There’s been no update from Council about our submissions for new infrastructure in Tennyson Ward. The Infrastructure plan will not be approved by Council until after the March 2024 election.
In the interim, you can view the map below that outlines where all the major infrastructure for Tennyson Ward is needed and was included in mine and the community’s submissions to Council. The plan covers medium to large infrastructure projects, not smaller projects like footpaths or road resurfacing.
August 2023
You can read my submission regarding the proposed LGIP Amendment here.
You may have recently received a letter or heard in the media about Council’s infrastructure review.
For people that got one of the truly awful letters, Council is not immediately resuming your house. They do indicate where future infrastructure may go, and there are some very odd additions such as two character houses to be resumed for parkland on Honour Ave, Graceville but nothing for Graceville Memorial Park that desperately needs upgrades.
There are some good additions too. For example, the intersections of Venner Rd/Ipswich Rd and Waterton St, Annerley and Cliveden Ave and Oxley Rd, Corinda have finally been added to the long list for upgrade.
Then of course there are the missing projects, most concerningly a lack of stormwater projects.
You can read more on the interactive map here.
How to Make a Submission
I want to thank residents who have spoken up in previous years and fought for better infrastructure planning for their neighbourhood. It’s time to do it again. The Lord Mayor has said he is “listening,” well let’s make sure he hears us loud and clear.
Email: infrastructurecoordination@brisbane.qld.gov.au
In person: Tennyson Ward Office
Submissions are due by 14 September 2023
You can add suggestions for any suburb in Brisbane. Those listed in bold are already included in the LGIP and those listed in bold and red are of concern to residents.
If you need help with a submission for your suburb please contact my office.
| Suburb | Suggestions (please also add your own) |
|---|---|
| Annerley |
|
| Chelmer |
|
| Corinda |
|
| Graceville |
|
| Fairfield |
|
| Sherwood |
|
| Oxley |
|
| Tennyson |
|
| Yeronga |
|
| Yeerongpilly |
|
July 2021
This week Brisbane City Council has released an amendment to the Local Government Infrastructure Plan, known as an LGIP, that cuts and fails to adequately plan for future infrastructure in Tennyson Ward.
One of the biggest gripes people talk to me about is the disconnect between new development and infrastructure, and the inadequacy of the LGIP is one of the problems. I need your help to remind Council that good planning, not over-development, is essential.
The LGIP is a statutory requirement for all local governments in Queensland. They provide future planning guidance for allocation of development revenue, which is charged on all new developments (excluding houses). It comprises of between $58m to $130m per year of funding in Council’s annual budget. It is one way that projects are funded by Brisbane City Council, others being through the Council capital works budget allocation or political announcements. The LGIP sets out a 10 year horizon for major infrastructure projects (this amendment is to the existing LGIP that runs until 2026), and LTIP is an uncosted list with no time frames. Projects might be delivered in 2027, 2250 or not at all.
LGIP projects are included in a schedule of works across six categories:
- Stormwater
- Parks
- Community Facilities
- Roads
- Bikeways
- Ferry Terminals
Projects are for “trunk infrastructure,” not small local projects like footpaths, road resurfacing or service delivery, but can include land acquisition. Smaller projects are funded from Council’s capital works list in the annual Council Budget.
How to Make a Submission
You can view the LGIP here.
Submissions are due by midnight Sunday 27 June, 2021.
Email: infrastructurecoordination@brisbane.qld.gov.au
Write: Infrastructure Coordination (LGIP amendment 1a), Brisbane City Council, GPO Box 1434, Brisbane Q 4001
In person: Tennyson Ward Office, Fairfield Gardens Shopping Centre
To make a valid submission you must include your name, signature and address and state what you want to include or don’t want to include.
You can add suggestions for any suburb in Brisbane. Those listed in bold are already included in the LGIP. Here are some ideas for Tennyson Ward’s suburbs:
| Suburb | Suggestions please also add your own |
|---|---|
| Annerley |
|
| Chelmer |
|
| Corinda |
|
| Graceville |
|
| Fairfield |
|
| Sherwood |
|
| Oxley |
|
| Tennyson |
|
| Yeronga |
|
| Yeerongpilly |
|
How Does Your Suburb Stack Up?
