Lockyer Valley council calls for Grantham exit on Warrego

LOCKYER Valley Regional Council is calling on the State Government to honour a promise to build an all-weather exit connecting Grantham to the Warrego Highway.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council want the State Government to give Grantham access to the Warrego Highway. Shown is the Philps Rd underpass near the site of the proposed Gatton West Industrial Zone. Picture: Derek Barry

LOCKYER Valley Regional Council is calling on the State Government to honour a promise to build an all-weather exit connecting Grantham to the Warrego Highway.

LVRC Mayor Steve Jones said they had a guarantee from the former Labor Government they would build a Warrego connection to Grantham but ran into a hurdle with the change of government.

"We were given an assurance that the connection would be built with some level of urgency as part of the redevelopment of the Strengthening Grantham Estate but agreed to the request of the Newman Government to delay the project following the 2012 state election," Cr Jones said.

"Unfortunately, it seems the State have forgotten their commitment to the people of the Lockyer Valley," Cr Jones said.

The Council's call comes as they seek State Government funding for a project that is reliant on Grantham access to the highway.

At the September 10 council meeting put forward Gatton West Industrial Zone (GWIZ) infrastructure and Stage 1 of the Laidley township flood protection scheme as its two projects for funding from Round 4 of the State Government's Royalties to the Region program, which closes this week.

Documents presented to the council meeting show a total project cost of $10 million, with LVRC seeking $7.5 million out of Royalties to the Region for the two projects.

The GWIZ project would include the proposed cannery and involves road upgrades for Philps Rd and Brooks Rd from the Grantham estate roundabout to the industrial zone site, as well as access to the Warrego Highway from the site.

Meanwhile Stage 1 of the Laidley flood project consists of bridge upgrades at the northern and southern ends of Patrick Street, the design and construct of a levee protecting the town's CBD, another protecting north Laidley and stage 2 of the Narda Lagoon levee.

It also includes the design and construction of several floodwater conveyance channel upgrades.

These are from Storr St to Narda Lagoon, Edward St to the railway, Coopers Lane, and the railway to the Community Centre.

Council is seeking $4.5m of the $6m cost for Laidley flood mitigation.