Calls for permanent Safe Crossing as Jimboomba trial ends

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The Jimboomba Safe Crossing Trial, a community project championed by Cr Scott Bannan, will close soon to allow construction to begin on the next stage of the widening of Mt Lindesay Highway.

Logan City Council’s Economic Development Chair, Deputy Mayor Jon Raven, said the Safe Crossing Trial, a priority project from the 2019 Jimboomba Summit, had helped re-connect the Jimboomba community.

“Keeping this community connected and safe is an important part of Council’s $2 million upgrade of the Jimboomba Town Centre,” Councillor Raven said.

“The local Councillor has gone above and beyond on this one to deliver an amazing temporary outcome, I just hope we can see a permanent solution as part of the highway upgrade.”

Cr Bannan said while it was disappointing that the trial had to end to allow the highway to be widened, high patronage of the temporary crossing over the last 12 months proved that a permanent safe crossing is needed.

“The local community really embraced the Safe Crossing Trial under Mount Lindesay Highway, which was made a priority project based on feedback from the Jimboomba Summit,” Cr Bannan said.

“There have been some days where more than 200 people have used the crossing and our statistics show the busiest times are weekday mornings and mid-afternoons, which is mostly schoolkids whose parents knew they could get across the highway safely.”

Cr Scott Bannan at the Safe Crossing with mural artists Paul Turnbull and Jay Christensen

Cr Scott Bannan at the Safe Crossing with mural artists Paul Turnbull and Jay Christensen

The Safe Crossing underpass, which utilised the former Beaudesert railway line, became even more popular last July when the walls of the rail tunnel were painted with murals featuring Jimboomba’s iconic kangaroos.

“The Safe Crossing went from a hidden secret to a bit of a tourist attraction,” Cr Bannan said.

The Safe Crossing will close to the public from 5pm on Monday, February 28. Access walkways at both ends will be dismantled.

Those who need to cross Mount Lindesay Highway after that date are strongly encouraged to use the signalised crossing at South Street.

The Department of Transport and Mains Road has announced construction will start soon for the widening of the highway between Johanna and South streets.

For more information on the TMR project, telephone 1800 290 568, email mountlindesay@tmr.qld.gov.au or go to their website

Beenleigh Town Centre receives a new streetscape upgrade

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One of Logan’s oldest city centres has been given a new lease of life thanks to a rejuvenating and revitalising upgrade by Logan City Council.

The works are part of the $5 million Beenleigh Implementation Plan, which has delivered on key outcomes from the Council-hosted 2017 Beenleigh Summit.

The upgrade includes streetscaping improvements, new garden beds and trees, creative lighting and custom-designed directional signs.

It also includes urban artworks featuring designs of local artists.

They include award-winning Mary Barron, Kyra Mancktelow, Madhu Khanna and June Hintz.

The artists’ colourful designs, some featuring indigenous themes, have been painted on laneways, footpaths and traffic calming devices. They were also integrated into new shade discs on John Lane and City Road.

It is also hoped that new wider footpaths will encourage local businesses to take advantage of Council’s footpath dining incentive fund.

Economic Development Chair, Deputy Mayor Jon Raven, said Council had worked closely with the local community and businesses to ensure the city centre was more accessible and vibrant.

“This investment in Beenleigh will help unlock the enormous economic potential of this area,” Councillor Raven said.

“We want the Town Square and nearby streets to be inviting for day and night activities, encouraging more people to visit, shop and work in Beenleigh.”

The urban art complements, and is an extension of, the new innovative art-inspired shade solution in Beenleigh Town Square.

Shade is created by 457 circular aluminium discs that feature laser-cut designs from Madhu and June. The artwork becomes a colourful light show at night.

The artworks also sit well with the eye-catching giant wall murals on the recently opened multi-storey development The York, which overlooks the Town Square.

Other upgrade works completed across the Beenleigh city centre include a large electronic screen in the Town Square, the installation of free-wi-fi and the first stage of a new smart parking trial which provides real-time updates on the availability of parking bays on key streets.

Division 12 Councillor Karen Murphy said completion of the upgrade was the start of an exciting new era for Beenleigh.

“Beenleigh is open for business, and I look forward to local residents and visitors flocking to the area to support the retailers and enjoy all the new facilities and amenities,” Cr Murphy said.

Some of the upgrades were co-funded from the Queensland Government’s Unite and Recover Funding program, which aims to help kickstart the local economy after the setbacks of the pandemic in the last two years.

The Member for Macalister, Melissa McMahon MP, said the local community can be proud of Beenleigh’s new look.

“Beenleigh is buzzing again, and I encourage everyone to visit and enjoy our new-look city centre and support our local businesses,” Ms McMahon said.

City of Logan Mayor calls for new health investment

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City of Logan Mayor Darren Power today called on the Queensland Government to work with the private health sector to help ease the burden on Logan Hospital and state health services.

Speaking at a public hearing at Queensland’s Parliament House, Cr Power said options such as subcontracting Queensland Health services to private industry would benefit Logan residents and help attract medical and health investment to the city.

Cr Power said the trial of a similar model in Brisbane’s north was working well and the time was right to implement something similar in Logan to help ease high demand for health care in the city.

“Council has proactively researched the demand for health services in Logan, and private-public partnerships is the best solution to filling current and future gaps in service delivery,” Cr Power said.

“This could be done through private health developments or real estate investment trusts building private health facilities that Queensland Health could potentially lease.

“Another option is subcontracting elective surgery to the private sector.

“Facilities such as day surgeries are currently being developed in Logan, and our proposed arrangements could potentially draw more investment.

“With our population booming and demand on health services increasing, these are practical measures that will create beds, reduce waiting times and provide better access to health care. Without private-public partnerships, the gaps in health care services will get worse.”

Queensland Health’s Metro North region has rolled out the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) hospital project while, the new Mater Health Services project in Springfield will deliver a 174-bed hospital to the satellite city.

With the private health industry already poised to invest heavily in Logan, Cr Power said now is the perfect opportunity to develop private-public partnerships in our region.

More than 30,000 square metres of private health, medical and related services are expected to be delivered across the city in the short to medium-term.

This includes new clinics for specialist services now under construction in Council’s dedicated health and well-being precinct across the road from Logan Hospital in Meadowbrook.

Logan Hospital at Meadowbrook

“The Government simply can’t afford to ignore the opportunities private-public partnerships present for improving health care for our region,” Cr Power said.

“Our success in attracting this health and medical investment did not happen by accident.

“Logan City Council has been proactive in investigating the health sector in Logan, and our economic development team has used this research to approach industry and bring in investment.”

The public hearing was held as part of the Health and Environment Committee’s Inquiry into the provision of primary, allied and private health care, aged care and NDIS care services and its impact on the Queensland public health system.