Rocklea (4106)
Situated 9 km south of Brisbane and bordering Oxley Creek with its associated tributaries and waterholes, Rocklea (4106) is a large suburb vulnerable to flooding. Rocklea has been subjected to sever flooding damage both in 1974 and 2010, causing concern because of the danger its industries’ toxic wastes being released into the Brisbane River and bay resulting in damage to the ecosystem. Folding has also seriously devalued property values in the suburb.
Logistically, Rocklea is strategically located at the nexus of a major motorway, a railway and a small airport. Because of its position, it is primarily industrial with a range of large industrial concerns. Among these are the extensive Brisbane fresh fruit, vegetable and flower markets first opened in 1886, closed in 1881 in preference for Roma Street Markets in the city, then reestablished in the 1960s to relieve the congestion caused in Brisbane. Other industries are predominantly transport, a railway factory manufacturing diesel electric locomotives for railways, although there is also a major paint manufacturing complex. A harness racing track held races until it was closed in 2009.
In 2011, 1200 people lived in Rocklea, their average age being 36 years. A significant percentage of residents were born overseas in India, Russia, and China such that, apart from English,Russian, Mandarin, Vietnamese,Arabic, and Tamil were also spoken at home.
