The Gold Coast suburb worse off after the Budget did the best out of the Commonwealth Games

A GOLD Coast suburb riding high on the Games has plummeted with the worst outcome under the new State Budget — and the local MP is fuming.

SOUTHPORT is the worst off electorate from State Budget funding after riding high as the best in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games – and the local MP is furious.

Opposition MP and Member for Southport Rob Molhoek, after reading all relevant papers delivered on the State Budget when it was handed down on Tuesday, says he is stunned by a lack of announcements for the Gold Coast’s CBD.

“We had nearly $600 million spent on roads in the last five years, and rightly so with access needed to the new hospital,” Mr Molhoek said yesterday.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek and his giant Borobi in the passenger seat of his car when his electorate was riding high during the Games. Picture Glenn Hampson

“If you costed development and government spending (for Southport over the five years), it would be in excess of $6 billion.

WHAT COASTER’S NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STATE BUDGET

“There is not one cent in any document for any of my schools.

“There is nothing for roads. The dredging money (for the Broadwater) is further north of my electorate. There’s absolutely nothing in there.

“There is nothing for the (Southport) courthourse. It’s under enormous stress.”

Southport is worse off post-Games and Budget.

Mr Molhoek said he had realised funding would drop off after the Games but was disappointed key transport links to the CBD had failed to receive funding.

“I knew it had to slow down. I’m just disappointed there’s nothing in there for Southport-Nerang Rd,” he said.

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He said he would be approaching the Government to determine what it had planned for the former Commonwealth Games Athletes Village at Parklands.

About $3 million from a $29.4 million total spend would be used in the next 12 months to develop the 9ha health and knowledge precinct.

Opening morning of the Stage 2 of the Gold Coast light rail — John Witheriff, Sam O’Connor, Meaghan Scanlon Mark Bailey, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, Rob Molhoek and Federal Tourism Minister Steve Ciobo at the official opening and ribbon cutting. Picture: Jerad Williams

After checking Coast funding from the Budget, Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates accused the Government of playing catch-up by announcing infrastructure funding that had been on the table for 13 years.

“Labor’s announced upgrade of the M1 including $70 million for an extra lane from Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes is a rehashed version of a 13-year-old agreement, an agreement that Labor is delivering 13 years too late,” Ms Bates said.

“In 2007 Paul Lucas was given matching funding from the Howard government to eight-lane the M1 from Nerang to Tugun.

Southport. Picture: David Clark

“I know this because I was there, and only now on the eve of a federal election has State Labor been railroaded by both the Turnbull Government and the Federal Opposition into finally fixing this crucial piece of infrastructure.”

Ms Bates described the funding upgrades to Gold Coast-Springbrook Road, Nerang-Murwillumbah Road and Beechmont Road as evidence of the Labor Government playing catch-up.

LNP MP Ros Bates has accused the Government of playing infrastructure catch-up.

“This funding is part of the joint federal-state NDRRA (Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements) funding to fix roads which collapsed 18 months ago,” she said.

“This proves the Palaszczuk Labor Government are responsible for delaying the much-needed

upgrades that hinterland residents are crying out for.”

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She said the Government had failed to provide funding for Mudgeeraba schools and police services, and ignored calls for anti-hooning upgrades at the intersection of Pine Creek and Nerang-Murwillumbah roads.