Storms: a "Titanic" moment?

A false sense of security

The usual monthly Russell Island Association meeting on Saturday was not a happy one.
We were all smarting from the storms and particularly from the loss of power for four days but most of all from not knowing what was going on.

It was not supposed to be like this: the power outages of the past were supposed to have been fixed by the building of a substation on the island. 

Many people on Russell had a Titanic experience.

It wasn't just the smelly mounds of frozen meat and other food being taken to the dump or the trees being ripped up: it was not knowing what was going on.

Unlike the mainland where the radio stations were keeping householders reasonably informed about local problems, we had nothing or worse, misinformation about when and what services would come on line:

• Russell Island's only retail food store, closed suddenly when the blackout came in an effort to save the cold stock.  No generator backup and no explanations.
• Without power and no hand pumps, the only service station was closed too. Thus there was a wild rush to the mainland to pick up more fuel for generators.
• We soon ran through what ice was available from the local liquor store
• The Bowls Club remained open because it had by some miracle power on.  Those who knew were able to find refuge there and contributed to a giant cook out to keep people fed.  But many were in the dark and assumed that it, like most of the rest of the islands was shut down.  
• RSL Club, that was shut tight and was not online until a day after power was restored. Up until the power cut, it had been a rallying point with the big screen television giving news of what was happening in the wider world.
• It was next to impossible to find out when and where ferries might arrive so people could not plan shopping trips to the mainland--even if they could get there through the downed trees and powerlines.

On Macleay, it was nowhere near as bad because at least one of the foodstores had a generator and the Council was able to keep it running with a delivery of fuel. 

But the biggest problem was just not knowing. No disaster recovery centre had been set up for the island. No emergency routines had been put in place despite appeals for many years for some clear plans to be put in place. 

It would be easy to blame the victims here: every household should have had enough to see them through but we are not talking about a normal population here.  The population has doubled on Russell in the last ten years and seen an influx of urban dwellers rather than people used to the rigours of isolation that the older residents were prepared for. If you hadn't noticed it is almost impossible now to buy a phone that will work without being plugged in.  Smartphones died as batteries petered out. Even if you did get through to the electricity people you were given wildly optimistic times for power restorations.

And there are aspects that are only just coming to light: many of the newly installed and mandatory household sewerage plants require power to operate--how much damage has been done to them and consequently to the environment is not known. 

This was systemic failure.  We didn't hit an iceberg but we were victims of the same kind of thinking both from authorise and at a personal level.  When the Titanic went down, enquiries found the deficiencies and safety at sea was vastly improved.  Will we learn the same kind of lesson from this minor disaster or will it all be forgotten until the next time?

The only retail establishment open on Russell after the storm was the local bottleshop.

Islanders reject levy for Translink deal

The Southern Moreton Bay Islands is once more in uproar about a transport issue.  This time it is not so much about the proposed extension of Translink to cover the passenger ferry services to the islands but how the Council intends to pay for it--a yearly levy of $88 on every island block. The SMBI Forum was already campaigning for better transport and now has more reason to carry its message from the islanders to the Council in a deputation to the Council on Friday.  This is the uncut press release from the SMBI Forum--editor.

Councillor Mark Edwards: "This could be the thin end of the wedge

A packed meeting of the SMBI Forum on Tuesday  night strongly rejected Redland City Council's proposed $88 levy on ratepayers to pay for the extension of Translink to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands of Karragarra, Macleay, Lamb and Russell.

Trevor Hulbert, Chair of the SMBI Forum speaking at the meeting on Russell Island, said: “While we welcome the idea of the extension of Translink to the islands, we deplore the cynical cost-shifting exercise by the State and Council to pay for this much needed service.”

The SMBI Forum meeting was attended by delegates from 14 island-based organisations and over 50 Friends of the Forum and islanders deeply concerned about the proposal.

Member associations had canvassed their members and delegates reported on their concerns at the meeting.

Len Hurkmans, of Karragarra Island Ratepayers and Residents Association reported that some members thought it “criminal” to levy only island ratepayers, “especially when people who own land on the islands already pay exorbitant rates for services they don't use”. Overall, he said, members “do not support this proposal and prefer to continue as is with the current user-pays system”.

Dave Tardent of SMBI Museum echoed this sentiment: “It is difficult to work out whether as proposed it would actually benefit islanders to be in Translink.”

Michael Skopal of Bay Islands Conservation said many islanders do not use ferries and $88 is significant to them. Some feared that it could be a cynical move and that ferry costs would be raised again shortly after Translink was introduced. He concluded, “Few will benefit.”

