FUTURE OF SOUTH EAST

THE articles by Bernard Salt recently make reading both interesting and disastrous. Brisbane - Ipswich is a perfect example of a conglomeration of residents collected over the years without forward planning of infrastructure.

Mr Salt points out that many traffic arteries in the city will be clogged within 25 years if nothing is done. None of these arteries can be widened to take the forecast traffic and the only solution possible is a massive array of tunnels costing trillions.

Obviously, this can not be undertaken as Australia does not have the financial capacity.

Therefore, the only solution is to make relocation of residents attractive. Extension of Brisbane - Ipswich can only occur in areas which are second rate when living conditions are taken into account and are an invitation to descend into second-rate suburbs.

It is now more essential than ever before that living in Toowoomba and working in Brisbane must be made an attractive alternative. The Toowoomba mayor has had strong views on constructing a high-speed rail connection for a variety of reasons and Mr Salt’s report removes this suggestion from highly desirable to absolutely essential for the good of many who work in Brisbane. It will only be a fraction of the cost of the multitude of tunnels that Brisbane would require.

I am the first to admit that I have thought that a 45-minute train journey was too costly to construct, 60 minutes being financially realistic. But, reading about the uncontrollable mess that faces Brisbane within a quarter of a century, I now concede that a 45-minute journey, at most, is essential.

I am sure that there is a lot of planning going on behind the scenes in the local council. From the location of the Second Range Crossing and the Inland Rail, the relocation of the hospital and the expansion of the Charlton industrial area, Toowoomba will surely expand very rapidly north and certainly Cabarlah - Meringandan will be urbanised within the next half century. Westbrook north of the Gore Highway will also expand. All this is highly desirable as it disturbs little agricultural land and is a very pleasant area to reside.

As a result, another major traffic artery to the north has to be planned. This can easily be carried out at this stage extending Boundary St north probably, at the moment, as far as Cabarlah and even planning as far as Hampton which of course, is far into the future. This road is ideally placed as a railway station close to the western entrance to the Toowoomba Range tunnel is an obvious solution as a necessity for those working in Brisbane.

In conjunction with this, the possibility of planning a light rail from Cabarlah to South St along Boundary St should be considered. Never before does the future of the south east depend on Toowoomba.

PETER SHERIDAN, Toowoomba