Deputy premier Jackie Trad slams Federal Budget $1b M1 upgrade

THE Federal Budget has included $1 billion on the table to fix the M1 and promises of money to target major congestion hot spots. But when will we see the money?

DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad says the Federal Government’s $1 billion M1 fix-it plan is a “joke and a hoax” because the funding will be delayed.

“The money that was promised for the M1 is a number of years out,” said Ms Trad in reaction to Tuesday night’s Federal Budget.

15 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BUDGET

“What it means is we cannot expect to see substantial funding for the M1 from the Turnbull Government for another four to five years.

“The State Government is going to have to stump up the cash. We are going to have to get out the credit card to pay for it before we get any money from the Federal Government.”

Queensland Treasurer Jackie Trad has labelled the Federal Government’s M1 upgrade as a ‘hoax’. (AAP Image/Dan Peled).

The Palaszczuk Government believes the current work on the Mudgeeraba to Varsity section will be complete within three years, but the federal money will not be available on the next section for another four or five years.

READ THE 2018 BUDGET SPEECH

The Turnbull Government is stunned by the comment and questioned whether the State Government wanted the project to go ahead.

“Are they ready to go? Because unless that’s the case, what the hell are they even talking about,” a federal source said.

M1 holiday traffic heading south. Picture: Jerad Williams

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last month pledged $1 billion to fix hot spots on the M1, on the proviso the State Government matched the deal. They are yet to sign the deal because the State Government wants a 80-20 funding split.

Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher last night said the Budget committed $5.2 billion to new major projects in Queensland and said Ms Trad’s “comments are not accurate”.

“The Turnbull Government’s commitment to Queensland in the 2018-19 Budget includes a $1 billion boost to the M1 Pacific Highway between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill, and Varsity Lakes and Tugun.

Early morning peak hour traffic on the M1. Picture Glenn Hampson

“(Tuesday’s) Budget shows that funding will start to flow for this commitment from 2018-19.

“We want to see these upgrades rolled out from 2020, when our existing upgrades to the M1 – the Gateway Merge and Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes – are scheduled for completion.

“Ms Trad’s colleague Mark Bailey, Minister for Main Roads, agreed with us, telling a press conference on April 18: ‘We both agree … the best way to do the third and fourth M1 upgrades will be straight after we finish the first and second upgrades …. That way, you have the minimum disruption to M1 motorists, we’ve got a pipeline of jobs coming through; that is the logical way of doing it’.”

“The Turnbull Government’s announcement was so good, Bill Shorten copied it a few days later, also announcing $1 billion based on a 50:50 split.

Labor Gold Coast-based Senator Murray Watt. Picture: Mike Batterham

“So far, the Queensland Government has failed to commit to these upgrades and so far is refusing to match the Turnbull Government’s commitment.

“We want the Queensland Government to get on with the job and work with us to deliver these vital upgrades.”

Ms Trad declined to say how much money the State would put on its “credit card”.

“We have to add another $1 billion to see these projects get up.

“What we are saying to the Federal Government, quite frankly, is ‘they can’t fix up their balance sheet by shifting all of the costs, all of the upfront costs to the Queensland people’,” Ms Trad said.

“The Federal Government collects 80 per cent of the taxation revenue in this nation and should pay their fair role in terms of delivering the funding our communities need.”

Ms Trad would not be pressed on a funding formula, only saying “well, we are having a look our Budget deliberations”. The State Government would have to do “the heavy lifting” in terms of planning and capital works.

“That is a hoax, that is a joke, that is incredibly disrespectful to the people of the Gold Coast,” she said.