Senator questions Coomera Connector route and calls for federal inquiry

A Queensland senator is pushing for a federal inquiry into building a second M1 through wetlands and environmentally sensitive sites, despite alternative routes. WATCH THE VIDEO

Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts will call for a senate inquiry into the second stage of the Coomera Connector. Pictures: Contributed

The federal government will be asked to investigate building the second stage of a six-lane highway through designated wetlands and environmentally sensitive sites.

Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts is calling for a federal inquiry into the Coomera Connector, a proposed 45km motorway linking the Gold Coast to Logan and Brisbane.

The One Nation senator said he would be pushing for the federal investigation after this week meeting residents of Eagleby, a suburb which will be encircled by the gazetted new highway.

He said he planned to put the proposal for the inquiry before the Senate before December.

Although the terms of reference are yet to be drafted, Senator Roberts said such an inquiry would likely include investigating flooding, alternative routes around Eagleby, environmental concerns and state government land resumptions.

Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts, third from right, meets with Eagleby residents to discuss the Coomera Connector and its route through the local wetlands. Pictures: Contributed

“Questions also have to be asked about whether Transurban has influenced the route and connection point to maximise customers to their toll road,” Senator Roberts said.

“The Queensland government’s gazetted proposal is for a highway through pristine wetlands that could make flooding on the Logan River even worse.

“As the residents of Eagleby showed me this week, an alternative route is available just 4.5 kilometres to the east.

“That option wouldn’t require filling in the Eagleby Wetlands, which is home to migrating birds and the rare Latham Snipe.

“Governments like to pretend they care about the environment, yet they’ll completely ignore it if it means a flashy new road.”

A Transport Department spokesman said Transurban has had no involvement in the Coomera Connector project.

Former state Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon justified building the second M1 through koala habitat in March 2021.

She said there had been overwhelming support for the six-lane Coomera Connector despite environmentalists’ claims it would plough through 98 hectares of koala habitat and the Eagleby Wetlands.

She said independent experts had identified the route with the least impact on properties and the environment and said the highway’s northern section would not affect RAMSAR wetlands north of the Logan River.

State Transport Minister Mark Bailey has also defended the highway.

He has also said he would not be concerned if the federal government conducted an environmental impact assessment of the road through the Eagleby Wetlands.

Eagleby resident Robert Livingstone along with cane farmer Michael Herse met with Senator Roberts on Tuesday to explain an alternative route which they claimed would be cheaper, require only one bridge instead of three and avoid destroying any of the Eagleby wetlands.

An estimated overlay of the state government proposed route in light pink and the alternate route proposed by the Eagleby community in dark purple in a straight line. Map: Contributed

Mr Livingstone, who helped design the alternative route, said the gazetted route affected 100 houses, some of which were resumed in 2019.

“The state’s gazetted route has to be built on 8m-high pillars for most of the 5.8km, while ours is a straight 3.7km and is on high ground instead of going through a flood plain,” Mr Livingstone said.

“Our alternative only takes in some cane land instead of established houses and only needs one bridge compared to the state government’s three.

“Our plan does not go through any environmentally sensitive areas and yet the state government engineers claim our route is the most expensive.”

Gold Coast resident Gary Lindsay said the new road would “be a game changer for those living on the northern Gold Coast” and in Logan.

“Please don’t oppose this,” Mr Lindsay said.

An aerial shot and overlay showing the Eagleby Wetlands and the proposed route. Image: TMR

Senator Robert said the Eagleby group recognised the need to improve highway travel between the Gold Coast and Brisbane but were offering the state “a far better alternative”, which would not affect wildlife living in the wetlands.

Construction of the first stage from Coomera started in March with the federal and state governments each contributing $1.08 billion.

The second stage, from Eagleby to the Logan Motorway interchange and to the intersection of Beenleigh–Redland Bay Rd and Mount Cotton Road, at Carbrook, is currently only funded for development of a business case and environmental approvals.

The state Transport Department said once completed, the Coomera Connector would remove about 60,000 daily local trips from the M1 Pacific Motorway and would progressively open to traffic from 2025.