The February 2008 CLG South meeting was substantially different to previous meetings. This session was dominated by discussion instead of presentations.

The meeting started with the usual introductions for new attendees (all WBTNI related) and a review of outstanding items from the previous meeting. There was little to discuss. It was noted that the Ministers related to the project were John Mickel, Warren Pitt and Paul Lucas.

A quick review of where we are at followed. Basically the WBTNI is in the "Defining the challenges" phase of the project through till the end of March. The full list of the phases and their dates can be found on the last page of the second WBTNI Newsletter. The next phase, the "Scenario" phase, is the stage which generally provokes the most community concern. It will run from April through June and will present options, how they fit, how they rank and their associated impact. It is important that the community voices its concerns and raises issues at all points through the investigation, even though the Scenario phase is likely to generate the most response.

The Assessment Framework was the focus of this CLG meeting. The Assessment Framework is how the WBTNI will judge scenarios and options in order to rank and compare them. Some criteria in the Assessment framework will be able to provide hard numbers for comparison, like cost and traffic volumes, others will be speculative, like lifestyle impacts and land use changes. The WBTNI provides more information in the online publication about the Assessment Framework.

The CLG members were split into groups to individually propose assessment criteria for the framework, and then discuss the ideas within the group and refine or expand them. Feedback from this CLG process, and from the community, will be used to cross reference and enhance the current assessment framework.

An important part of the assessment is the determination of the "base case". The base case is essentially a minimal investment scenario that can be used to compare other scenarios performance. It is essentially the SEQIPP plus a low 2.7% expenditure on public transport until 2026. There is also a publication on the base case for more information.

The base case contains some interesting information from its early findings. Specifically, on the second page it states "The trip demand between the Ipswich region and the Pine Rivers and Caboolture Shires would remain relatively low in the future". It also states that there will be a very large increase in demand for CBD trips (ie., trips starting or ending in the CBD).

Finally, the WBTNI is soliciting feedback from the community to help with the assessment framework. It is possible to fill in their online survey, or, by request, a paper version can be obtained. The WBBAG also has a small number of paper surveys and more can be obtained if the demand is high. We would encourage people to use the online survey if possible. The questions on the survey are aimed at determining the communities requirements in terms of assessment criteria for the WBTNI Assessment Framework.

For anyone wishing to meet the WBTNI and discuss their concerns or find more information they have a number of public displays and information sessions at public venues and libraries. You can find the details on the last page of the second newsletter. The most significant of which is the information day at the Toowong Bowls Club on March 1st, 10am - 2pm. And don't forget the Kenmore Chamber of Commerce Breakfast with the WBTNI on the 21st of February.

If you would like more information or have any queries, please contact us with your concerns.