Opinion: Queenslanders still waiting for Federal Government promise to fix Pacific Motorway

OPINION: If Queensland is shaping up to be the battleground of this Federal Election, THIS is what should be the frontline.

IF Queensland is shaping up to be the battleground of this Federal Election, then the Pacific Motorway must be the frontline. It certainly feels that way from 5:30am on a Monday – if you’re not on your way before then, don’t bother.

After a quieter than expected Federal Budget for Queensland, we were hoping for big things when Malcolm Turnbull dropped into Logan on day one of his election campaign.

Yet the southeast Queensland stretch of the Pacific Motorway still sits in a political no man’s land waiting for the Federal Government’s pledge to fix our state’s worst bottleneck.

Even Bill Shorten’s early shot of $168 million to upgrade the southbound lanes of the M1 at the Gateway Motorway merge wasn’t enough to warrant some return fire by the Coalition.

Sure, it won’t deliver a much needed alternative route but at least Labor’s proposal is a step in the right direction.

Infrastructure Australia lists the Pacific Motorway as a key priority for the state, the RACQ puts the project in its top five election asks for Queensland and the Council of Mayors (SEQ) has been lobbying for the upgrade for years.

So what’s with the radio silence, Prime Minister?

The Coalition’s election platform boasts a record $50 billion investment in land infrastructure to reduce travel times and increase productivity. An investment that will create thousands of new jobs and boost economic growth.

This follows Turnbull’s Smart Cities Plan which recognises a need to invest in our cities to maximise their potential and support long term growth. A plan the Mayors of Southeast Queensland remain fully committed to.

But, how can the state’s economy be expected to grow when its two biggest cities are connected by outdated and over-capacity infrastructure?

It has not gone unnoticed that New South Wales got a hefty $5.6 billion Budget commitment for their slice of the Pacific Motorway. Perhaps the Coalition could extend an olive branch to the 145,000 commuters who travel the M1 every day?

And let’s not forget the Commonwealth Games – the last thing we need is thousands of visitors and athletes trapped in M1 gridlock.

With a long Federal election campaign ahead, there’s still time for Queenslanders to start calling the shots. The SEQ Mayors are ready to join forces with both levels of government to secure the infrastructure needed to support our growing cities.

Both Federal and State Labor have committed to starting work and we thank them for this. Now we’re calling on the Coalition to set its sights on the Pacific Motorway – Queenslanders need this commitment so our region’s economy can get moving.

If travelling on the M1 is starting to feel less like a commute and more like a crusade – then it’s time to start lobbing some election grenades of our own.

Luke Smith is the mayor of the City of Logan

Twitter: @MayorLukeSmith

Originally published as Opinion: Queenslanders still waiting for Federal Government promise to fix Pacific Motorway