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February 20th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda 
Source: The Courier-Mail
Police remove Mr Lees’s bicycle from the scene. Picture: Nathan Richter
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Police investigate the death of a man and child who fell from Story Bridge. Picture: Brooke Baskin
Source: The Courier-Mail
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BRISBANE City Council is refusing to modify the Story Bridge despite evidence that raising the rails could save lives.
The tragic murder-suicide of Jason Lees and his two-year-old son yesterday sparked more calls to install safety barriers but Deputy Mayor Adrian Schrinner said that would only “shift the problem”.
Yesterday’s deaths came only five months after Paddington’s Kim Patterson leapt from the bridge after murdering her daughter Sidonie, 14.
Experts and residents say the deaths were preventable and installing a barrier on the bridge would save lives.
The Courier-Mail can reveal Brisbane City Council has ignored a 2004 Griffith University report recommending suicide prevention measures for the bridge.
The report said anything that could act as even a temporary deterrent to someone seeking to take their own life could help prevent them from doing so.
Barriers installed on Melbourne’s notorious West Gate Bridge and Brisbane’s Sir Leo Hielscher (Gateway) bridges have dramatically reduced the number of people taking their own lives.An average of four people take their own lives on the Story Bridge every year.
The Australian Institute of Suicide Prevention and Research report prepared for the council in 2004 looked at improvements to the Story Bridge – which has 1.4m hand rails and no warning signs.
Options included a full cage structure and the planting of more trees in parkland below.
But Cr Schrinner said the cage – which would be placed either side of the bridge – would not solve the problem of people jumping.
“We don’t believe an engineering solution will solve this,” Cr Schrinner said.
“Anyone who knows Brisbane knows there’s a number of cliffs around Brisbane, a number of rail crossings. Ultimately there are other options that people would pursue so you’re simply shifting the problem, you’re not solving it.”
Dr Kairi Kolves, from the Griffith University-based institute, said the key to preventing suicide was “interrupting the impulse” at the critical time.
“The impulse may reduce if they have to travel to another spot,” said Dr Kolves.
Since barriers were erected on the Sir Leo Hielscher (Gateway) bridges, the number of suicides has been reduced to virtually zero.
Incidents on Melbourne’s notorious West Gate bridge – from which Arthur Freeman threw his daughter Darcey, 4, to her death in 2009 – have declined an estimated 85 per cent since safety barriers were extended later that year.
On the Sydney Harbour Bridge, signs inform people “you are not alone” and carry a crisis counselling number. Security guards have also patrolled the international icon since 2001.
Local resident Sue East said she and other residents had lobbied the council for years to install barriers but the bridge’s “heritage status” was always used as an excuse for inaction.
Ms East said enough was enough and council had to act.
“I can’t believe they can’t do something,” she said.
University of Queensland psychiatry professor Graham Martin said anything that could force suicidal people to take “a moment of thought” was worth investigating.
“If we can provide something that requires them to double-think, then that’s worthwhile,” he said.
Prof Martin said suicide prevention was taken into consideration in the design of new bridges, and the 71-year-old Story Bridge should not be left behind.
Dr Kolves said erecting signs promoting Lifeline’s contact number and emergency phones would be a positive step in the short term.
“Because of the Story Bridge’s location in the city it is always going to be attractive to people with suicidal impulses,” she said. “Barriers may change the look but when people’s lives are at stake, that should be of no concern.”
BCC Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton said “morally and ethically” council needed to do all it could to improve safety on the Story Bridge.
“It’s a city icon, it’s something that should be a positive symbol for this city not somewhere where tragedy happens,” Cr Sutton said.
“We just have to find a way.”
If you are depressed or contemplating suicide, please call for help.
Lifeline – 13 11 14 (24-hour help line) www.lifeline.org.au
SANE Australia on 1800 18 SANE (7263) www.SANE.org
Beyondblue Info Line 1300 22 4636 http://www.beyondblue.org.au/
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