Fence Offensive
Updates and communications on the various measures being taken to protest the Fence
18 Feb 2004
Dear all,
Local residents' efforts so far this year against the proposal to fence St Lucia golf course have included sending three different letters to the Brisbane City Council.
David Muir wrote about the Council's misguided thinking about the liability issue. Ray Poon wrote a letter criticising the Council's poor process of "consultative planning" that has applied in this case. I wrote a letter to the Lord Mayor, reviewing the apparent arguments being used for building the fence, together with a point-by-point rebuttal of these arguments.
David and Ray have received dismissive responses but, for some reason, I have had no response. I am not at all sure that 'no news is good news' in the Case of the Golf Course Fence.
Meanwhile, Michael Yeates has organised a meeting for 2.00pm this Saturday in Robertson's Park, to try to organise local community involvement in proposed improvements to the Park. As Sandy Creek flows from there through the golf course, we hope the meeting will be a step towards local residents being involved in caring for the whole of Sandy Creek including the area of the golf course.
There will also be a planting exercise - on 29 Feb from 07.30h - on the Tarcoola Track which runs along the river bank and around the end of the golf course.
I am thinking that we will need to do more as a concerned local residents group, before this fence proposal is defeated. To this end, I would like you to confirm that you wish to be on this e-group list, and that your e-address is correct. Please let me know also if there are other addresses which should be added (over time, several addressees have 'bounced back' and I have deleted them from the list.)
Dear Jane
You may recall that I wrote to the Lord Mayor in the New Year about the golf course fence. I wanted to re-express the concerns of local residents and request again for the proposal to be dropped, so that it is not hanging over us for another year. The letter was copied to the large e-group (including your office) and a number of endorsements and useful additions were made by group members.
The letter was sent on the 12th January, but we have received no response to date - after more than five weeks.
I sent the letter again, on 9 February, to the Lord Mayor's Dutton Park Ward address. To date again I have received no reply.
Another copy of the letter is attached. I would be grateful if you could ask the Lord Mayor's office if a reply is forthcoming, and if the Lord Mayor will meet with me or a group of local residents as requested.
I am particularly disappointed to have had no reply at all, because the letter was written with care, to review the apparent reasons for proposing a fence, and then to spell out the arguments that have been raised against each of these reasons. I was trying to get beyond the antagonism and sniping that has occurred over the past year, by suggesting a Win : Win situation for the BCC and local residents.
Regards, Peter
Link to P. Hunnam's 'Rebuttal'
Peter Hunnam
email: hunnam@bigpond.net.au
phone: 3371 6475
25 Nov 2003
Fence going ahead?
Although there probably will be more reliable advice in due course, I
>understand that today, Council has decided to build "the fence" ...
>apparently on the basis that few people objected ... a "fact" we might
>need to seek to have BCC confirm ...!
>
>So the discussion should now focus on a continuing publicity campaign
>showing how Council does NOT consult, at least it does no more that what
>we describe as DAD ... "Decide Announce Defend" ...!
>
>We also now need to begin to seek a means to ensure that IF "the fence" is
>built, it is NOT an eyesore as proposed in both BCC versions to date ...
>and IS installed where it is least visually detracting yet works to warn
>people from moving onto the 'at risk' areas of the golf course ... sorry,
>public park sometimes used for golf ... and IS accompanied by a proper
>landscape development of the areas where "the fence" is installed ... not
>just some token plants along "the fence" ...!
>
>I have considered for a while whether "we" might do some planting "for"
>Council ... to "our" plans to suit those who live where "the fence" will
>be an addition to their view!
>
>NOW is the time for anyone who has some ideas to put them forward ... so
>'"we" can negotiate the landscaping to "our" mutual benefit ... hopefully
>... otherwise we can justifiably claim that Council does NOT consult AND
>does NOT want to work WITH "the community" ... which might be a political
>issue in the New Year...!
>
>As I only had two emails in support of the idea, I decided NOT to try to
>contact Cr Hinchliffe...
>
>Michael Yeates
27 Oct 2003
De Fence
Dear all
It's the end of October and still NO FENCE !! Isn't it lovely to be able to enjoy the park-like landscape of Sandy Valley at this time of year, to stroll around or enjoy the view with no ugly steel and wire barrier.
However, the Council's proposal is still hanging over us. The Councillors involved seem to be deaf to the many reasonable arguments that have been raised by the local community. They seem unable to get beyond the idea of keeping non-golfers out of the park, even though this would require a high level fence, locked gates and policing in order to be effective. A partial fence along one boundary and with open gates would be futile. The intention of the Council is clear, even if it is done in two or three stages - prevent public access to the whole area of the Golf Course. We would be denied access to our local park area, and would have an ugly barricade to look through along the whole of the Indooroopilly Road, Hillside Terrace and riverside walking track boundaries. What a prospect!
Already, many residents have been intimidated by the language used by the Council, implying that the many individuals who walk or run around the course are "undesirable" trespassers wandering about with no knowledge of how the area is used by golfers. What nonsense; all local residents know the layout of the area and how to avoid the wayward hackers very well. A remarkable number have been doing so without mishap for 20 or more years!
The next steps in the process:
1. ANALYSIS OF SUBMISSIONS
The Council must analyse properly all the submissions they have received in response to their "flyer". They must properly consider and address each of the valid points raised over the past several months.
2. SHARE THE RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
The local community must be shown the results of this survey. Let us see the full list of arguments raised and the considered responses of Council.
3. "NO FENCE" PLACARDS - AT YOUR PLACE !
