Blog

Progress on the Moreton Bay Rail Link continues with apparent break neck speed with installation of rail infrastructure (ballast, sleepers, steel rail, overhead gantries and wires) underway between Petrie and the Bruce Highway.

Mango Hill Boulevard East above Bonnet Parade will be temporarily closed from Wed March 18 until late April. This closure is required to construct the new road surface from Mango Hill Boulevard East on to the new bridge over the rail line.

Intermittent early morning concrete pours at Mango Hill and Mango Hill East stations will continue until late this month during construction of the station platforms. Concrete trucks arrive on site between 4:00am and 6:30am. Pedestrian overpasses have been installed at Mango Hill and Mango Hill East stations. Roofing over the rail platforms has also been provided. Permanent rail corridor fencing is now being installed in the Mango Hill station precinct, work is now well advanced on the Capestone Boulevard bridge over the rail corridor and the Saltwater Creek rail bridge is all but completed.

Residents who attended the February meeting of the Mango Hill Progress Association were provided with a very informative update of both the overall Rail Project and particularly the Koala Conservation program for which the Moreton Bay Rail Link Project is receiving well deserved credit from the environmental community.

At the meeting, Koala Project Manager, Karen Mooney gave an amazing presentation on the many challenges facing the Koala along the line as well as the process of recording the separate “colonies” of the koala population numbers from Kippa-Ring to Petrie. (Sadly only 15 could be found in the general Mango Hill community.)

Karen indicated that whilst a significant number of Koalas have fallen to wild dogs in the past two years, big steps have been taken to reduce that problem. In addition many Koalas are now being saved through a break-through in medical treatment for chlamydia and there is a growing healthy population in both Kippa-Ring and Petrie areas. Karen and her team appear to have gone to amazing efforts to ensure that our furry friends have the best chance of survival.

Following questions raised at the Progress meeting, Cindy Thomas (Senior Communications Advisor to Moreton Bay Rail Project) advised that: “In regards to the lock up bike facilities, the project will be installing approximately 20 bike parking rails, each parking rail accommodates the securing of two bikes. The bike parking rails will be located in different areas of each station precinct. Petrie Station will have 10 parking rails installed accommodating 20 bikes.”

The official opening of the Mango Hill Market Place was held last Saturday March 14 and it appeared to be a great success.

By 11am there was barely a spare parking place available. Even the lower level park under Coles, which rarely gets above half capacity, was full.

There was a jumping castle, face painting, displays, free raffles, hot food, live entertainment, reptiles and more.

It’s been more than three months since Coffee Club, Hogs Breath Café and Coles first opened their doors to customers at the new Mango Hill Market Place on the corner of Halpine Drive and Anzac Avenue.

Since then, new businesses have been slowly moving into the precinct. There are now 14 businesses operating from the ground floor tenancies with only 4 sites left.

A particular favourite for the kids (and many adults) was the animal display by Geckoes Wildlife.

Children of all ages crowded around the tables to get a closer look. A Bearded Dragon, Blue Tongue Lizard, Frilled Neck Lizard and a Shingleback Lizard patiently allowed the kids to touch and stroke their scaly skins. Snakes, turtles, birds, a wombat and even a crocodile were also on hand.

On 12th March, Federal Minister Malcolm Turnbull visited the new “greenfield” site of Capestone (Mango Hill) to promote the roll out of the NBN and listen to views of residents from around the Federal electorate of Petrie.

Mango Hill Village residents Mitch Mayes and Laurence Christie attended to represent the views of Mango Hill residents, many of whom do not have landline ADSL or have very low speeds. Our mission: to seek a timetable for households in existing (brownfield) areas to get the NBN.

In a press release from the Office of Federal Member, Luke Howarth, Minister Turnbull stated:

“Homes and businesses in Mango Hill and North Lakes are a step closer to getting the National Broadband Network, with build to commence on the network by June 2016. This is the certainty local households and businesses have been waiting for,” Mr Howarth said. “I am pleased that after months of discussion and phone calls to Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, I can say for sure that superfast broadband is a step closer for locals. NBN Co’s national rollout plan to June 2016 includes 1,530 households in Mango Hill and North Lakes.”

In an email to Malcolm Turnbull’s Office, the Progress Association has sought clarification on where those 1530 households are situated and has requested we be kept updated on more definite details of the roll out of the NBN. Our Federal Member is well aware that it remains one of the highest priority issues for this Association and our community, for both social and business needs.