City Wide there are about 1000 projects in the LGIP with a total value of over $2billion that’s just 0.6% of the total LGIP budget to fund projects in Tennyson Ward.
In Tennyson Ward there are only 12 projects proposed, totalling approx. $12million. That’s grossly inadequate in my view given the significant growth experienced right around the Ward including a whole new suburb in Yeerongpilly, numerous medium density developments in Sherwood, Corinda, Yeronga and Oxley and significant infill unit and townhouse developments across the Ward.
| Suburb | Number of Projects | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Annerley | 1 | Ipswich Rd/Cracknell Rd/Villa St intersection upgrade $1.5m |
| Chelmer | 1 | Coonan St/Wharf St intersection upgrade $1.1m |
| Corinda | 0 | – |
| Graceville | 1 | Long St E/Oxley Rd intersection upgrade $1.8m |
| Fairfield | 0 | – |
| Sherwood | 1 | Sherwood Arboretum upgrades $1.1m |
| Oxley | 8 | Oxley Creek Bikeway, Oxley Station Rd/Cliveden Ave/Ipswich Motorway (4) $3.7m; Oxley Stormwater drainage pipe upgrade (4) $1.2m |
| Tennyson | 0 | – |
| Yeronga | 0 | – |
| Yeerongpilly | 0 | – |
Many suburbs around the City are missing out altogether (not just in Tennyson Ward) while others, some not experiencing major development growth, are receiving numerous projects. It’s not a well-planned or fair allocation of infrastructure priorities and funding.
Yeronga West Stormwater Upgrades Cut
One of my greatest concerns is the Lord Mayor’s decision to cut the long-planned Yeronga West stormwater drainage upgrade project. 22 stormwater pipe projects were listed for installation between 2016 and 2021, and they were never funded and now have been completely cut from the LGIP. They now have no funding allocation or timeframe attached to their delivery. It could be in 2027 or 2250.
As you know, across Yeronga there are local flooding hot spots where Council drainage is known to be inadequate. For more than a decade, particularly since the 2011 floods, I have campaigned to improve stormwater drainage and deliver recommended backflow valves throughout the ward. The Lord Mayor and his ‘team’ have repeatedly voted against my motions in Council to fund the recommended backflow valve and stormwater upgrade projects.
At the Brisbane City Council meeting on 25 May 2021, the Lord Mayor and his ‘team’ voted to cut all Yeronga stormwater drainage projects from the Local Government Infrastructure Plan, known as an LGIP. In my view, this was an appalling decision and I voted against these cuts.
In 2000 Council undertook a major technical study into Yeronga stormwater drainage systems and recommended significant capital works to upgrade the stormwater drainage networks. 21 years ago that report found that existing stormwater pipes were not adequate in places to deal with regular flooding caused by heavy rain. This problem has been exacerbated by the major new and infill development that has occurred since. For those who are interested, I have published extracts of this report on my website.
I urge you to send an email calling on Council to reinstate the Yeronga Stormwater Drainage projects. Together we can demonstrate to the Lord Mayor that our community supports urgent action and ensure that residents do not continue to live with the distress and inconvenience caused by regular flooding.
June 2018
Council has approved a new Long Term Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) for Brisbane. The Plan includes 1000 projects valued at approximately $2 billion across the City. Unfortunately the Lord Mayor has failed to allocate this funding fairly with only $8 million of new trunk (major) infrastructure in Tennyson Ward. This contrasts with other wards that have more than $250 million for infrastructure in their areas.
In my view this is completely political and unfair, as our area has copped huge development and paid millions in infrastructure charges and those funds are not being spent locally. Just four projects, including a storm water drainage project with 22 individual pipes, has been approved over the next ten years in Tennyson Ward. Smaller projects may still be funded through the Budget, but the LGIP is usually instrumental in determining which infrastructure is funded.
