Bridge ruins home | Ipswich News | Local News in Ipswich

Jason Wright shows how the council bridge points directly into his backyard. Photo Ruth Keber

WHEN a 30 metre footbridge was lowered in Jindalee in February, dozens of residents looked on ‘oohing’ and ‘ahhing’ and taking photos of what was considered a momentous occasion.

Little did they know the private pain of Jason Wright, who, as the bridge was lowered to its final resting place, saw his home lose value, lose privacy, and lose front street access to Kooringal Drive.

Mr Wright bought his corner block home in 2002, with the front entrance of the house and mailbox facing 58 Kooringal Drive.

But with the new Brisbane City Council bridge in place, he now has no access to his front entrance from Kooringal Drive and has been forced to move his mailbox to Mankinna Street.

“Visitors can no longer park in Kooringal Drive so our front door is now our back door,” he said.

Mr Wright was hoping Brisbane City Council would help compensate the costs of making his back door into a front entranceway, but instead they have offered him landscaping and trees to block the views of the bridge and a new path, gate and stairs so visitors who park on Mankinna Street can still enter his house from Kooringal Drive.

“Parts of Mr Wright’s property were illegally built on public land and council has now taken it back to provide a public bikeway that everyone can use,” a Brisbane City Council spokesman said.

Public and active transport chairwoman, Jane Prentice, also said it was “disappointing that Mr Wright has decided to go to the media considering the huge amount of hours Cr Bourke and council officers have spent trying to help him out”.

But Mr Wright admitted he wasn’t happy with council suggestions.

“If you were to tell every corner resident in Brisbane that their street frontage was being removed and to fend for themselves in establishing a new entry on the alternative street or just let visitors park their car and walk around the block then our elected members would soon be removed from office,” he said.

• What do you think? Does Mr Wright have a right to be upset with council? Email gemma.blair@qtcn.com.au.