When Redland City News asked locals – ‘What would be on your 2024 Wishlist to improve your community,’ they wasted no time in sharing a list of worthy and interesting recommendations. Some of the suggestions included improved collaboration between the three government levels, reduced high-rise construction (in some areas), enhanced street lighting and signage, as well as the introduction of a road roundabout.
Community leader Suzie Tafolo said she would like council and residents to forge a strong working relationship and: “We need to have a collaborative and effective council, with strong leadership. With so many big, major projects coming up, such as the Olympics – it’s what we need to make it happen.”
John Baker of Cleveland said he would love to see better cycling infrastructure for people who enjoy riding their bikes in the area. He said there are a lot of missing links on pathways and bikeways which force riders to migrate onto the road. “I would also to see more and improved signage on pathways and cycleways in 2024 as well.
Although we have a lot of water bubblers in parks, I think that more public water bottle filling stations in not just parks would be a great addition to the area. I also think there should be more high-rise unit blocks around train stations to make commuting to work easier for people.”
Road safety was also on the mind for Redlands resident Craig Ellis.
“A lot of people speed on Cleveland’s main roads and not only is this dangerous for residents, but we have birds on the footpaths with babies who end up getting run over,” he said.
My wife and I also used to ride a bit around the area but there were always areas where you needed to ride on the road, so it would be nice if there were more bike tracks. I know there are currently a few around, but I think there could be more for not only something new but road safety.
Local businessman Adrian Readley, wants to see increased contact between government authorities.
“There needs to be more collaboration and working together between the three levels of government,” he said.
For Merlene Vidler of Cleveland, her Wishlist for 2024 was straight forward: “I would love to see fewer units in the Redlands going into 2024,” she said.
“I look around my neighbourhood and they’ve managed to put two homes on a small single block of land. I think it isn’t very reasonable and is ruining our community’s greenery look. I now must have the lights on during the daytime because these new units have stopped the light and breeze coming in which is not ideal during the current heat.” Additionally, she said she is starting to get concerned about youth crime around the Redlands and believes it needs to be managed more across the area.
Redland resident Jenny Loynd urged improvement in road safety, however she focused on the creation of more footpaths and streetlighting:
“So you don’t have to worry about the risk of getting killed when you are walking your dog.
There also needs to be some way to slow down the traffic. We need some roundabouts on busy Cleveland roads or even just some bends in the road to stop speeding,” she said.
“You expect people to be going down roads at 50km, but you have people going over 60km which becomes horrendous when you are walking with no footpaths. Cleveland is also very short of parking for the increased number of people living here and the traffic down here is worse than ever.”
Your voice matters, and your vision is invaluable, whether it’s suggestions on enhancing local infrastructure, fostering a stronger sense of belonging, or implementing initiatives for sustainable living.
Email your views to: editor@redlandbaysidenews.com.au
