28 November 2012

Umbagong Stones. Stay or go? [With poll]

| johnboy
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stones

Territory and Municipal Services are looking for public feedback on the stepping stones over Ginninderra Creek:

“The stepping stones have provided local residents with a means to cross Ginninderra Creek since 1993 when Umbagong District Park opened,” Mr Gill said. “A footbridge is also available further up the river near a playground and barbeque area for people to cross.

“Unfortunately during significant wet weather events the crossing becomes flooded and is not safe to use the stepping stones. Some residents have also raised concerns around the general accessibility of the stepping stones. On the other hand, other residents are very fond of them and want them to remain.”

Mr Gill said Roads ACT has met with residents and interested stakeholders on a number of occasions over the past year to discuss the stepping stones.

“In response to feedback from the community, Roads ACT has commissioned an independent consultant to assess the safety of the existing stepping stone crossing and recommend future options.

“These options include erecting improved warning signage on the approaches to the stepping stones, removing the stepping stones, constructing a low level crossing, constructing a bridge, or making no change to the current arrangements.

Umbagong Stones

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They are STEPPING STONES FFS. Use them or don’t.

Surely they could make an episode of Yes Minister out of this.

wildturkeycanoe said :

If they were to do something to prevent people from hurting themselves such as handrails, then all our pretty water parks will have to be retrofit with ugly safety devices. Look at the one in John Knight Memorial park, Lake Ginninderra, it has kids climbing all over the rocks with much more risk of falling. How about the jetties around Gungahlin, LBG and Tuggeranong? Should they all be fenced tp prevent people accessing the water in case they fall in? What about all the ponds and water quality catchments?
If they start on this example, where do they end it all?
Darn fun police!

Pretty much exactly what I said in my response on the website. John Knight Park has a large pond with three or four times the number of stepping stones – will they need to go next? Or be replaced with a bridge?

I reckon my son’s just old enough now to be able to navigate these stones – I’d better make sure I take him there to experience them before it’s too late.

I hope everyone replying here or voting takes the few minutes to go to http://timetotalk.act.gov.au/community-engagements/?engagement=stepping-stone-crossing-in-umbagong-district-park and has their say. Currently, the RA vote is 166 for keeping them, 7 against – it’d be a crying shame if apathy led to the responses direct to the government being reversed.

There’s a bridge not far away.

And no-one in their right mind would use the stones when the creek is in flood.

To be fair the bridge is about 600m away. Much more tempting to hop across a dozen or so stones than spend 15 minutes walking around.

As I understood it, the main complaint was that they were not 100% accessible by some handicapped people, and particularly when the creek was flooded.

There’s a bridge not far away.
.

As opposed to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far_(film)

Nothing wrong with them. We used to ride our bikes over them when I was along younger

Keep them, but put a non-slip surface on them, add a hand rail, and paint them yellow. And put an electric conveyer belt contraption right next to them so that disabled people can enjoy too.

Mike Bessenger8:42 am 29 Nov 12

wildturkeycanoe said :

How about they fix the bike path on the Molonglo opposite ADFA first so we can have back our 80 zone

Despite the 60 signs, most of Canberra still think it’s an 80 zone.
If the police sat there for a couple of days they would make the revenue to fix the bike track and some.

wildturkeycanoe5:40 am 29 Nov 12

How about they fix the bike path on the Molonglo opposite ADFA first so we can have back our 80 zone, before scooting around the suburbs looking for other problems to fix?
If they were to do something to prevent people from hurting themselves such as handrails, then all our pretty water parks will have to be retrofit with ugly safety devices. Look at the one in John Knight Memorial park, Lake Ginninderra, it has kids climbing all over the rocks with much more risk of falling. How about the jetties around Gungahlin, LBG and Tuggeranong? Should they all be fenced tp prevent people accessing the water in case they fall in? What about all the ponds and water quality catchments?
If they start on this example, where do they end it all?
Darn fun police!

As I understood it, the main complaint was that they were not 100% accessible by some handicapped people, and particularly when the creek was flooded.

A ford seems to be a solution, accessible by all and sundry, and equally inaccessible when it floods.

If they do remove the stones, I do trust that the government will restore the creek crossing with the natural stones that were there prior to the 1990s. (I presume they kept them).

Personally I like the stones, they provide a wonderful playground for kids as they explore the murky waters of Ginninderra Ck.

Pork Hunt said :

poetix said :

Gondola

Venetian or cable car?

Back when i was barely a teen we used an upturned car roof and long branch to transverse Mill Creek in Fyshwick/Bundah not all this gondola nonsense 🙂

Pork Hunt said :

They could sing “I’ve been everywhere man” song but change all the names to “Canberra”

Nah, that only works for the Farrelly Brothers: “I’ve been to Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong, Woolongong

and Dapto.”

poetix said :

Pork Hunt said :

poetix said :

Gondola

Venetian or cable car?

I was thinking of specially trained gondoliers, all wearing Like Canberra T-shirts, singing merry pro-Canberra songs as they transport happy fellow Canberrans in their fleet of little boats all marked with the hilarious slogan ‘We Like Canberra Too…And We’re Only Boats!’

But funiculars are equally funtastic, and they have been in the air recently…

They could sing “I’ve been everywhere man” song but change all the names to “Canberra”

Pork Hunt said :

poetix said :

Gondola

Venetian or cable car?

I was thinking of specially trained gondoliers, all wearing Like Canberra T-shirts, singing merry pro-Canberra songs as they transport happy fellow Canberrans in their fleet of little boats all marked with the hilarious slogan ‘We Like Canberra Too…And We’re Only Boats!’

But funiculars are equally funtastic, and they have been in the air recently…

Chop71 said :

That muddy pond seriously needs an environmental impact statement done on it.

It should be made mandatory to have one done before we have damaging rains.

poetix said :

Gondola

Venetian or cable car?

Poll doesn’t include the option of finally building the bridge planned in 1966 to link Dalley Cres to Florey Drive. Then the stones could be removed and both cars and pedestrians could cross the creek safely in all weather.

That muddy pond seriously needs an environmental impact statement done on it.

Send in the Greenpeace Grannies of Latham

thy_dungeonman said :

Well it doesn’t seem like someone in a wheelchair or who isn’t able to take long strides due to age or infirmity can use them.

Such people tend not to use slippery dips or monkey bars either.

thy_dungeonman1:26 pm 28 Nov 12

niftydog said :

I’d love to know what the “concerns around the general accessibility of the stepping stones” are. Anyone got any clue what the issue is?

Well it doesn’t seem like someone in a wheelchair or who isn’t able to take long strides due to age or infirmity can use them.

Lived in Latham for 25 years and in that time had never heard of any issues with people breaking bones, slipping off them, or other general misfortune dealing with these stones. When the creek is in flood there is no way on God’s good earth you would attempt to cross there- it rises high and rapidly. What ever happened to common sense?

Annoyingly, the survey does not include the option to “(erect) improved warning signage on the approaches to the stepping stones” as mentioned in the media release.

Um, Tony, wouldn’t a low level crossing also be unusable “during significant wet weather events”???

I’d love to know what the “concerns around the general accessibility of the stepping stones” are. Anyone got any clue what the issue is?

Roads ACT worried about idiot-proofing stepping stones in a creek in a park? That get wet when it rains?

Either April Fools’ is late this year, or way early for next year.

Consider my belief beggared.

“Some residents have also raised concerns around the general accessibility of the stepping stones.”

We have to idiot proof everything. Everything, I tell ya!

Chop71 said :

monorail

Bicycles.

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