Wednesday 11th June - Page 1

Blame game erupts over fallen fig tree



Report & Photo: Rob Lockyear

Brisbane City councillors are playing hot potato over the Chinese Banyan Fig tree that crashed onto a playground in New Farm park last week.

Labor leader Shayne Sutton placed blame firmly in the Liberal camp after the Lord Mayor's two-month closure of the park to investigate the trees failed to prevent the incident.

But the ruling Liberals say the problems should have been fixed when Labor ran the parks.

Cr Sutton attacked Lord Mayor Campbell Newman for not getting modern technology to assess the health of trees.

"When the Lord Mayor reopened New Farm Park he said it was safe. Now a giant fig has crushed the public shelter at the New Farm Park playgrounds just 15 minutes after people were seen using it," Cr Sutton said.

Gabba councillor Helen Abrahams quizzed Environment and Parks chair Cr Peter Matic at last week's council meeting about whether he had done everything in his power to ensure the park was safe.

But Cr Matic said investigations into the New Farm trees took place when Cr Abrahams was herself chair.

"The problem actually went back to before February when she was the chair and it was her responsibility to deal with it. She should ask herself the same question," Cr Matic said.

Cr Matic said the collapse of the tree resulted from a combination of a root-rotting Phellinus Noxious pathogen and last week's heavy rain.

He said trees in the playground and along the river would be re-examined immediately.

"Until the trees in the playground have been tested, it is in the best interest of the public that the playground remains closed," Cr Matic said.

New Farm resident Peter Crowther, who had come to see the fallen tree with his daughter, said he was stunned by the incident.

"This is such a big surprise because it was such a strong-looking root system. The leaves were falling off a lot but I thought that must have been the drought," Mr Crowther said.

He said many other parents who used the park were concerned that other trees could fall over.

"If it's dangerous you don't want your children playing in there," he said.

Park benches and swings will remain empty until testing is complete

Additional photo not published

Wednesday 11th June - Page 3

Is the earth moving for you?



The Empire .... shaking all over?

Report & Photo: Rob Lockyear

Fortitude Valley residents shouldn't get too excited if the earth moves for them in coming weeks. They can expect rumbling for the next few months as the $2.2 billion North-South bypass tunnel crawls its way towards the Brisbane River.

But if the noise is too disruptive, they may be able to be relocated.

Local councillor and former deputy mayor David Hinchliffe said the tunnel would soon pass under some of the Valley's key icons including the Jubilee Hotel, Brunswick St Station, McWhirters and the Empire Hotel.

Cr Hinchliffe said vibrations from the tunnelling could affect some buildings along the route.

"I'm told by experts associated with the tunnel that people on ground floors of some buildings are likely to hear the sounds of tunnelling for the several days that the tunnel is being worked on under their building," he said.

North-South bypass tunnel contractors LBB JV community relations manager Michelle Holden confirmed the tunnelling was about to reach the Valley.

"The first tunnel boring machine (TBM) is currently close to the Jubilee Hotel, with the second machine a couple of weeks behind," she said.

Ms Holden said residents on other tunnelling projects had experienced noise and vibrations for a period of three to four days while the 4000-tonne TBMs passed.

Noise levels were difficult to predict but alternative accommodation would be made available for those badly affected, she said.

"If a resident experiences sleep disturbance then temporary relocation of the occupants while the tunnel construction progresses past their residence is offered," Ms Holden said.

Cr Hinchliffe said anyone seeking information about possible compensation issues or more details about the tunnelling work should contact the project team on 3837 5075.

Wednesday 11th June - Page 4

Zombie outing not a walk in park for some

Story and photo: Rob Lockyear

A young woman was rushed to hospital with a suspected broken neck after a crowd-surfing incident went wrong at this year's Brisbane Zombie Walk.

The 19-year-old was knocked to the ground at the walk's finishing point at Centenary Place in Fortitude Valley by a man dressed as a zombie chef.

Event organiser Cara Westworth said it was the last in a string of incidents - including zombies spitting and smearing fake blood onto shop windows, and harassing people not involved with the walk - that marred the otherwise successful event.

"It goes without saying that the walk needed people to use their common sense in order to make the day enjoyable for everyone, and it's sad to see that there were a few people intent on causing as much trouble as possible," Ms Westworth said.

Ms Westworth said the failure of a police escort to turn up contributed to the problems.

"I believe many of these incidents could have been avoided if we had the police guiding the walk along its route," Ms Westworth said.

A police spokesperson said that before the start of the walk a police officer contacted Ms Westworth to confirm the number of participants and their intentions. Operational police from the city were then redeployed to higher priority matters.

One police officer took up a position on the route but had to attended to aperson who had collapsed. He later rejoined the walk.

"While following the procession the officer did not observe any criminal activity and monitored the behaviour of the participants along this section of the route," the spokesperson said.

The injured woman was released from hospital without permanent injury.

Brisbane Zombie Walk 08