IN NEED OF DESPERATE ‘SAVING’; NOT JUST MAINTENANCE!
Jock Kennedy Park on Russell Island is gradually slipping away.
The park took a pounding on Christmas Eve when blasted by a ’twister’ that uprooted and smashed trees, and spreading a mess all over the place.
Next door to the park, the art cottage of artist and ‘everyman’ Bob Turner was badly hit.
The roof of the cottage was lifted off in the unbelievable event and deposited about 20 metres away.
Since then, Bob Turner has completed a new roof on his famous art cottage.
Not so the rest of the park.
There is still debris just about everywhere, despite some work being done by council crews.
Apparently the ‘ran out of time’ and had to stop work half way through the job, never to return.
Well not yet, anyway!
Bob Turner, as the nearest neighbour and a man of considerable ‘imagination’, has come up with some wonderful concepts for the park involving the moving of the swimming enclosure to the park foreshore; a raised walkway to run along the foreshore and then turn inland towards the island’s sports ovals and hopeful future Botanical Gardens.
Despite some promises from Redland City Council that this ‘might happen’ with promises made to outgoing Division 5 Councillor Mark Edwards, it now seems the opposite is the case.
Apart from some clean-up work that has now stopped, there seem little will be done in the foreseeable future.
Mark Edwards says it seems council’s interest on improving the park has ‘waned’ now that his term as a councillor is coming to an end.
Council recently released the following statement to The Friendly Bay Islander: “A Council spokesperson said: “Parks and Conservation officers recently completed some maintenance work with painting of the existing shelters at Jock Kennedy Park on Russell Island.
“More maintenance/replacement works at the park may be required, but are yet to be determined, following the damaging effects of storms over the Christmas period.
“Although there have been general conversations previously regarding the possible relocation of the swimming enclosure adjacent to the Russell Island Barge Ramp, there are no plans at present. Jock Kennedy Park is not an option, due to environmental constraints” the statement concluded.
Bob Turner has monitored the changes to Jock Kennedy Park diligently over the years.
He says more than 15 metres of park has already been ‘lost’ to water erosion caused by local boat movements.
He also pointed to a council WARNING sign that warns passing boats of the co-axial cable that links the islands.
The sign is completely covered by foliage and cannot be seen by anyone.
“Something needs to be done at the park, rather than just a clean-up,” Bob Turner says.
“Efforts should be made the get back the land that was lost due to erosion with the erection of an embankment that will reclaim the lost foreshore.”
Bob Turner says he ‘won’t hold his breath on it happening’.
• The hidden sign