I want to thank residents who made submissions last year to the LGIP. Approximately 850 submissions were received city-wide and 80% of those came from Tennyson Ward residents. The Lord Mayor made no changes based on these public submissions, which in my view is appalling. He has stopped listening. I abstained from the vote at Council because I support necessary funding for other areas, but am opposed to the neglect in Tennyson Ward.
What’s in the LGIP?
Of the 1000 projects city-wide in the LGIP just five (5) are proposed in Tennyson Ward over the next ten years. All are worthwhile but nowhere near enough to support our growing community.
Stormwater
Yeronga, 22 stormwater pipe upgrades, $3m in 2016-2021
Roads
Ipswich Rd/Cracknell Rd/Villa St, Annerley intersection upgrade, $1.6m in 2016-2021
Coonan St/Wharf St, Chelmer, intersection upgrade, $1.15m in 2021-2026
Oxley Rd/Long Street East, Graceville, intersection upgrade, $1.8m in 2021-2026
Oxley Creek Common, Rocklea, metropolitan parkland, approx. $16.7m 2021-2026 (Council acquisition from State Government)
What’s been removed from the LGIP?
The Lord Mayor has removed the following projects from the current long term infrastructure plan:
Fairfield Rd upgrade
Oxley Rd upgrade
Community Arts and Leisure Centre, Yeerongpilly – land acquisition and site preparations $1.7m
Land acquisition and park upgrade, Corinda $1m
Land acquisition for district parkland, Tennyson $2.4m
Oxley Bikeway, Ardoyne Rd to Keble St Oxley/Corinda $757,770
Oxley Creek Bikeway, Oxley, Corinda, Sherwood and Rocklea $2.4m
Moolabin Creek Bikeway, Yeerongpilly, $1.3m
Yeronga Bikeway, Orient Rd Park to Brisbane Corso, $257,000
Annerley, 5 stormwater pipe upgrades $454,664
Chelmer/Graceville, 17 stormwater pipe upgrades $1.9m
Corinda, 6 stormwater pipe upgrades $461,000
Fairfield/Yeronga, 5 stormwater pipe upgrades $537,521
Graceville, 41 stormwater pipe upgrades $5m
Sherwood, 4 stormwater pipe upgrades $323,176
Yeronga, 50 stormwater pipe upgrades $1.7m
What’s needed in the LGIP?
There are some key projects needed for our district that are included in the LGIP. You might like to email Council and ask for these key projects to be included and feel free to add your ideas as well.
New Road Projects
Oxley Rd Sherwood/Corinda low rail bridge, widen four lanes (not raise) in 2016-2021
Ipswich Rd/Venner Rd/Waterton St, Annerley intersection upgrade in 2016-2021
Venner Rd Freight Bypass, new road overpass from Moorooka to Yeerongpilly in 2021-2026 (to divert trucks off Venner Rd and Fairfield Rd)
Seventeen Mile Rocks Rd/Cook St, Oxley corridor upgrade in 2021-2026
Oxley Rd/Cliveden Ave, Corinda intersection upgrade 2016-2021
New Parkland
RSPCA site, Yeronga – acquisition of parkland for recreational and sporting use in 2016-2026
Oxley Secondary College, Oxley – acquisition and remediation of old school site for recreation and sporting use in 2016-2026
Ferry Terminals
New ferry terminals to extend City Cat upstream to Fairfield, Yeronga, Tennyson and Graceville
Bikeways/Pathways
Sherwood Rd, Sherwood/Rocklea separated, off-road bikeway, connecting Sherwood Rd Sherwood to Fairfield Rd, Rocklea in 2016-2021
Annerley Rd, Annerley separated, off road Bikeway connecting Annerley Rd, Dutton Park with Ipswich Rd, Annerley in 2016-2021
Yeronga Bikeway, Orient Rd Park to Brisbane Corso, $257,000
Stormwater – fight for your suburb!
All those listed in bold, above, for Annerley, Fairfield, Chelmer, Graceville, Sherwood, Corinda and Yeronga.
To view more on the LGIP visit the below links:
Schedule of Works:
Interactive Map