Sunshine Coast Mayor, residents respond to Federal Government project cuts

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson has spoken out after a two major Sunshine Coast infrastructure projects were axed, as some residents reveal their relief at the decision.

The Sunshine Coast Mayor has spoken out after a bombshell decision to axe two major Sunshine Coast infrastructure projects, but not everyone is up in arms about the decision.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson has labelled a federal government decision to axe two major Sunshine Coast projects as “disturbing” while some residents tipped to be affected by the plans reveal their relief.

Packages one and two of the Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade as well as the Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade were both axed after details of the Federal Government’s infrastructure audit were released on Thursday, November 16.

The Sunshine Coast Direct Rail Line was spared, although delayed.

The federal government had previously committed $160m towards the Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade and $7m towards the Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade, both of which were aimed at reducing traffic gridlock and helping the region cope with immense population growth.

The first stage of the Mooloolah River Interchange project was set to create a new overpass connecting Nicklin Way to Brisbane Rd at Mooloolaba, provide a new road connecting Karawatha Dr at Mountain Creek and Brisbane Rd at Mooloolaba, all with footpaths and bike lanes for pedestrians and bike riders.

Those line items were longer listed as funded in the documents released on Thursday, November 16, having previously been listed as funded.

Future stages, which were yet to be funded, included a new Mooloolah River crossing linking Kawana Way to the Sunshine Motorway, the Mooloolah River Interchange and upgrades to the Sunshine Motorway.

Sunshine Motorway, Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade (Stage 1), The Australian and Queensland Governments had each committed their share of the total $320m cost on a 50:50 (federal:state) basis to deliver Stage 1 of the project. Supplied: Queensland Government

Several homes in Mountain Creek in the area of Seriata Way, Marra Ct, Ulmarra Ct and Incana Ct had already been acquired by the state government over the past 10-15 years, property records show.

Several were recently demolished, including the former BP service station which had been on the corner of Brisbane Rd and Incana Ct.

State government mapping showed new bridges were to be built, active transport networks developed and Seriata Way, Ulmarra Ct, Marra Ct and Incana Ct were to be closed as part of stage one of the project.

The Mooloolah River Interchange project had also led to multiple houses recently being earmarked for resumption on the even-numbered side of Fitzroy Ct on Kawana Island.

Long term Fitzroy Ct resident Alec Kutek welcomed the news and said the plan to resume houses was “disgusting”.

“I felt like all of us on the street should go up to whoever is (the head of the project) and say to them ‘how would you like it if we just dump you off out of your house?’,” he said.

He said he “felt a lot better” knowing the project had been axed, but he wasn’t “counting his chickens yet”.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said at a press conference the projects being axed were “disturbing”, but he felt it was “inevitable” the Mooloolah Interchange Upgrade would eventually go ahead.

“Ultimately, it’s a state road and the state will need to take care of it because it’s a vital access point, it’s got implications around the mass transit solution, and it’s just unsafe,” he said.

“It was built for a much, much smaller Sunshine Coast and much less traffic than we see today.”

Mr Jamieson said he couldn’t comment on whether those whose homes resumed or demolished would be compensated as it was a state government issue.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson. Photo: Elizabeth Neil

He said while the Sunshine Coast Direct Rail Line had been “spared the axe for now”, a completion date for the project needed to be established urgently.

“This is really tied to us being a key delivery partner for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we want to know … that when you come to the Sunshine Coast for the Olympics and Paralympics you’re going to have a world class public transport system to get you here,” he said.

He said he was confident the rail line would be complete in time for the Olympics and the Beerburrum to Nambour Rail upgrade would be completed as promised.

“Funding these big ticket upgrades is the domain of the state and federal governments, I can’t make that point loudly enough,” he said.

“People who live on the Sunshine Coast deserve a much better deal than they’ve been getting thus far.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk labelled the infrastructure cuts as “outrageous”, while federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the pipeline had been left in a “sad and sorry state”.

“It’s clear that the previous government deliberately set about announcing projects that did not have enough funding and they could not be delivered which can only be described as economic vandalism,” Ms King said.

She said there was no confidence or assurance for the cost that projects like the Sunshine Coast Rail.

“In order to take that project to Maroochydore … costs are three times higher, billions of dollars higher, than previously stated,” she said.

Despite projects being cut, Ms King said there were “no cuts to Queensland” in terms of funding.