Transferring public servants to Carseldine tipped to cause traffic chaos

Huge traffic problems have been predicted with the state government’s plan to move public servants to the former QUT Carseldine campus.

Bracken Ridge councillor Amanda Cooper said nothing was being done to address the traffic impacts of up to 1000 new workers in the area and residents had wanted the campus to stay.

“I know that my residents wanted the campus to stay as a educational facility,” she said.

“Their view is it gave students the opportunity not to have to commute into the city and it was a really valued part of the community.

“I am concerned to see state government employees relocating to the area when nothing has been done to address the huge traffic impacts this will have on the local area”.

Cr Cooper said she only found out renovations to the former QUT campus were taking place when a resident informed her of seeing workers at the site.

She said Urban Land Development Authority who are now in control of the site did not consult with her in any way.

She said local MP Tracy Davis had experienced similar treatment.

Cr Cooper said residents were not only worried about traffic impacts but also about losing the sporting fields associated with the former campus.

She said there was a future plan to scrap the fields in favour of development.

“Another area I know residents are really concerned with is potentially the loss of the sporting fields.

“When QUT was in control of the site the sporting fields were constantly used by the community – I’m concerned about the proposed future loss of sporting fields”.

The state government announced this month it would spend $50 million upgrading the former QUT site to give employees the opportunity to relocate from their current city offices as part of the government’s decentralisation commitment.

A spokesman for the Department of Public Works said up to 1000 public servants would eventually be relocated, mostly from the departments of Transport and Main Roads.

He said the public servants would begin moving in late 2012 and the vacated city office space would be released to the market in stages.

He said the new office precinct at Carseldine would give small retail businesses the chance to provide amenities for the public servants.

QUT closed its Carseldine doors in January 2009 after student numbers at the campus dropped and has been unused since.

Comments
5 Responses to “Transferring public servants to Carseldine tipped to cause traffic chaos”
  1. Ian Lowndes says:

    Now hang on, aren’t the traffic movements of students’ lectures going to be more disruptive than people coming to work once a day everyday? What about public transport- the council should see that there are options.

    The workers are going against the traffic arent they, heading away from the city- isnt this a good example of decentralization?

    Cr Cooper seems to support plenty of densified developments in the inner city, why is she opposed to this- is it something to do with this being her seat I wonder. I would say its the blue ribbon liberal councilors that carry on the most when intensification occurs in their outer communter ring seats, while trying to throw a whole lot of 30 storey development into inner city areas like West End.

    I would be concerned about the loss of playing fields and all open green spaces. Intensify the use of the exisitng facilities whthout expansion.

  2. Pam Gomez says:

    Carseldine QUT Campus is a very good example for decentralisation projects.

    The traffic towards the city can be reduced significantly.

    We are just waiting for projects like these to happen….

  3. ExCarseldinerQUT says:

    Enrolled student number’s never ‘droppped’ at Carseldine – the major Faculty (Pysch & Counselling) that was based at that Campus was relocated over to the Kelvin Grove Campus, merely taking that Faculty’s enrolments with them. Unbelievable to have witnessed the amount of Capital works invested at Carseldine from 2004 on-wards that significantly improved the built environment & function of the Campus, only to shut-up shop so soon after all the works had been completed. – RIP QUT Carseldine.

  4. Allen says:

    Sounds like a joke.
    1000 worker coming from the city to carseldine is a perfect example of decentralization.

  5. Joe says:

    Carseldine campus was just a fabulous learning place. Did my first of 3 degrees there – first in the early 80s, and last a Post Grad in late 80s. Lecturers there were awesome. The whole staff from janitors, groundsmen AV support, student Union helen byrne ;) to Resource Centre staff were great. Wish it never closed. The experience gained in a beautiful setting there was priceless. No where else was a similar atmosphere created. RIP Carseldine Campus.

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