I ride through Moorhen Flats along Kingfisher Creek every day of the week. I go this way because of the forest, its quiet beauty and because there are some favourite birds that I see there every day. There is a particular magpie lark who always gives me a song as I enter the flats. It knows me so well it barely gets out of my way. My partner goes to a bone clinic on the other side of the creek. We are local, living on the edge of Coorparoo. I never have any problem passing pedestrians; as rule people are very courteous. People tend to go through there in small groups: mums pushing prams, dad’s taking kids through on bikes, partners just walking together with their dogs.
The forest provides refuge for humans and other creatures from the nearby semi-industrial area along the Deshon. Fifty (50) years ago I used to drive a taxi picked up from nearby Lotus Street headquarters of Yellow Cabs. After a 13 hour-shift, exhausted, it would’ve been nice to have been able to walk through the park and forest after work.
I never ride along the Deshon. Shopkeepers along the Deshon say that there are a lot of near miss crashes there. I have heard them myself. Plus it gets messy for a bike rider when you arrive at Logan Road because there are three lanes and a four-way intersection only a few hundred metres up the road going into Balaclava Street.
That is not to say that Moorhen flats does not have a reputation. As with most parks in secluded areas homeless people have been driven there by the cruel state of Australian public housing. I suspect too there are many varied liaisons in that forest. Whenever it is dark, I merely turn on the lights on the bike. In the past 10 years I can’t remember a time when I have had a near miss. Mind you, I do think that the existing path could be renovated. I recommend ‘deco’ rather than concrete because concrete moves and causes unwelcome cracks when tree roots grow.
Kids sometimes fish at the other end, near the bridge which has recently been upgraded (a good thing). The local wildlife group has been planting lots of trees along the pathway which is a bit tired and a bit lumpy. I see no reason to create another pathway thereby cutting a swathe through the forest. This is a flood plain after all. Much of the good work of the local bushcare group would probably be lost in the mayhem of constructing the wider bikeway envisaged in the plan below. There are just some places which are better off left alone.
An especial thanks to Jonathan Sriranganathan for bringing this to our attention through his regular Facebook updates. Jonno is running for mayor next year and he has the endorsement of Workers BushTelegraph, for what it is worth. Part of the reason are excellent videos he sends out to residents about projects that affect us all.
Ian Curr
8 September 2023
References
https://www.facebook.com/jonno.sri/videos/322530316903308
I have included the Kingfisher Creek corridor draft plan if people wish to put in their own comment or give feedback to the BCC.