Mayor says “time to work together”

This traffic trouble spot missed out on federal funding dished out during the PM’s visit last week. A social media poll by the local State MP revealed what people really thought about where the money will be spent.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams has called for an end to the bitter feud between the state and federal governments over who will fund the much-needed upgrade to one of the region’s worst roads.

Her comments follow a social media poll launched by Redlands MP Kim Richards at the weekend asking voters to have their say on where tax/ratepayer money should have been spent: on the “worst” road, Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd (CRB Rd), or a number of Wellington St intersections.

Nearly 500 people had their say, with 83 per cent voting the Federal Government’s $15 million announced for upgrades on the Council-owned Wellington St should have gone to the State-owned CRB Rd.

While voters resoundingly wanted CRB Rd fixed, some asked questions about who was responsible for the major traffic thoroughfare, hoping to get official answers about why the funding was still not forthcoming.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams says it is time the State and Federal Governments worked together to fund upgrades to Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd.

Cr Williams said whatever the purpose of the poll, importantly “it was time the two levels of government started working together”.

“The truth is that residents don’t care whether it is the State or Federal Government that funds our road upgrades, they just want them funded,” Cr Williams said.

“I call on the State and Federal Government to work together to do just that. My door is always open and I would welcome a conversation with either level of government to deliver better transport for our community.”

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The Federal Government last week announced $15 million in funding for upgrades to Wellington St intersections.

Federal MP for Bowman Andrew Laming shut down the poll results calling the exercise “a smokescreen”.

“The Commonwealth doesn’t invest in State roads. We only co-fund the highway one network,” Mr Laming said.

“This is quite hilarious. Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd is a State road which the LNP has committed to duplicating at both the 2014 and 2017 Elections. Labor steadfastly refuses to upgrade it; hence the poll.”

Andrew Laming has called the social media poll by MP Kim Richards a “smokescreen”.

Mr Laming said last week’s “congestion-busting Federal contribution contributes to a duplication of the Wellington/Panorama corridor between Boundary Rd in the south and Russell St in the north”.

“The amount is available to Redland City Council as soon as they are ready to initiate works,” he said.

“The $15 million was notionally allocated to three of the worst areas along the corridor, but ultimately sequencing is a matter for Redland City Council.”

Mr Laming said the nominated areas were: between Boundary and Ziegenfusz roads, from Panorama Drive to South St and Enterprise St to the Weippin St intersection.

He said Redland City Council was “likely to have funds in their forward estimates for the balance of the work”.

“As you know, Council has up to $50 million budgeted for this corridor in future year projections,” Mr Laming said.

“This brings the work forward and is completely in the hands of Council to design and phase. We have taken their direction. Obviously, this is my initiative and not a Council request, so they didn’t have detailed designs ready.”

Cr Williams confirmed Mr Laming had not consulted with Council over the announcement but said this was not unusual.

“From time to time state and federal members will make election commitments without talking to Council,” the Mayor said.

“This includes Ms Richards who committed to delivering the Victoria Point bypass during the last state election, which is actually a Council road.”

Cr Williams said what the poll actually showed was “all the evidence the State Government needs to commit to this much-needed upgrade”.

“Previously the State Minister offered to work with Council to upgrade Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd and I think it is timely, on the back of Ms Richards’ poll, that this offer is revisited and a commitment is made to duplicating Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd,” she said.

The Mayor said Council was currently finalising designs for the duplication of the Wellington St/Panorama Drive corridor, to be funded through the Federal Government cash drop announced last week.

State Member for Redlands Kim Richards conducted a social media poll at the weekend asking users where the Federal Government should have spent their funds?

Ms Richards said she “wasn’t surprised at all” by the results of her poll.

“The response is totally in line with community feedback I’ve been receiving on the road infrastructure needs of the southern Redlands,” she said.

In a comment posted on her Facebook page, Chris Aynsley asked Ms Richards what the State Government was doing about the State road asset (CRB Rd).

Ms Richards responded, saying upgrades to the Giles Rd intersection and Anita St were either complete or under way, and it was hard to understand why the Federal Government hadn’t “prioritised CRB Rd for significant investment”.

“It’s disappointing that Andrew Laming is choosing to put politics before people as he heads into an election,” she said.

“As the community has indicated, he should be committing his $15 million to Cleveland-Redland Bay Rd. Just as they are for a local Council road, the Federal Government can contribute to a State road. It should be about co-operating and getting the best outcome for where Redlands most needs it.”

The road poll conducted by MP Kim Richards at the weekend.

Ms Richards said Mr Laming had “a choice with this funding, and he chose to fund a local Council back-road that no one is complaining about over a main road that he has been complaining about for years”.

“To be clear, Wellington St is not part of the Federal Highway One Network – it is a Council-owned road.”

Ms Richards said the SEQ Council of Mayors had also indicated the southern Redlands, taking in CRB Rd, was a priority in their 2017 State Election Manifesto.

It was “indeed concerning for our community that there appears to have been little, if any, consultation with Council as the responsible authority for Wellington St, nor with the State Government,” she said.

“It is evident that the federally promised $15 million does not support the entire project, and the Redland City Council Local Government Infrastructure Plan endorsed by TMR (Transport and Main Roads) has the majority of funding proposed for the Wellington St upgrades in 2022-2031.”