By Sheree Hoddinett
The construction of a footpath seems like a reasonably straightforward task. But as Caboolture resident Cedric Crump has uncovered, it’s become quite a mission, resulting in a petition to be presented to council to try and get the job done. Mr Crump is seeking support for a footpath to be built along Beachmere Road, between Bribie Island Road and Ann Maree Drive, a stretch of road which is frequented by locals and also bus users making their way towards nearby businesses.
Through his petition, Mr Crump is requesting the City of Moreton Bay Council construct a well-lit footpath along the western side of Beachmere Road. The petition is asking the council to build less than 500 metres of footpath, which Mr Crump believes is well within the expenditure capabilities of our council. His reasons include the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, safety of motorists and access to a better bus service.
Mr Crump, who has been a local resident for the last five years, believes the whole area is in need of improvements, with the footpath just one small section needing attention.
“I’m one of many local residents who likes to get out and walk the dog,” Mr Crump said. “This is a road that I walk regularly because it’s a decent distance for my dog and myself, but you'll see a lot of people cycling down there or walking or even school kids trying to get to and from school.
“The state government has funded a complete upgrade of Beachmere Road at a cost of more than $20 million dollars. However, the section of roadway north of Jocelyn Street (a stretch of less than two kilometres), which is probably the busiest as it includes many houses bordering Beachmere Road and an industrial estate, has been completely overlooked by the Department of Transport and Main Roads planners. The state government has failed to include a critical section of Beachmere Road in the upgrade which would probably have included a footpath.”
Not everyone has access to their own vehicle and may even rely on public transport to get around. There is also those who live off Beachmere Road who may want to walk or cycle their way down to the businesses just a kilometre away from Ann Maree Drive. A footpath would enable people to safely make their way to these businesses, which include a chemist.
“There is a lot of people that catch the bus (652 route) to access the shops and industrial area on the other side of Bribie Island Road, both for work and personal reasons,” Mr Crump said. “I noticed there is quite a lot of people that get off at the bus stop at Ann Maree Drive and have to walk along Beachmere Road, a distance of more than 1100 metres, with no footpath the majority of the way. They are forced to walk along a grassed area right next to the road with large trees situated close to the edge of the road on the western side as well, forcing pedestrians even closer to moving traffic.”
One of the biggest factors that comes into play is safety, not just for those who risk the walk, but also other road users, who may not be aware of the situation.
“I have been told by other residents there has been several traffic accidents along this stretch. I walk down this road a fair bit and I've been nearly clipped a couple of times,” Mr Crump said. “There are times when I walk the dog at night, with a torch of course and you really are taking your life into your own hands going that way, but it doesn’t need to be like this!”
For Mr Crump to proceed with his petition he has had to take up the old-fashioned route with paper and pen, one he is more than happy to do.
“There is actually no electronic petition option through our local council,” Mr Crump said. “You can only do an electronic petition through state and federal government. So far, we have managed to obtain more than 150 signatures, which is making it harder as we are now in an electronic age where manual petitions should be a thing of the past. However, I’m prepared to do the leg work on this one to get an outcome.”
To sign the petition you only need to include your name, address and signature. Mr Crump is also more than happy for signed petitions to be placed in his letterbox or posted to him at 59 Ann Maree Drive, Caboolture 4510. If you would like to know more, you can also reach him via email riccrump@gmail.com
The City of Moreton Bay Council was contacted in regard to this issue and provided the following response:
“There are no current projects for a footpath to be constructed along this length of Beachmere Road,” a council spokesperson said. “However, council does have this section of road listed for consideration for a new footpath in future years as part of council’s Missing Links Pathway Program.
“The Missing Links Pathway Program is currently filled up to and including the 2026/27 financial year with projects that are considered a higher priority based on their community benefit.
“Footpaths throughout the entire City of Moreton Bay Council area are prioritised using criteria such as population density, links to schools, links to public transport and links to local amenities such as shopping precincts.”
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