Gold Coast Light Rail Prediction: Burleigh MP Michael Hart’s backflip on heavy rail as LNP second M1 plan slammed
A plan to build the second M1 has been labelled a “dog’s breakfast” by one official, who claims it will cause chaos on Gold Coast roads. READ THE FULL REPORT
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TRANSPORT Minister Mark Bailey predicts the LNP’s plan for building the second M1 will force an extra 60,000 cars to negotiate the Gold Coast’s already congested northern suburbs.
THE LNP is also under pressure to reveal how many properties might be resumed after a policy announcement about exploring the possibilities of light and heavy rail going south to the border.
Mr Bailey for the second day in State Parliament has targeted LNP frontbencher and Burleigh MP Michael Hart who Labor claim has perceived conflicts of interests with a unit on the coastal route for the trams and a brewery investment on an alternative western route to Varsity Lakes.
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Mr Bailey said the Government had gazetted the corridor for the second M1 but he accused the LNP having “more positions than an AFL team” on the Coomera Connector.
Campaign documents show the LNP supports a four-lane arterial road from Nerang-Broadbeach Road to Stapylton-Jacobs Well Road to be built in three stages, with the first stage from Shipper Drive, Coomera to the Gold Coast Highway.
Mr Bailey told Parliament: “They want to build a tiny section of it, a 6.5km section that will force an extra 60,000 cars a day on to the already congested Gold Coast Highway through the electorates of Theodore and Bonney, through the suburbs of Helensvale, Parkwood, Biggera Waters, Labrador, Southport. Good luck with the LNP, 60,000 extra cars a day being dumped through your community on the LNP policy.”
Department officers had told Mr Bailey that “increasing volumes of this magnitude would likely show gridlock, flow breakdown throughout the corridor with excessive delays to travel time along the Gold Coast Highway and throughout the surrounding road network”.
Officers further advised that the economic cost of such a scenario would be “multi-billions of dollars”.
“What a dog’s breakfast of a policy from the LNP, “ Mr Bailey said.
He referred to the Bulletin’s report which showed Mr Hart had backflipped and now supported heavy rail to the airport.
‘What we want to know from the LNP is how are you going to get heavy rail to the airport,” Mr Bailey said.
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“Are you going to widen the corridor to put light and heavy rail there, and resume a lot of houses through west Burleigh and Elanora and Tugun. Are you going to have a new heavy rail corridor. If so, where. Who are going to get their house resumed.”
It is built out between Varsity Lakes and the airport. There is a heavy rail corridor there for heavy rail. That’s our plan. Light rail along the Gold Coast Highway. With the LNP we don’t know what their actual policy is.”
The Transport Minister earlier was claiming a political victory of sorts after Opposition frontbencher and Mudgeeraba MP Ros Bates apologised to the House after claiming Labor had cut road funding in her electorate when it had occurred during the LNP Newman Government.
EARLIER:
A GOLD Coast MP has done a shock U-turn on the heavy rail route to the airport – supporting an LNP plan to back heavy rail just five months after saying it “doesn’t make sense”.
Burleigh MP Michael Hart last Friday supported an announcement the LNP would expand the Stage 4 light rail business case to include planning for heavy rail between Varsity Lakes and the Gold Coast Airport.
But in resurfaced Facebook comments from early 2020 the LNP frontbencher is seen clashing with Labor Transport Minister Mark Bailey and claiming the Government should “forget heavy rail to the airport”.
In the comments of a March 7 Facebook post, Mr Hart wrote: “Why would you want one airport being connected to another one in Brisbane every 30 minutes?
“That doesn’t make sense, nobody flies to the Gold Coast to catch a train to Brisbane.
“Forget heavy rail to the airport, use light rail instead.
“Why don’t you (Mark Bailey) come down here and talk to the locals, actually have a look at that route? You would see there is a huge catchment of people it could service, it’s not an industrial area.”
