Alexandra Parade Conceptual Streetscape Plan
SCRC Council's preferred option (as at August 2011) for the stretch of Alexandra Parade from Pacific Terrace to Mari Street was presented to our AGM in July 2011. It was a 'Draft Working Proposal' that SCRC are using for negotiation with the Department of Transport & Main Roads, whose preferred option on their roadway is currently the Coast Connect proposals issued earlier in 2011. Note that Council is not proposing any bus advantage lanes.
June 2012 - this plan has been recently updated and we will bring you the latest link asap. Concerns that we have expressed on behalf of the community include reduction of speed through central Alex, concern re loss of possible on street parking, concern re loss of view with median plantings to be kept below view lines.
Cr Chris Thompson will present the latest version of this plan to the AGM of the Alexandra Headland Community Association on Sunday August 18th.
De Maining Alexandra Parade Update
Our community petition to the State Government to demain Alexandra Parade was presented by Fiona Simpson MP in Parliament on November 29th 2011. Disappointingly this proposal was rejected by the Government and on 19th December 2011 the Minister for Main Roads and Transport Craig Wallace wrote advising that as a result of a meeting with Sunshine Coast Regional Council in July 2011 it does not intend to proceed with the request to demain Alexandra Parade. "The department is committed to working with Council to ensure the future efficiency of Alexandra Parade as a key link in the state-controlled road network"
Seems like Alex is caught between two bureacracies! As a follow up to this, representatives from the Community Association met in February 2012 with the Local Main Roads and Transport office, along with Fiona Simpson MP and Cr Chris Thompson to discuss speed reduction and streetscaping proposals along this road. They promised to work with Councils streetscaping proposal in a timely manner, and agreed to further study of road use and speed.
The Community Association then presented the de-maining petition to Council in March, and whilst we are awaiting a formal response, members of the Roads & Traffic Committee have met with the Senior traffic engineer, and are not hopeful of a positive outcome.
Campaigning for Alex Pde de-main
Carly Rees | Sunshine Coast Daily | 16th February 2012
THE Alexandra Headland Community Association won't take no for an answer for Alexandra Pde de-maining and has launched a campaign to "disconnect from CoastConnect".
In December the association was devastated when its petition to put the road under Sunshine Coast Council control was rejected by the Dept of Transport and Main Roads.
Cr Chris Thompson said the department would only consider de-maining if it included Aerodrome Rd so the council agreed not to proceeded with the request.
Roads, Traffic & Transport Issues
A recurring concern from residents and business owners who have joined the community association is the issue of roads and traffic in Alexandra Headland. Much community interest was generated by the No Six Lanes action group who fought the 2008-09 proposal to turn the beachfront road from four lanes to six lanes, essentially to make it a major bus route. Whilst the immediate pressure has been reduced, a proposal for bus advantage lanes still remains. Among the issues of concern that have been raised are:
- Demaining Alexandra Parade (to give Council responsibility for the road)
- Impact of Maroochy CBD Developments
- Access to Motorway North
- Public Transport
- Cycling Lanes
- Pedestrian Safety
- Bus Schedules and Routes
Roads Traffic & Transport Sub-Committee
Committee Members
Stuart Miles (Chair) - Co-ordinating with the following community members who have indicated interest: Andrew Murray, Tony Spinks, Peter Benkendorff, Lauren Dunemann,
Current Plans of Sub-Committee
Control of Alexandra Parade: The Association has initiated two petitions. Firstly with the support of Fiona Simpson M.P. we have petitioned the State Government to request the demaining of Alexandra Parade, and secondly to the Council to ask them to consider negotiating to take ownership of this road. We understand there are many difficult and expensive issues involved, but for five years, all concept plans for development of our town heart have been thwarted by Main Roads. It is time something was achieved. Help us send a message to the State Government that we want something done by signing the e-petition to demain Alexandra Parade.
Proposals of Coast Connect for bus advantage lanes at intersections need to be confined to the four lanes - not six. We need to ensure that community interests are continued to be represented, especially on the use of Alexandra Parade as a major bus service route to proposed new terminal at Aerodrome Road.
Reports Being Considered
1. SCRC Transport and Streetscaping Proposal for Alexandra Headland
We are unable to provide you with a direct link to the current Council plans, as they are still a DRAFT WORKING PROPOSAL. We have been advised that Councils preferred option for the stretch of Alexandra Parade from Pacific Terrace to Mari Street is currently the Coast Connect proposals below. However the draft Council plan presented to a Community Meeting in March 2011 did not include six lanes at lights to provide for bus advantage (a principle that still remains part of the State Government proposal) Since the beginning of the year, the concept of some pedestrian friendly improvements to the heart of Alex has been attracting interest with stories in the newspaper. A general meeting of the Alexandra Headland Community Association approved the concept plans of Council in March 2011 but the plan presented did not include a sixth lane for bus advantage queues at lights. It essentially proposed a changed traffic route through the surf club car parks extending to a signalized interestion at Mari Street. We will bring you the Council document as soon as it is released.
