LNP M1 upgrade project doubt as State Government baulks at a 50-50 funding split as mayor calls for PM to increase funding to 80 per cent

The LNP and ALP agree funding is needed for the M1 but the Prime Minister’s announcement glory today maybe short lived after the State Government, RACQ and Logan City Council cast doubt over the funding arrangement.

M3 and M1 merge at Eight Mile Plains

• M1 upgrade: Delays on the M1 costing business around $9000 a week
• M1 upgrade: Opposition leader Bill Shorten pledges $168 million
• M1 upgrade: Federal Mp confirms funding will happen
• M1 upgrade: Stand-off continues between the State and Federal Governments over funding

An M1 upgrade is in extreme doubt unless the LNP increases its funding commitment from 50 per cent to 80 per cent, according to Logan Mayor Luke Smith.

Councillor Smith urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to alter his M1 funding commitment prior to this afternoon’s press conference.

Cr Smith feared the project would be in “political limbo because the coalition has committed to 50 per cent of the merge while the ALP has committed 80 per cent’’.

He said Mr Turnbull had to “stump up’’ the LNP commitment to 80 per cent prior.

“I spoke to the Transport Minister (Mark Bailey) and he said they (the State Government) don’t have that money (50 per cent for the project) in their budget,’’ Cr Smith said.

“And why would they?’’

He said the M1 was a freight route which, everywhere else around Australia, was recognised as an 80-20 funding split between the federal and state governments.

RACQ general-manager Paul Turner also expressed concern the project would not happen if the LNP sticks to a 50-50 funding split.

“We would like to see 80-20,’’ Mr Turner said.

“80-20 gets it done.

“We are not just over the line yet that these projects actually happen and what we don’t want is a tit for tat between the two levels of government.

“Today’s funding by the PM is great but we need to bump that up to 80-20 to ensure this project happens.”

Mr Turnbull’s impending M1 funding announcement has been attacked by the ALP

Transport Minister Bailey confirmed the State Government would not commit to a 50-50 funding.

“If they put up 80 (per cent) we will put up the rest,’’ Mr Bailey told ABC radio.

He said an 80-20 funding split was fair given the other shared funding arrangements between the state and federal governments around major Queensland road infrastructure projects.

These included the Bruce Highway and second Toowoomba Range Crossing.

The State Government has an 80-20 funding arrangement with ALP Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten to upgrade the southbound section of the M1 from Eight Mile Plains to Springwood if the ALP is elected on July 2.

Work would start next year.

However federal LNP MP for Forde Bert van Manen said a 50-50 split was fair given other M1 upgrade projects had been split between the state and federal authorities.

“We are funding it 50-50 as it has always been done,’’ Mr van Manen said.

“Mayor Smith knows the facts, he knows that historically every upgrade on this stretch of the M1 has been funded on a 50/50 basis, and that is the current agreement.

“To claim the deal should change just because the Main Roads Minister says they can’t afford it is a poor excuse.”

This afternoon Mr Turnbull is scheduled to announce $215 million in funding to improve congestion on the M1 Pacific Motorway.

Funding would be directed toward the Gateway Motorway-M1 merge, Eight Mile Plains to Springwood, as well as a stretch along Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes.

However federal ALP MP for Rankin Jim Chalmers scoffed at the announcement.

“This is a joke and people will see through it,’’ he said.

“If the LNP really cared about the congestion at the M1-Gateway merge they would have done something about it already

“In three years and three budgets they’ve committed exactly $0 to this stretch of freeway and now they’ve cobbled something together ten days from an election

“The LNP announcement today short-changes Logan, underfunds the project and doesn’t even guarantee it will go ahead.’’

Mr Chalmers said the announcement was a “short-term political fix to get Bert van Manen through an election, not a plan to get local people and businesses through the traffic’’.

Mr van Manen is the Federal LNP MP for Forde.

Mr van Manen, who last week revealed exclusively to the Albert & Logan News an LNP M1 funding commitment was coming prior to the election, said the M1 and M3 would be widened from four lanes to five lanes over the 4.5km stretch around the Gateway Motorway merge.

“This stretch of road is running near its full capacity, with approximately 140,000 motorists using it every day,’’ he said.

“Overall, fixing the M1 in my Logan stretch is a $1 billion project, so this is a fantastic first step towards resolving daily congestion.

“The upgrade will help our local economy grow by easing congestion and improving productivity for businesses, while also getting families home to their loved ones sooner.’’