On Tuesday, Mr Hart sidestepped requests for comment about what caused his sudden change in opinion, instead taking aim at the Labor Party.
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“This is just another desperate attempt from the Palaszczuk Labor Government who have neglected the southern Gold Coast for the last five years,” he said.
“The LNP is the only party with a plan for heavy rail upgrades on the Gold Coast.
“To find the best solution for congestion and to plan for growth we need to look at every option, light rail, heavy rail and better buses.
“Let’s put all of the options on the table and deliver a plan that works for the Gold Coast. I want a public transport system that gets the Gold Coast moving and creates jobs.”
The comments were uncovered by Bulletin journalists and not provided by any Labor MPs or staff.
On August 28, LNP Leader Deb Frecklington labelled heavy rail the “missing piece” in planning for the Gold Coast’s future transport needs.
Mr Hart, who was present for the Palm Beach announcement along with LNP Currumbin MP Laura Gerber, backed the LNP business case.
“My community really needs to know what is happening with public transport on the Gold Coast,” he said at the time.
“In putting heavy rail into the mix with light rail we can come up with something that works for everyone and give the input to the community.
“We need a very good public transport system at our airport, it is after all the key transportation hub on the Gold Coast.”
Labor has already called on Mr Hart to remove himself from future light rail policy planning after it was revealed he had two perceived conflicts in Palm Beach along the proposed light rail route.
During Question Time in State Parliament on Tuesday, Transport Minister Mark Bailey asked Ms Frecklington to again remove Mr Hart from discussions on light rail policy due him owning a unit and investment in a brewery on two potential future tram routes.
“It was recently revealed by the media (the Bulletin), not the Member for Burleigh, that he lives in a Palm Beach apartment on the current proposed Stage 4 light rail route,” Mr Bailey said.
“He’s been a vocal opponent of that route, the same route that our two-year study says is the best route to do.”
Mr Bailey said Mr Hart wanted the tram line to go west near a Burleigh brewery in which he had an interest.
“He has a clear conflict of interest. And what do we get from the leader of the Opposition? Absolutely no action. He’s driving policy on the Opposition side,” Mr Bailey said.
The Government’s favoured route for the trams passes south by Mr Hart’s new $1 million Palm Beach unit, while the LNP’s business case would see it head west towards the brewery.
EARLIER:
THE LNP is promising to launch a business case which could see light rail on a western route heading south from Varsity Lakes along the heavy rail corridor to the Gold Coast Airport.
But the election promise, to undertake the research as part of the Stage 4 light rail business case, made by leader Deb Frecklington with Burleigh MP Michael Hart and Currumbin MP Laura Gerber, has been ridiculed by Labor.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey told The Bulletin the government’s research showed there was not enough room for both transport modes in the corridor next to the M1.
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“The question there is only way to get heavy rail from Varsity Lakes to the airport and that is along the allocated and protected heavy rail corridor,” he said.
“There going to use that for light rail and now they’re saying for heavy rail as well. The only way will be to resume hundreds and hundreds of houses.
“Look at the map. So their policy confusion on this is diabolical. There is only one plan that works — light rail on the Gold Coast Highway, heavy rail in the corridor, M1 upgrades all working together. The LNP policy makes no sense whatsoever.”
Earlier in the Coast today, Ms Frecklington labelled the heavy rail connection the “missing piece” for the Gold Coast’s transport needs and took aim at the Labor Government.
“There is already an existing heavy rail corridor to the Gold Coast Airport and it’s bizarre that Labor’s business case will ignore it,” she said.
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“Labor’s lack of planning has held back the Gold Coast for years. The LNP’s business case will put all the options on the table and deliver a public transport system that busts congestion and creates jobs.”
Mr Hart said developing a plan for heavy rail would enable all potential routes for light rail Stage 4 to be fully considered.
“The LNP’s approach will deliver a plan that busts congestion, meets local needs and improves connectivity between the airport, the Gold Coast and Brisbane,” he said.
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