is willing to undertake upstream works once the downstream drain has been cleaned out on land under control of the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd. "
"Residents have been complaining about this drainage channel for over 40 years. Our Group has a web site dedicated to the drainage issues in the Lytton, Hemmant and Wynnum West area. This web site will now increase with the many more photos taken on Sunday 29 April."
Mr Wilson said, "Students of Iona College will now be disadvantaged for several weeks to come because sports ovals are under water and will take an extended time before they can be used safely."
"Our Community Group now calls the Queensland Government to undertake an enquiry into the action of the engineers involved this matter as a matter of urgency."
Mr Wilson concluded in saying, "After meeting with Port Connect last July, I spent the remainder of the day taking photographs and started to develop a web site to highlight 40 years of governments' inaction.
Attached are several of photos taken on Sunday 29 April 2012. High resolutions are available for printing at no cost upon request. Some are 10 megapixel and others are 18 megapixel also I have HD video as well.
Web site: http://www.rag.org.au/lytton
Further comment:
Barry Wilson
Secretary
The Rivermouth Action Group Inc
P.O. Box 268
Morningside Qld 4170
activist@rag.org.au
30 April 2012
Some of the following photos were attached to the Press Release but the text below has been added to explain the many photos.
LIndum Road Lytton 29 April 2012
THE SIGN ON THE FRONT FENCE OF THIS PROPERTY SAYS IT ALL.
Lindum Road Lytton 29 April 2012
YES THE FLOODING IS AS A RESULT OF A QUEENSLAND LABOR GOVERNMENT PROJECT.
Lindum Road Lytton 29 April 2012
Looking towards Lindum Road Lytton property 29 April 2012.
WHY was this (and many others) property flooded?
PORT CONNECT's Green Bridge site.
Drainage Channel at Lytton Road near Port West (south east Cnr) the site of the "Green Bridge" Blocked with TWO dams.
Looking west towards Lytton Road.
Site of Port Road's Green Bridge" at Lytton Drainage Channel (downstream). Drain has blocked or nearly block up with only a small water flow.
Site of Port Road's Green Bridge" at Lytton Drainage Channel (upstream). Drain has blocked or nearly block up with only a small water flow.
WHAT OTHER AREAS WERE FLOODED?
IONA COLLEGE SPORTS FIELDS
Iona College sports fields North Road Lytton.
Iona College sports fields North Road Lytton.
Iona College sports fields Cnr North Road and Sandy Camp Road Wynnum West under water.
Sandy Camp Road Wynnum West (near North Road Cnr) under water.
This property has been flooded many times unnecessarily since Lytton Road was raised / upgrade and realigned during the 1960s
ALL THIS WITHOUT ADEQUATE DRAINAGE BENEATH LYTTON ROAD OR ANY DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE IN THE AREA FOR OVER 40 YEARS SINCE.
No matter how many complaints were made, or to who they were made, no action ever followed to unblocked the drainage corridor to the Brisbane River.
The Owner of this property died just a few weeks ago and he had been making complaints for over 40 years to Brisbane City Council, local Councillors,
and State members. Some of his correspondence is at the bottom of our web site on Lytton Drainage.
Nobody in authority ever cared that his livelyhood of producing eggs for breeding chickens or producing eggs for eating was being erroded over decades.
Just how many chooks have drowned this time?
Is there any engineer who cares? I doubt it!!!
A view from the rear of the poultry sheds and I am standing in over knee deep to take the photographs.
PORT CONNECT SUX.
