Steven Ciobo reveals M1 headache to continue for decades on Gold Coast to Brisbane stretch

Long-suffering Gold Coast-Brisbane commuters are in for decades of pain, with no end in sight for the M1 headache. That’s the bold prediction that motorists didn’t want to hear.

DEPARTING Federal MP Steven Ciobo is predicting long-suffering Gold Coast-Brisbane commuters are in for an M1 headache lasting decades with no quick fix in sight.

Mr Ciobo has branded the city and state’s nightmare M1 highway something that will be a “challenge” for 20-plus years and warns it will require ongoing management.

He also questioned if the debt-laden Labor State Government were up for the challenge, firing up state ministers Mark Bailey and Kate Jones.

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Mr Ciobo, a former Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister said in an exclusive interview announcing his resignation from politics: “One thing where my views have changed in the past 17 years is I went into politics thinking ‘Here is the list of problems, fix that and it’s done’.

“As you get older you realise that list is inexhaustible, you fix some problems and new ones emerge.

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Federal Member for Moncrieff, Steven Ciobo says the M1 upgrades will take decades. Picture: Jerad Williams

“The reason I mention that in relation to the M1 is this is going to be a challenge that presents itself for decades and will require ongoing constant work to keep it in check.”

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A split funding deal will see the Federal Coalition and State Government tipping in $1 billon each to a $2b M1 upgrade.

M1 traffic in Coomera. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Asked if the way it was being approached now would meet that challenge, he said: “If you don’t have a budget under control you won’t have money to spend on major infrastructure like that.

“If we were still in a $50b budget deficit situation it would be very hard to find the $1b-plus we’re spending on the M1. This is the problem with the Queensland State Government — the State Labor Government is broke.

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“Queensland is $80b in debt, investing in infrastructure requires fiscal discipline.”

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones: “So what's his solution? Bail on Moncrieff. We have to make up for the LNP Newman Government that didn’t nothing for three years.”. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

Mr Ciobo, who previously advocated consideration of radical hyperloop technology as a high-speed, futuristic M1-busting public transport option between the two cities, added: “We need to explore additional public transport. Population growth between Gold Coast and Brisbane is going to continue so we need to be making those sort of decisions now.”

His take on the M1 nightmare prompted a spray from Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey, who dubbed Mr Ciobo’s “record on transport infrastructure as pathetic”.

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Mr Bailey pointed out Mr Ciobo had been against Federal funding of stage one of the light rail — in line with then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s view.

It wasn’t until Malcolm Turnbull took over as Prime Minister and declared he was in favour of light rail support that Mr Ciobo backed Turnbull’s view and supported Federal funding of the project.

“If he wants to have a go on the way out I’ll give him a touch up,” Mr Bailey said.

“If LNP had invested more in the M1 along the way, the M1 would be better. State Labor has added four upgrades and are doing the heavy lifting.”

Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones shot back: “So what's his solution? Bail on Moncrieff. We have to make up for the LNP Newman Government that did nothing for three years.”