2. Qld Govt Coast Connect Proposals
The final concept Design and Impact Management Plan was released in June 2011. Staged construction is not expected to take place until 2014. Whilst it has many options for sustainable travel on the spine from Caloundra to Maroochydore, it still deems Alex an important transit corridor, at the risk of not valuing the centre of our village. See the map on http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/search-results.aspx?query=Coast+Connect
Chapter 20 of this plan outlines the following stages for Section 6 - Alexandra Headland. Also on this link, see clearer drawings of the concept designs (below) which are proposed by Coast Connect for Alexandra Parade.
The Alexandra Parade intersection improvements are identified as a lower order priority.
But this section of the project would include the following works:
- Bus queue bypass lanes either side of Buderim Avenue, Pacific Terrace and Okinja Road, and on the the south-bound side of the Mari Street intersection to give buses priority.
- cycle lanes between Venning Street and Sixth Avenue
- upgraded bus stops along Alexandra Parade
- signalisation of Mari St and Alexandra Parade intersection
- potential reconfiguration of Alex Surf Club car park
- potential replacement parking at Boolarong Crescent and near Seabreeze caravan park
2. Council Reports - including Open SPACE STRATEGY
Information and Feedback
Alexandra Parade - did you know?
The Department of Main Roads is the authority with control of this road - not the Council.
It is the Only Beachfront Road in Queensland with a four lane highway on the beachfront!
It is also the only beachfront road in S-E Qld with a 60kph speed limit!
Our goal is to make a pedestrian friendly area in the centre of our village where people visit the beach.
With the help of Sunshine Coast Libraries, we have compiled a photographic record of the development of Alexandra Parade.
In our history section we all have copies of some newspaper scans from the 1980's when the proposal to change Alexandra Parade to 4 lanes was similarly controversial.
Recent history of Alexandra Parade: In 2007 Council established a Community Task Force and put forward a concept plan to the Department of Main Roads for street scaping and improved pedestrian permeability. This proposal was rejected and Main Roads then suggested that demaining was the only way the community would get a favourable outcome.
Members of the Community Task Force included Steve Harrison,......
In 2008, when Maroochy Boulevard opened, pressure on Alexandra Parade and Pacific Terrace (as exits from Maroochydore) eased consideraly.
But in 2008 following the Coast Connect six lane proposal, a community group called “No Six Lanes” was established (see more) and it called for the demaining of Alexandra Parade.
As a result of the “No Six Lanes” protests, in 2009 Coast Connect established a Community Reference group for further discussion of local issues related to the planning and project design process. Alexandra Headland had seven representatives on this committee (out of 15) including Tony Spinks, John Fancourt, Nev Paterson, Josie Ryan, Gillian Bennett, Steve Harrison and Ken Hindmarsh. Whilst Coast Connect planning team withdrew the plans for six lanes, no Alex representatives on this committee agreed with the final outcomes recommended by Coast Connect (bus advantage lanes at lights intersections in Alex) and focused on having Alex considered as a beach destination in itself, not a traffic or transport feeder for Mraoochydore CBD.
In October 2009 Council passed a motion to establish a working group to develop concept plans to improve the urban design and amenity of the Alexandra Headland area. These plans were released in 2011 as a working document but they still need the approval of Department of Transport and Main Roads as the road authority. Fiona Simpson M.P recently enquired on our behalf and was advised on June 21 that Council has supplied the concept plans to the Department of Transport for approval and are awaiting a response to this submission.
In 2011 – the Alexandra Headland Community Association established both a paper petition and an e-petition to request the demaining of Alexandra Parade, as we believe the Main Roads Department does not consider the best interests of Alexandra Headland residents, but simply sees the road as a thoroughfare. As developments proceed there will be a need for active community involvement to ensure the best outcomes for our village and beach.
No Six Lanes
The No Six Lanes (No 6 Lanes) was a very effective project that mobilized the residents and all who use Alexandra Parade. It began in 2008, initiated by Tony Spinks - and here are some links and stories that you may find interesting on the history of this campaign.
LNP government will not six lane Aerodrome Road and Alexandra Parade
September 08: Beach Strip could become six lanes
March 2009: No six-lane road for Alex under LNP