The State Government's announcement of a planned tunnel from Toowong to Everton Park is great news for the people of the inner western suburbs.
This futuristic plan would link the Western Freeway with the Bruce Highway.
But what really needs to happen is the scrapping of the Moggill Ferry linking the Brisbane suburb of Moggill with the Ipswich suburb of Riverview.
This 1878 relic of our past originally linked the two fledgling suburbs on either side of the Brisbane River in bygone days when Cobb & Co coaches plied the route from Brisbane to Ipswich.
The Moggill Ferry is currently out of operation for its biennial servicing.
The extra 32km round trip this is causing for motorists shows how important this link is.
A bridge needs to be constructed across the Brisbane River as part of a major western ring road.
The most-sensible place would be at Gailes as a northerly extension of the Logan Motorway across the Brisbane River to Priors Pocket and then through Moggill and the north-western suburbs of Brisbane to link with the Bruce Highway.
The key advantage of a cross-river bridge at Gailes is that is would serve the people of Ipswich and Logan City as well as the western suburbs of Brisbane.
The western suburbs silver-tails might object to this new road through the rarefied atmosphere of Moggill Heights but planning for a major western Brisbane ring road is imperative with the population explosion set for southeast Queensland in the next 20 years.
The Moggill Ferry might be a quaint historic addition to the landscape of Greater Brisbane but a 131 year old vehicular cable ferry is hardly a modern means of transport between the state capital and Queensland's first provincial city.
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PAUL TULLY: paul@tully.org.au
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Office of Fair Trading secures $23,000 fine against unlicensed motor dealer Michael James Harradine
The Queensland Office of Fair Trading has successfully prosecuted Doolandella man Michael James Harradine for selling motor vehicles without a licence.
Mr Harradine's licence was cancelled 4 years ago.
Members of the public are being warned by the Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading Peter Lawlor about this character.
Hopefully, Harradine has learnt his well-deserved lesson the hard way.
This is the full text of today's media release by the Minister:
Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading
The Honourable Peter Lawlor
24/09/2009
Doolandella man fined $23,000
A Doolandella man has been fined a total of $23,000 after pleading guilty to selling motor vehicles without a licence.
Michael James Harradine appeared in the Richlands Magistrates Court on the 14th September and pleaded guilty to one charge of unlicensed motor dealing and five charges of making false and misleading representations from an address at Doolandella and one charge of unlicensed motor dealing from an address in Toowoomba.
Minister for Fair Trading Peter Lawlor said the charges were a result of an investigation by Office of Fair Trading officers.
"Mr Harradine's motor dealers' licence had been cancelled in 2005," Mr Lawlor said.
"However, when OFT officers attended his home in Doolandella they found he had several vehicles at his residence for sale," he said.
"These vehicles were advertised in newspapers and on the internet as being for sale.
"In addition, Mr Harradine gave false information to the purchasers about the background of the vehicles he was selling.
"The misleading information included that the vehicles had been owned by various relatives of Mr Harradine and that he had personally worked on one of the vehicles as a mechanic.
"Mr Harradine told investigators he told fibs or stretched the truth when telling people details about the vehicles.
"OFT officers also identified that Mr Harradine was operating out of business address in Toowoomba dealing in used motorcycles.
"The Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act is in place to protect consumers against unscrupulous people who operate outside the law.
"Mr Harradine received a significant fine for these offences which is indicative of how seriously these types of offences are viewed.
"Consumers should be able to have confidence that they are working with a licensed motor dealer and that details about the vehicle they are interested in purchasing are correct."
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PAUL TULLY: paul@tully.org.au
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Benjamin Wayne Gough - Manager Harcourts Bundaberg features on Today Tonight
Today Tonight ran a story this evening over the actions of Ben Gough in buying and selling a property on the same day at a substantial profit.
He claims he was acting legally and ethically.
That's not what the sellers think.
What does the Queensland State Manager of Harcourts think?
Have you had any dealings with Ben Gough?
Let us know at: Queensland Consumer Watch@gmail.com
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PAUL TULLY: paul@tully.org.au
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SILKSTONE STATE SCHOOL: Devastating fire may rekindle Blackstone and Dinmore fight
The on-going fight to save the Blackstone and Dinmore State Schools from closure at the end of the year may have been given an unexpected boost by today's tragic Silkstone State School fire.
With all schools set to re-open in 2 weeks, the State Government needs to make an urgent decision to bring in numerous demountables to Silkstone or to use the Blackstone and Dinmore State Schools as the on-going bases for local schools servicing the Blackstone, Silkstone and Dinmore areas.
Either way, with the Blackstone and Dinmore State Schools facing a forced permanent closure in 12 weeks and with no chance of the Silkstone State School being rebuilt before the start of the 2010 school year, the State Government now has a clear choice of keeping both the Blackstone and Dinmore State Schools open.
Rebuilding the Silkstone State School will take time but keeping the Blackstone and Dinmore State Schools open in 2010 while the future of the Silkstone site is considered is a simple decision which the State Government should make immediately.
People power may yet prevail in Blackstone and Dinmore!
PAUL TULLY: paul@tully.org.au
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IPSWICH: First pic of today's Silkstone State School Fire
PAUL TULLY: paul@tully.org.au
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Media Release: Call for compulsory sprinkler systems following today's Silkstone State School fire
Media Release from Ipswich City Councillor Paul Tully
Silkstone State School Fire - Call for sprinkler systems in all schools
A call has been made for all Queensland schools to be fitted with sprinkler systems in the wake of today's disastrous Silkstone State School fire.
Ipswich Councillor Paul Tully said barely a school holiday went by without a school fire somewhere in Queensland.
Cr Tully said it was only the second day of the school holidays and one of Ipswich's major state schools had been burnt to the ground.
"This is unlikely to be the last school fire in Queensland this year.
"I am calling for the compulsory introduction of sprinkler systems in all schools across the state.
"The cost of fitting sprinkler systems would be far less in the long run than the ongoing cost of rebuilding burnt schools."
Cr Tully said an arson attack at the Goodna State School could have been averted three years ago if a sprinkler system had been installed.
PAUL TULLY: paul@tully.org.au
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Silkstone State School Fire - Call for sprinkler systems in all schools
A call has been made for all Queensland schools to be fitted with sprinkler systems in the wake of today's disastrous Silkstone State School fire.
Ipswich Councillor Paul Tully said barely a school holiday went by without a school fire somewhere in Queensland.
Cr Tully said it was only the second day of the school holidays and one of Ipswich's major state schools had been burnt to the ground.
"This is unlikely to be the last school fire in Queensland this year.
"I am calling for the compulsory introduction of sprinkler systems in all schools across the state.
"The cost of fitting sprinkler systems would be far less in the long run than the ongoing cost of rebuilding burnt schools."
Cr Tully said an arson attack at the Goodna State School could have been averted three years ago if a sprinkler system had been installed.
PAUL TULLY: paul@tully.org.au
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