Show that you care about your green & pleasant local area and your right to walk across the golf course area - get those Placards created and stuck up in full view. There are some inspiring ones in place, but let's get MORE up each week that this drags on.
4. WE KEEP COUNTING
Please help Andrew out. It is VERY SIMPLE and takes NO EFFORT: each time you go across or around part of the golf course, note the number of people you see in the area, the date and time. The results are very useful and interesting, but YOU have to do the observing.
5. WE WRITE LETTERS
If the Council ignores the local residents' arguments and decides to simply repeat its simplistic line of being obliged to build a fence, residents should write letters to the Council, protesting about the pointless proposal, the lack of regard for residents' alternative suggestions, and the degradation of the Sandy Valley as public green space that is the direct result of this Council's management "policies". Copy your letters to the local media.
6. WE FORM A LOCAL COMMUNITY BUSHCARE AND CREEKCARE GROUP
We will say to the Council and golf course management that we want to make a positive contribution to maintaining our local green space. We will plant trees, improve the landscaping of the creek, restore the creek wetlands, remove weeds and litter. We will show that we POSITIVELY CARE for and USE our Sandy Valley for walking, jogging and enjoying nature.
So what are YOU going to do this week ?
COUNT PEOPLE IN THE AREA - SEND DATA TO ANDREW !!
GET THOSE PLACARDS UP !!
Bring it on !
Peter
22 Oct 2003
Friends of St Lucia Golf Course
Me again. Peter is still away.
Two Things:
Usage Data:
I am now even more nervous that there are very few of you helping me with this.
Only one person has sent me data since my last e-mail !
Again, convincing statistics come from plenty of data points.
Mr McDonald's view:
I've met Mr McDonald on the course twice now, he collared me during the weekend, wanting to express his opinion, and asking me to tell people his fears.
He lives in Indooroopilly & walks the course some weekends.
He asked me to explain that in his opinion fencing the course is the first step towards corporatising the course.
Here's how he thinks it will work:
In a year or so, once a fence is up, the number of resident users will be reduced, (because it will be a bit of a walk to the gates, so less residents will be inclined to walk onto the course)
A year later one-by-one a few gates will be locked, users will gradually reduce (again, because the distance to the access points/gates will have increased.
A year later all gates will be locked and the entire area will sealed off. (by then we residents will have all become quite accustomed to NOT using the course/park.)
So corporatising of the land becomes a painless exercise.
So by 2006 80 years of public open space is gone. He alleges (vehemently!) that this type of thing has happened in Queensland.
All for today.
We can only succeed in our goals with continued, energetic and enthusiastic support.
Andrew Hackworth
43 Hillside Tce
0405-330-346
19 Oct 2003
Friends,
In Peter Hunnam's absence, thought I'd send out a quick note.
"No Fence" Posters:
Only three houses that I could see, including mine. If you think it is inappropriate to put a Poster outside your home, then put one or two down on the fence posts, or on the margin of the course.
Unfortunately the rain this weekend has done damage to posters, I'll be replacing mine tomorrow, if the rain holds off.
Please let's put some more time into this most visible method of protest.
Petition:
Do not discourage anyone who still wants to put their signature onto the petition. It is good to keep a flow of them going to Jane Prentice and then into BCC.
Flyer Responses:
Again do not discourage anyone who wants to submit their view, it is still not too late. And a continuous flow of objection is helpful.
Usage Data:
I am nervous that there may be too few people doing anything on this.
So far I only know of 3 people collecting data, including me. I hope all you walkers & joggers are out there counting bodies.
I'm keeping an excel spreadsheet which consolidates data. Even if you have only a few observations, please forward them to me on a continuous basis. It allows me to keep a track on how much data we are collecting
Not many observations so far, I have to say.
Please remember, convincing statistics come from plenty of data points.
All for today.
Cheers. We can only succeed in our goals with continued, energetic and enthusiastic support.
Andrew Hackworth
43 Hillside Tce
0405-330-346
12 October 2003
What a great weekend it has been for walking around or even playing a round on our UN-FENCED golf course. I hope that many of you managed to find time out from creating eye-catching placards to enjoy a stroll.
If you did, you should have recorded yourself and your fellow walkers for our SURVEY OF USERS. Andrew has sent out his colourful briefing and wants us ALL to record every man and his dog as they enjoy the area. It is simple - note the Date, Time period, % of the course covered and Numbers of people seen. Count yourselves! Send data daily to Andrew. The results will be very useful for the offensive.
It is good to see that the UGLY BLACK FENCE POSTS on Indooroopilly Road have been re-adorned with their NO FENCE POSTERS. We should keep this up until the posts themselves have been removed and replaced with some modest bollards and native vegetation.
A number of effective FENCE OFFENSIVE PLACARDS are sprouting up around the neighbourhood. Keep an eye on the designs and try to make yours have even greater impact, originality and elegance. Remember Councillor Prentice is offering ASTONISHING PRIZES for the best placards. We will develop the criteria as we go!
It looked as though there were going to be at least a couple of hundred PETITION SIGNATURES reaching Jane Prentice's office on Friday. For our small group to have gathered such numbers from our local neighbourhood in just one week is a very clear indication of the widespread feeling against the proposal to fence the golf course and restrict the local community's access to their park. The petition, accompanying the responses to BCC's flyer, will get the message across clearly.
I received several more sheets of signatures late on Friday at my house, and I will deliver them to the Councillor's office on Monday. IT IS NOT TOO LATE ! If you have signatures, leave them at my house or in Jane's office when you can, and they will go into the pile.
Peter Hunnam
259 Lambert Road, Indooroopilly
email: hunnam@bigpond.net.au
phone: 3371 6475
mobile: 0407010512