RESIDENTS in Cleveland say a once-popular local park has become a mosquito-ridden swamp, with ongoing drainage issues leaving the space unusable for nearly four years.
Chris Orpin, speaking on behalf of residents from Wynyard Street Garden Village, used a public submission to Redland City Council to call for urgent action on what she described as a long-running and unresolved problem.
MS Orpin said water overflow believed to be coming from a Telstra pit at the Wynyard Street entrance had created persistent drainage issues throughout the parkland between Wynyard Street and Coburg Street East.
“This has effectively created a swamp-like environment throughout the length of the park,” she told councillors.
Despite repeated complaints through council channels, emails to departments and communication with a local councillor, Ms Orpin said no solution had been delivered.
“While these complaints have been acknowledged, and we have been advised that investigations have occurred or are ongoing, no solution has yet been proposed or implemented,” she said.
Residents say the park was previously well maintained and served as a daily meeting place for up to 20 people, but is now unusable due to stagnant water, mosquitoes, midges and cane toads.
“As a result, our social group has dispersed to other locations, contributing to increased isolation and a loss of regular social interaction,” Ms Orpin said.
She also raised concerns about health risks, revealing two dogs had contracted giardiasis — a parasitic infection linked to contaminated water — with one requiring four days of hospitalisation.
Pedestrian access has also been impacted, with a drainage system beneath a key pathway no longer functioning properly, leaving stagnant water pooled in the area.
Maintenance crews have struggled to keep up, with boggy ground preventing mowing in parts of the park.
“Nearly four years is far too long for this issue to remain unresolved,” Ms Orpin said.
Residents have now submitted a petition to council, calling for a timely and effective fix so the community can once again safely use the park.
