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Waste
Water
The Redland Shire is planning to install a small sewerage
plant in the future (following a study into the best
options carried-out in May 2002), but in the meantime
septic tanks and trench systems have to be installed
during construction to treat household waste water.
Soil tests are carried out prior to building and building
approval to determine the length of trenches needed
and to consider the options available regarding waste
water treatment.
Police
Station
The first police station officially opened in June 2008
on Russell Island.
ROADS
& TRANSPORT
A Transport Plan was released for comment by the Redland
Shire in May 2002. A car costs about $95 return on the
barge ($65 for locals) and the waterbus costs $12 return
($10 if you buy in bulk). The Redland Shire has recently
approached the State Government for a large increase
in funding to improve the roads on Russell Island.
Roads
The Redland Shire Council is continuously upgrading
the roads on the island, which are a mixture of the
original roads tracks from years past, to graded dirt/sand
roads, gravel roads, bitumen sealed with some having
kerb and channelling, and in some areas there are concrete
roads. Some areas are also having bike paths built.
To get around the island you can drive your own vehicle;
take a local bus or taxi.
BRIDGE
John Burns the councillor for Russell Island has again
floated the idea of a bridge in the local press. There
is a local lobby group which is pro-bridge and very
active. At present the Queensland Government's position
is that it will not be built. However the ferries will
have trouble coping with population growth to a capacity
of 13,500 and car parks are already overflowing. The
locals at Redland Bay are not happy about the prospect
of huge high-rise car parks being planned to be constructed
on the foreshore.
A
bridge in the long term seems to be the only sensible
option to solve the car parking problems, vehicle access,
access for construction (material cartage), sewage and
power. We are expecting Local Government announcements
regarding bridge options in the next couple of years.
If a bridge is built, land prices may well escalate
to come into line with mainland prices, as developer
demand increases with easy access to cheap bay side
land.
New
Barge into the south end of Russell Island
There has been a lot of talk in the media over the last
few weeks about a new service. To the South end of the
island the distance could be as little as 1.5k instead
of 12km. Discussions with the Council, State Government
and ferry operators is progressing.
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