Retired engineer warns Woombye of potential town-wrecking rail overpass

A retired consulting engineer says he fears Woombye’s quaint village feel could be lost forever unless the town takes steps to ensure it doesn’t become the site for a major rail overpass funnelling cars between the coast and Blackall Range.

Woombye resident Ken Hudson said it was important the town voiced its opposition to any such plans via a submission to the Sunshine Coast Council’s Planning Scheme this month. 

Council has said residents could have their say on proposed planning directions at both a regional and local level before March 31. 

Mr Hudson said the community needed to get in early to ensure Woombye was crossed off the list of possible options for a potential bypass route. Such potential overpass options could be on Transport and Main Roads’ radar as current railway underpasses at Woombye, Palmwoods & Nambour were inefficient because of their height restrictions.

“If a bypass corridor is not planned for now and included into the town plan, Woombye could be chosen as the through-town for a rail overpass and it would die as a beautiful little village shopping precinct,” Mr Hudson said.

He said the Department of Transport might have already earmarked Woombye as a potential site for a much-needed railway overpass. This would attract heavier traffic loads straight through the centre of town.

“I understand that one possible TMR plan is to push a new route straight up from the Scout hut across the railway and cut almost up through Memorial Park and onto Blackall Street or into Woombye Streets,” he said. 

“That’s why I’m getting so upset about all this. It’s terrible. It would wreck the town.”

Mr Hudson predicted the issue would come to a head sooner rather than later now that Brisbane had won the 2034 Olympics bid. 

“The Olympics have brought forward the push for rail duplication,” he said. 

“If they do rail duplication they’ll put an overpass in and we have to make sure it doesn’t come through Woombye. And we need to be quick.”

WCBA shares concerns

Woombye Community & Business Association Vice President Grant Palethorpe said he shared Mr Hudson’s concerns.

“I’ve raised it at meetings and spoken with groups like the Light Horse, Woombye Snakes FC and the Scouts,” he said. “The concept of an overpass has been recognised in the current planning scheme.”

Indeed, in the Woombye Local Area plan the scheme refers to “the possible future provision of a grade separated crossing within the local plan area”.

 “The State would be responsible to deliver the overpass, however there is no time frame for duplication or a definite plan to determine the impact on Woombye,” said Mr Palethorpe.

“Uncertainty is heightened by talk of Fast Rail by Federal MP Ted O’Brien. It would be difficult for Council to forward-plan when there is so much up in the air.”

He said an overpass would run counter to Council’s looming Blackall Street streetscape project which was focused on slowing traffic and creating a safe pedestrian-friendly main street. 

“The degree of residential development in Woombye and Palmwoods continues, yet roads haven’t improved. It would be helpful if Council shared with the community the different options it has available. It's important for the community to engage early, we don't want a repeat of the issues we encountered with rail stabling. Further investigation is warranted, especially if more hinterland traffic is to be directed through Woombye.”

Mr Palethorpe said he recognised that rail duplication and overpasses were State decisions outside the scope of Council’s Planning Scheme. “However if we get some submissions under the Planning Scheme it isn’t a bad thing.”

How you can have your say:

View Council’s land use planning directions and provide your feedback at Council’s “Have Your Say” Page www.haveyoursay.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au by Thursday, March 31.