In his Letter to the Editor published in the Scenic News of 20 July, Richard Lysnar strongly criticised the now- infamous Alpine Terrace handrail. There is no doubt I share this reaction with many others. However, when he then calls for more curbing and channelling plus streetlights, we are very definitely on different tracks. These are not simple matters.

To avoid confusion in my comments, I will use ‘kerbing’ rather than ‘curbing’. The former is the preferred spelling in Australia. 
Firstly, some downsides of ‘kerbing and channelling’:
a) We need every drop of water we can add to the aquifers. To collect it in channels and conduct it elsewhere can only be counterproductive.
b) Where would the water be disposed of? Surely not just by being dumped over the edge onto someone‘s property. Dams don’t work. The ground is too permeable.
c) We depend almost entirely on natural drainage. On our far from flat plateau, a comprehensive built system would be impossibly expensive. 
d) The plateau and upper escarpment depend for their attractiveness to residents and tourists on the carefully managed semi-rural ambience. This would be degraded by endless kerbing and channelling urbanisation.
e) The essential tree cover could be put at risk by reduced replenishment of the upper aquifers.
f) There are locations on the plateau suffering from inadequate drainage and these should not be ignored. Such risks should be identified before subdivisions are lightly approved. I wonder about the Gallery Walk car park.
As for the upsides for more kerbing and channelling other than correction of previous poor planning:
a) ?
Now for the downsides of more streetlighting:
a) Again, we are faced with a plateau which is far from flat. Someone’s streetlight can be obtrusively shining through someone else’s window. 
b) The behaviour of insects, birds, mammals and (I suspect) reptiles can be seriously affected by changes in lighting in the environments. As a locality which is valued for sustaining its environment, we have a responsibility not to impose such impacts.
c) a report from an American city found additional crime
when streets previously dark were lit. Potential sinners were less obvious walking down a lit street than moving around in the dark.
As for the upsides:
Do pedestrians or traffic really have a need for more street lighting sufficient to compensate for the potential damage to our environment?
Finally, Richard Lysnar justifies his proposals as a need for progress. The topography places restraints on further development of our already highly developed locality.
There have to be restraints if unacceptable impacts are to be avoided. Surely, identifying and responding to these restraints is the necessary form of progress.
Phil Giffard
 
ALARMING LACK OF CONCERN AT LOCAL BUILDING SITE WORKS
SITE AT 1-11 EAGLES RETREAT PL, TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN
I am wondering if there is a fit-for-purpose traffic management plan for this site. None appears to exist.
There is very little attention to the control or elimination of traffic risks in the neighbourhood of this site on an ongoing basis.
The building site is obviously a commercial-size development, with massive activity at times.
The sheer size and volume of construction traffic at times is huge. The number of tradie vehicles parked in the street is growing. There are no footpaths, no off-street parking evident for any employees, tradies or suppliers.
Vehicle traffic control is not employed on a permanent basis.
There is deep excavation and the front gates are not monitored nor locked at all during the site operation hours – anyone, that’s anyone – can walk into this deep excavation site.
Someone is going to be seriously injured, be it site personnel, delivery driver, construction vehicle driver, neighbours and mountain visitors.
Some points in summary:
·      There is no off-street parking, the street is narrow and congested
·      There is zero provision for pedestrian foot traffic, visitors, neighbours, site personnel
·      Delivery vehicles of building materials, plant and equipment are unloaded in the surrounding streets
·      Heavy equipment is unloaded and driven on the street
·      Heavy excavators, heavy mobile cranes, concrete pump cranes and agitators weekly and daily arrive and go away, using this narrow congested hazard
·      Low loaders with heavy equipment have been reversed from Cliff Way into Witherby Crescent, machines and materials then travel down to site
·      Semi-trailers have been parked and unloaded in Witherby Crescent and items or goods driven down to the site
·      Semi-trailers have been parked at the front of the site blocking the road, to be unloaded by mobile crane, without vehicle management
·      Because of the access problems on and around the site, vehicles as large as 100 tonne capacity mobile cranes are recently appearing here on daily hire!
·      I am also concerned that some heavy vehicles visiting the site are clearly that old, they labour up and down the steep road.
·      Some excavation equipment is so huge it is brought in on low loader semi-trailers and parked in Witherby Crescent to unload. The equipment is then driven down on the road to the site.
This type of hazardous behaviour would not be acceptable in a Main Street of Brisbane or Main Street of Beaudesert.
Robert Brown
Tamborine Mtn