U/C» Hale Street Link (Road Bridge)

[KJBrissy]

I know I'm biased but this can only be good news. We may see more effective public consultation occur. This could help council realise that most of the people who support this bridge are biased toward car travel, or are uneducated in the effects this bridge will bring to traffic south of the CBD.

Hale Street Bridge under cloud
Tony Moore | April 9, 2007

Brisbane City Council has until the end of this week to reply to questions from the Queensland Ombudsman about the proposed $210 million Hale Street Bridge from Coronation Drive to South Brisbane.

Community group, the Stop the Hale Street Bridge Alliance, referred Brisbane City Council's handling of the proposal to the Queensland Ombudsman in late February.

Among their concerns were the use of Campbell Newman's Lord Mayoral office to solicit "pro-bridge" submissions in 2006 during a non-binding, community consultation phase from engineering companies who subsequently entered "expressions of interest" in building the bridge.

On February 1, Brisbane City Council announced two private sector expressions had been received; one of the John Holland Group, and a second from the Hale Street Link Alliance which includes Bouyges Construction, Macmahon Holdings, Seymour Whyte Holdings and Hyder Consulting.

More than 9000 public submissions were received overall, including some from as far west as Perth in a controversial "straw poll", narrowly won by those in favour of the bridge proposal to South Brisbane.

The Stop the Hale Street Bridge Alliance believes this issue should have disqualified at least one firm from being able to lodge an expression of interest in the project.

Spokesman David Bratchford said he had been told Brisbane City Council had been asked to reply by April 13th and was keen for answers to their questions.

"Surely encouraging a firm to help manipulate a Brisbane City Council public process and then giving it an even money chance of landing a lucrative $200 million-plus Brisbane City Council contract is unacceptable in Brisbane," he said.

"We're relying on the Ombudsman to see it that way."

The Queensland Ombudsman has confirmed that it is investigating the issue, but declined to comment further.

Brisbane City Council also declined to answer specific questions, but provided this reply late last week.

"The Ombudsman has written to Council confirming that he has received a complaint about the Hale Street Link," the statement read.

"Unfortunately, Council is not able to make any comment (at this stage) due to the confidentiality requirements of section 92 of the Ombudsman Act 2001."

Brisbane City Council expects to announce the winning tender for the Hale Street Bridge in June and has recently started test drillings.

Rulings by the Queensland Ombudsman are not binding, however most local authorities and state government departments have in the past have accepted their rulings.

[Locke]

Well I'm a supporter of the bridge so I want them to just build it already.

In any case this won't affect the bridge being built.

I don't think I've ever driven through Brisbane and thought 'man, I just got too many river crossing options here'

Besides, these anti guys are just a bunch of nimby's. No 'anti' people will ever get my support.

[a200]

I would like to see the whole project scrapped altogether.

[SoulVision]

Looks like there are some hurdles to jump over... Personally, I'm so sick of seeing infrastructure dragging the chain like this! Just build it already! Its only a bridge for christ sake!

[KJBrissy]

Great news. Let's hope this is canned forever! There is no point in building infrastructure if it is just going to INCREASE the very thing it is trying to reduce!