Brian McComb of Macleay Island Lions said: “The consensus of members was that this was an unfair system that was proposed. The cost should be spread across all ratepayers not just islands.”

Col McInnes of Karragarra Yacht Club echoed the sentiment, saying that for his membership two points stood out. One was the unfairness of having to pay on vacant blocks of land, and secondly that the cost of current and future Translink extensions should be shared across the Redlands, not just the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

Tony Cotroneo of Bay Islands Community Services stated: “We started getting calls as soon as this was announced before Christmas. One person was concerned that they would not be able to transport their pets on the ferries any more.”

Stewart Sommerlad of Bay Islands Men's Shed said: “A fair proportion of our members are pensioners who do not travel frequently and would not get any benefit from the one free trip in 10. Many are renters and in spite of the fact that they wouldn't be impacted they felt there was a gross inequity. There wasn't any support for the proposed arrangement. “

Gail Garner of Macleay Island Arts Complex echoed his concern stating “The consensus was they didn't like the levy and thought it was unfair because pensioners were the hardest hit. “ She also noted that some people saw some benefit, including that islanders' families might be able to visit more often and children could travel to the swimming pool on Russell for free.

Susan Denne of Blue Care Community Care also raised concerns about the levy, saying: “Most of our clients are frail aged people and are not frequent users of the ferries. The $88 levy is a burden to them and they felt it is unfair and discriminatory that islanders should be asked to pay for it and not mainlanders.”

Gail Parsons of Karragarra Island Progress Association said members of the group quite liked the idea of Translink for no other reason that it was much easier to use your Go card than to find the money or a ticket, but the levy was considered unfair and discriminatory. She noted that people remembered in the past Redland Shire Council had tried to levy all the islanders $140 every rate notice for 25 years but that proposal failed due to approaches to the Ombudsman.

Dianne Little of the Russell Island Mosaic Group reported that the people she had spoken to agreed that to levy just the islanders is unfair, pointing out that “islanders probably use public transport proportionately less than mainlanders in the Redlands and for us to pay for it all is blatantly unfair”.

Father Jim Brown of the RC Holy Spirit Church said in a written submission that Redland City does not presently contribute to Translink system and therefore SMBI ratepayers would be subsidising mainland Translink users. All Redland City residents have access to Translink and all should contribute, not just SMBI residents. “If the levy was imposed on all rateable properties in the Redland area, all properties would only need to contribute $17 per year”. “SMBI being placed in Zone 13 is discriminatory against the residents as well” he stated.

Sam De la Warr, President of the Moreton Bay Combined Islands Association, indicated that over 60% of ratepayers were owners of vacant land and not ferry users.

Concerns were raised by people in the audience about whether in future dogs and fuel would be allowed on the ferries if they become part of Translink.

Mike Verry of Russell Island pointed out that the levy may be illegal under the Local Government Act.

A commuter speaking from the audience pointed out that the service may not deliver benefits even to those travelling to work. For example, she said, “Many commuters to the city will not get the benefit of any saving as they break their journey on the mainland and travel by car partway because it takes too long to go direct from Redland Bay.”

Another member of the audience pointed out that is cheaper to go by public transport from Bribie Island to the City than it will be under Translink to do the shorter distance from the SMBI.

Another audience member stated that most pensioners would not make enough trips in a year to offset the $88 levy.

During the meeting, Member of the Forum Secretariat, Nancy Olsson read out the results of a survey of a cross-section of Forum membership and the public. It found that 97% of respondents rejected the $88 levy as an inequitable way of funding the new Translink services. Half thought that the proposal would make things worse for the islands rather than better, especially due to the unfair burden it imposed on those who will benefit the least.

Councillor for Division 5 Mark Edwards said he believed that this could be “the thin edge of the wedge” for future levies for any new initiative by the Council.

Taking a keen interest in the meeting was Darryl Briskey, ALP candidate for the Federal seat of Bowman. He stated in a press release Wednesday: “A levy of this sort is just a tax on the elderly who don’t use the ferry services very often. It is just a tax on all land owners and some owners, both residents and absentee land owners may be forced to pay it three times or more. And it is a tax which all other residents of Redland City don’t have to pay so it should be withdrawn.”

Both Peter Dowling, MP for Redlands and Mayor Karen Williams had said in December that the Translink deal would bring many benefits to the islands. Forum members do not agree. On Friday, a deputation from the SMBI Forum and a quick reaction group formed by three island progress associations is meeting with the Mayor and Council officers to discuss the proposed levy and how this Council sees a sustainable transport infrastructure being developed for the islands.