Inside story: Transport chief outlines road ahead for Coomera Connector and when work will begin
A senior transport department bureaucrat has warned that drivers on the M1 face an unprecedented nightmare unless a crucial piece of infrastructure gets built.
Gold Coast
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THE Pacific Motorway will soon become a carpark unless the Coomera Connector is built, warns a senior transport department bureaucrat.
Transport and Main Roads South Coast regional director Paul Noonan briefed city councillors sparking strong debate about the building of the six-lane highway from Nerang to Stapylton.
“Without an additional corridor, that M1 between Coomera and Helensvale south, it might as well be a parking lot by 2041,” Mr Noonan told councillors.
A detailed business case was due to be completed by mid-2021 which includes recommendations on how the $1.53 billion first stage between Nerang and Coomera would be delivered and relieve the busiest sections of the M1 between exits 54 and 62.
Vehicle counts show traffic on the M1 had returned to pre-COVID levels.
“On any day that section of the M1 carries 210,000 vehicles. On the peak days — peak volumes are around 230,000 vehicles a day. Clearly that’s unsustainable. So we do need another transport solution,” Mr Noonan said.
Asked by Councillor Peter Young about the “strategic need” for the project, Mr Noonan agreed part of it was to counter the congestion on the M1 along with catering for freight and the singular crossings over the Coomera River.
Congestion could add an extra 75 minutes to move freight from the border to Brisbane.
TMR considered about 100 options including upgrading the existing M1 and heavy rail but found Coomera and Pimpama residents wanted to drive their cars shorter distances.
“Heavy rail has a great role to play, there is no question about that. But the growth rates in those growing communities to the north of the Gold Coast are just going to be such that heavy rail alone will not provide a long term sustainable solution,” Mr Noonan said.
Extensive community consultation saw residents voice concerns about “noise barriers and amenity” and interest in protecting wildlife along the corridor.
“Overwhelming the opinion was “yes, we recognise the need for the Coomera Connector”. A lot of the feedback was get on and build it,” Mr Noonan said.
At Thursday’s transport committee meeting in response to questions, it was revealed:
* the first stage was to be between Oakey Creek Road to Nerang Broadbeach Road but an investigation has been launched on a potential better solution of Shipper Drive and connecting to Foxwell Road.
* the potential connection to Hope Island Road was “not feasible” and could lead to 75 to 125 additional resumptions and require elevated ramps in the wetland area.
* a realistic date for vehicles being on the road for completion had “not been determined at this point’ but political intent was to “get it cracking as soon as possible”
* works to start shortly after mid-next year after a business case was completed, and to be in “rolling stages” like the M1 widening through to Varsity Lakes and Tugun.
* no toll would be used to fund the six-lane highway.
* that dual laning of Helensvale Road, one of the connector roads, is still being worked out in terms of being part of the scope of the project.
* stage two of the Coomera Connector must be in place by 2041.
Councillors Cameron Caldwell, William Owen-Jones, and Mark Hammel asked the senior transport bureaucrat about the impact of the Connector on the local road network.
“We would certainly welcome continuing working with the city on solutions to these but we would also expect the city will contribute to the overall solution to the best of it’s ability,” he said.
Cr Owen-Jones told him: “And that’s the challenge that we have — the reality check on that is the city has a modest capital works budget which probably allows for somewhere between $50 million and $80 million worth of new road construction throughout out network, and having all of that absorbed on one small section at Helensvale Road is problematic for the ratepayer.”
EARLIER: RESIDENTS FEAR HELENSVALE WILL BECOME ‘NOISE SLUM’
HELENSVALE residents are warning the State Government that the Coomera Connector will flood residential areas and turn their homes into a “noise slum”.
Former city councillor and respected lawyer Lex Bell has sent a letter to Transport Minister Mark Bailey outlining the concerns of residents and their disappointment with the planning for the $1.53 billion first stage of the 45km six-lane highway from Loganholme to Nerang.
The Bulletin has obtained the correspondence as workers begin planning studies near Beattie Road just north of the Coomera River. Photographs show the geotechnical drilling works.
“My clients have instructed to me their deep concerns with the Coomera Connector and disappointment how the State Government is conducting the planning of this project,” Mr Bell wrote.
“My clients fear a serious deterioration of their quality of life, impact on their health and consequently a steep fall in the value of their homes.”
In outlining the main concerns, Mr Bell said:
* after Beattie Road the Connector runs north parallel to the rail lines through sugar cane fields in what was a dedicated flood plain. Any obstacles could flood nearby residential areas.
* the Connector will be between 100 to 500m from some homes, four times closer than the M1 creating noise up to 100 times louder.
“The result will be that my clients will reside in a noise slum. They will lose the enjoyment of their gardens and outside areas, and will be forced to keep all windows and doors closed with airconditioning turned on day and night in summer,” Mr Bell wrote.
“The value of my clients’ homes will be devastated.”
Mr Bailey forwarded the correspondence to his Department and the Deputy Director-General in a response said a second round of consultation had occurred and a Community Reference Group created to focus on the urban design aspects of the project.
A noise assessment was conducted from July until September at 45 locations along Stage 1 of the Coomera Connector corridor between Coomera and Nerang to establish baseline noise levels.
“Predicted noise levels from the Coomera Connector will then be modelled and assessed against the baseline noise levels to determine where noise mitigation measures such as noise barriers need to be included in the design,” the Deputy Director-General wrote.
Hydraulic modelling has been undertaken to determine potential impacts on the water levels, flow and velocity of the flood plains and watercourse crossings throughout the Stage 1 corridor.
“Bridges and culverts rather than embankments would be used within areas of flood plain
crossings to minimise changes to existing flood patterns including flood height, duration,
flows, directions and velocities,” the deputy Director-General said.
“The design criteria for the Coomera Connector will ensure no existing dwellings are
adversely affected by flood events up to the 1 in 100-year average recurrence interval flood
event.”
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