Drilling rigs at Eagleby Wetlands spark fears second M1 will slice through Palm Lakes lifestyle resort

Drilling rigs taking soil samples south of Brisbane, have sparked fears the six-lane second M1 will cut through a lifestyle resort.

State government drilling rigs have rolled into a suburb south of Brisbane, where some residents of an up-market over 50s resort are waging a legal battle to stop the second M1 ploughing through their community.

A carpark at Palm Lakes Resort Eagleby has been under survey with pegs and stakes mapping out the footprint of the demolition corridor for the six-lane Coomera Connector.

Although the state government’s transport and Main Roads department has yet to determine the exact route of the proposed highway, Eagleby residents said the survey pegs were a good indication of what sites would be bulldozed for the second M1 and how close it would come to the Eagleby Wetlands.

A drilling rig at Eagleby has raised concerns with residents who say they don’t want the Coomera Connector through their suburb.

Palm Lakes residents realised their worst fears were a step closer when Transport and Main Roads Department put down surveying pegs and stakes along the perimeter of their carpark, where residents currently keep their caravans.

Other pegs were spotted encircling pristine wetlands on Eagleby Rd.

Resort residents stepped up their campaign against the road after the massive rigs started drilling for soil samples from a number of sites in Eagleby, known for its significant wetlands.

The Transport and Main Roads Department said the pegs were only indicative of the route but added that an independent study found the corridor already preserved for the road was the preferred option.

“The study found this alignment had the least number of impacts on properties and homes, and did not impact the RAMSAR wetlands north of the Logan River,” TMR said.

“The rig at Eagleby is for geotechnical investigations which are being carried out after agreement with landowners.”

State government drilling rigs have moved in to put down surveying pegs at Eagleby south of Brisbane, stirring residents of an up-market over 50s resort who say the road is in the wrong place.

Palm Lakes Resort resident Marilyn Goodwin said resort residents were not consulted as they did not own the land.

She said they were concerned the elevated six-lane highway would slice through the Palm Lakes carpark and then loom over their homes.

Logan City Council owns the car park land and Palm Lakes management negotiated its use.

“We are not landowners and under the Manufactured Homes Act the state government can ignore us and does not need to consult us at all even though we live here,” Ms Goodwin said.

“We disagree with the Transport Department that their proposed route is the best and we have 600 Eagleby residents who want the road to go a different way.

“We don’t want to stop the road, we just want to ensure the route protects the wetlands and does not affect our homes.”

Resort residents have engaged law firm P & E Law to fight the Eagleby road plan, which follows a similar route to the Koala Road proposal of the 1990s.

Daisy Hill and Mount Cotton successfully prosecuted the case against building the road in 1995 with the road plans dropped as it would run through sensitive koala habitat.

Findings from the drilling works between Loganholme and Coomera will be used in a business case to inform state and federal government decisions on construction of the road.

A TMR spokesman said the business case would be completed by 2023.