SMBI transport plan review now under way

Community feedback will be critical to the effectiveness of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands Integrated Transport Plan review, now under way.

The comprehensive review is part of Redland City Council’s commitment to addressing SMBI infrastructure issues, particularly those associated with transport between the mainland and Karragarra, Lamb, Macleay and Russell Islands.

Over the next 11 months, locals will be able to participate in community workshops and surveys, and have the chance to comment on the draft new ILTP later this year before it is presented to Council for consideration.

One of the key opportunities for community input will be a travel survey in the coming months involving those travelling between the islands and the mainland.

Redland City Mayor, Melva Hobson said an ILTP provided strategic direction for addressing local transport plans, within the framework of the South East Queensland Integrated Regional Transport Plan.

Cr Hobson said the review would build on past community input into other planning and community engagement processes, including the Place Project, SMBI Planning and Land Use Study (2002), the Redland Bay Centre and Foreshore Master Plan and the Redlands 2030 community planning process.

“We’re not starting from scratch. We’ve already brought together community feedback from those earlier activities,” she said.

“What we find out through the review will build on this previous information, helping provide a complete picture of travel patterns, population growth and infrastructure demand, which have changed since the last ILTP was put in place for the islands eight years ago.

“For the new ILTP to be effective, it will require engagement with relevant government bodies and transport operators to ensure a truly integrated approach is taken in addressing the long-standing transport issues for the islands.

“The ILTP review process has been structured to ensure extensive and meaningful engagement can take place with those agencies and operators, as well as with the SMBI communities, who I know will be ready and willing to contribute thoughts and ideas,” Cr Hobson said.

Running parallel to the review will be a social and economic assessment associated with island transport.