[Greens-Media] Qld Greens media release: Greens Candidate for Clayfield strives to protect,Diggers’ Drive from Airport Link tunnel onslaught

[Qld Greens Media]

*Greens Candidate for Clayfield strives to protect
Diggers’ Drive from Airport Link tunnel onslaught*

At 10.30am today, The Greens candidate for Clayfield, Justin Wells, 
inspected Kalinga Park Memorial Drive accompanied by Honorary Convenor 
of The Shire of Toombul History Group, Mr Peter Collins.

The First World War-era Memorial Drive, gazetted in 2003 as ‘Diggers’ 
Drive’, is threatened by the Airport Link initiative, a massive road 
tunnel proposed to tear up parts of Kalinga Park over the next decade.

Mr Wells, a former member of the Australian Army Reserve and an avid 
military history buff, was appalled when told that the tunnel’s 
construction phase threatened to destroy or materially impact the 
sanctity of this 82-year-old, national war memorial and much-loved 
tree-lined boulevard.

“The wanton destruction of Brisbane’s communities is about to commence 
with the mooted North-South Bypass Tunnel, despite my petitions to 
Liberal-lead Brisbane City Council and the Beattie Labor State 
Government,” Mr Wells said.

“With their Airport Link, both sides of politics again are demonstrating 
utter disdain for the local community, but now it’s obvious that it’s 
also politically expedient to bury our national heritage in order that 
more cars can traverse our neighbourhoods.”

Mr Collins said he had heard no assurances from ALP incumbent for 
Clayfield, Liddy Clark MP, nor Liberal candidate, Councillor Tim 
Nicholls, that the intrinsic values and sanctity of Diggers’ Drive would 
be respected and quarantined from the impact of any work related to the 
planned Airport Link project.

“The silence of other candidates on the issue of Diggers’ Drive 
long-term future means voters of Clayfield look set to be kept in the 
dark right up until the bulldozers and chainsaws arrive,” Mr Collins said.

“No dinky-di Australian with an ounce of respect for the servicemen and 
women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defence of this nation 
could stand idly by and watch Brisbane’s Anzac Square be demolished to 
build a bus lane, so why is Diggers’ Drive not worth fighting to preserve?”

For more than four years Mr Wells has lobbied all levels of government 
to redress the lack of planning for effective public transport, and has 
spearheaded the campaign to stop the Liberal’s TransApex vision of 
increased car dependency across Brisbane.
With petrol prices skyrocketing and bus rage a symptom of a failing 
transit system, Mr Wells is dismayed that his advocacy continues to be 
ignored by the Beattie Labor Government and City Hall. He is campaigning 
in Clayfield on the local issues of transport and inappropriate 
development. These matters implicate both the Labor and Liberal 
candidates in careless and complacent leadership on behalf of their 
constituents.
If elected on September 9, Mr Wells has committed to defend not only 
Diggers’ Drive, but also all the communities affected by the proposed 
tunnel freeway.

**
*Background:*

On May 31, 1924, with the words “we hope that the scheme for identifying 
the trees with the names of deceased soldiers who enlisted in the 
Division may be successfully carried out, and in this hope, I declare 
the Diggers’ Drive to be open”, Diggers’ Drive was officially opened by 
Queensland Governor, Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Matthew Nathan.

The hand-made, 1,200-metre long roadway was built by returned servicemen 
who had originally enlisted in the First AIF from the suburbs that 
border Kalinga Park, in honour of their fallen mates from the local area.



For more information on Diggers’ Drive, please go to 
www.diggersdrive.org <http://www.diggersdrive.org>

**
*Contact:* Justin Wells, The Greens’ Candidate for Clayfield, phone 
(0423) 119-660.

-- 
www.qld.greens.org.au

State election Spokesperson. Juanita Wheeler 0402 487 110

Queensland Greens media spokespeople.

Climate Change and Indigenous. Drew Hutton 0428 487 110
Human Rights and Environment. Juanita Wheeler 0402 487 110
Transport and Planning. Greg George 0424 725 719

Queensland Greens campaign coordinator.
Ian Gittus 0422 542 370

Office 3846 0862
fax 3844 4654

www.qld.greens.org.au