Letter to Department of Infrastructure and Planning from Kalinga Wooloowin
Residents Group following a 2:15hr meeting on 10 August, 2009:
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Anthony, Hi.

Thank you for meeting with the Kalinga Wooloowin Residents Group.  A lot
was covered in this 135 minute meeting.

In the meeting it was made clear to us the Department of Infrastructure and
Planning and the Coordinator General are aware the proposed Wooloowin 
worksite is:

    1. Being Rushed. 
    2. Not Appropriate.


1. Being Rushed.
    
In light of (1) the Wooloowin community requests an immediate extension to
period for the Coordinator General's ruling on the "Wooloowin Worksite
Modification Request for Project Change" - we suggest an extension of at
least one month in the initial instance.  There are a number of clear
reasons for this extension, least of which is simple due process, but which
also include allowing for proper community consultation and clarification
on a number of significant irregularities in the proposal.  There are a
large number of unanswered questions.  We have grave concerns the answers
to these unanswered questions, were they be answered prior to the ruling, 
would clearly support a "No" to the proposed worksite.  

By the words of the Department of Infrastructure and Planning representing
the Coordinator General the proposed Wooloowin worksite is being rushed.
We urge you to do the right thing - and not rush.

We were given an indication the decision is roughly a couple of weeks away.
It was also made clear to us there is significant pressure from some parties
to have a decision soon.  We would suggest some of these parties are the 
same very ones who have created this situation with prior decisions such as
choosing to locate the tunnel outside the Reference Corridor without
adequate geotechnical analysis or time and cost mitigation strategies.
In addition to wanting clear explanation as to why these prior decisions
occurred, we wish to prevent the same situation from occurring again with
the proposed Wooloowin worksite - we urge you not to rush.  

It is being rushed.

END 1

2. Not Appropriate

In light of (2) the Wooloowin community requests a "No" ruling to the
proposed Wooloowin worksite.  The worksite is simply not appropriate.
The site would be placed in the middle of a thriving, residential community.
Had the community itself entered a fixed price, fixed time contract then
we might understand the proposal, however the original successful tenderer
created this situation for themselves.  It is an exceedingly unenviable
situation, but entirely avoidable.  The community is already shouldering
a large burden for the Airport Link.  As we write this letter, at 5am in
the morning, we are being pounded by truck braking to the existing sites.
To have this, and the very people who created this situation, take over 
the heart of our community is just "Not Appropriate". 

We urge you to to seek alternative proposals within the bounds of existing
worksites and to say "No" to the proposed Wooloowin worksite.

It is not appropriate.

END 2

In the meeting it was made clear to us the Department of Infrastructure
and Planning understood BrisConnections,

    . Did know; or
    . Ought of known

the ground conditions for tunnelling would be slow going.

We understand this creates an unfortunate and unenviable position for the
Department of Infrastructure and Planning who in addition to having to
manage this situation also have to focus on a forward looking solution.

We suggest there are many innovative ways forward from here.  We believe
the Department of Infrastructure and Planning and the Coordinator General
should inform the public the project will run overtime - this is the
honest thing to do.  The BrisConnections and TJH track record in this 
space combined with events to date leads to the conclusion there is no way 
this project will complete on time.  We ask as Wooloowin residents, and as
voters of this elected Government, that you openly inform the public the
Airport Link will not be delivered on time and possibly even cost.

    "Airport Link will go over time"

It's ok, the public will get over it.  The honesty will be refreshing.

This then sets the platform for innovative ways forward.  It will also
allow for a recalibration of the current public private partnership.

Enough is Enough - Act on behalf of our communities, not private corporations.

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