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Toilet and Sheltered Bike Facilities Karragarra Island

Principal Petitioner: Tom Carpenter

Closing Date: 4:30pm, Tuesday 10 September 2024 

At 10 signatures, this petition will be considered properly made.

Petition Request: 

We, the residents of Karragarra Island, would like new toilet facilities opposite the ferry terminal where the old toilet block is now as well as a secure sheltered bike lockup where residents can leave their bicycles and escooters without fear of damage or theft. The old toilet block is sitting vacant and we believe that it is in prime position near the ferry terminal where it can be easily accessible by all. Thank you for your consideration.

Petition Outcome:

The petition was presented by Cr Shane Rendalls at the General Meeting held on Wednesday, 18 September 2024. The matter was defined as operational in nature and referred to the Chief Executive Officer for consideration.

Council investigated the petition request and provided a response to the Principal Petitioner on 10 October 2024 as follows:

Secure sheltered bicycle and e-mobility device storage

The Redlands Coast Transport Strategy, developed and released by Council in 2020, outlines how Council will plan transport moving forward. The Strategy includes several goals, two of which directly relate to the expansion of active travel, including e-bikes, e-scooters, and other personal mobility devices, collectively termed micro-mobility. These goals are:

  • A liveable, active, and prosperous city
  • A connected and accessible city

Both goals support the development of high-quality built environments that encourage active transport use by developing a network of complete and appealing active transport links with supporting facilities. The Strategy also supports the adoption of technology and alternative solutions, including micro-mobility.

Since micro-mobility was in its infancy five years ago, the Strategy did not specify what these supporting facilities should be. However, several relevant plans and strategies are currently in development to address this issue. The Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR), Queensland Government, is developing the e-Mobility Parking Plan, which focuses on providing micro-mobility parking at key transport nodes. Additionally, the Redlands Coast Active Transport Strategy is in development, and we encourage people to have their say on this document when it becomes available for public consultation later this year. This new strategy will replace the 2004 Redlands Cycling and Pedestrian Strategy, which was developed before the recent rise in the use of micro-mobility devices as a mode of transport.

Council supports the provision of suitable facilities for micro-mobility at key locations across the city, including ferry terminals. Implementing these facilities requires detailed feasibility studies for each location, coordination with the Queensland Government, and is dependent on future funding. Council also needs time to investigate relevant factors, such as appropriate siting requirements for the safe and secure storage of personal mobility devices with batteries. There is no current plan or budget allocation for Council to construct sheltered storage for bicycles, e-scooters, or other e-mobility devices.

Councillor Rendalls is establishing an Island Transport and Parking group. Please register your interest and share your concerns and potential solutions through this group. Council officers will provide advice where possible and forward any concerns to other agencies responsible for addressing these issues.

Existing decommissioned public toilet building

The decommissioned public toilet building opposite the Karragarra Island Jetty has been used by Council for storage, and a section has been leased to the Karragarra Yacht Club for storage for many years. The lease has now expired, and removal of the building is being facilitated by Council and other stakeholders.

  • Request for new public toilet facility
  • A new public toilet is not planned or feasible on the site of the existing brick storage building due to the following considerations.
  • The location does not enable sufficient area for effluent treatment and environmental management.
  • Karragarra Island ferry patronage does not justify a requirement for a new public toilet facility at this location.
  • Karragarra Island is only a 15-minute ferry journey from Redland Bay Marina, where public toilets are available.
  • The location is within a road corridor which prevents a new building approval.
  • Any new toilet would be a duplication to the existing public toilets on the island such as located at Karragarra Island Foreshore (130m) and Karragarra Island Community Park (670m).
  • Existing Karragarra Island public toilet facilities support flexible recreation and community use.
  • Redland City Council has a high public toilet provision when compared to similar local government areas requiring significant resources to renew, manage, maintain, and clean.

Council appreciates your interest in improving Karragarra Island and the city, however, the request for an additional public toilet and sheltered bicycle storage is not supported by Council. This response has been sent to you as the head petitioner, and it is your discretion to inform other petitioners of the outcome. We understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, however this is Council’s considered position following a thorough investigation of the matter. We have now concluded our review and consider the matter closed.

If you wish to pursue the matter further, you may consider lodging an Administrative Action Complaint. More information on this process can be found on the Council’s website. Council is committed to effective complaints management and has established a complaints process in line with the requirements of the Local Government Act 2009.

Thank you for your understanding and interest in Council’s parks and open spaces.