Ball rolling for upgrades to Gold Coast M1, but we’re not out of the woods just yet with our railways

IT truly is music to our ears after years of campaigning. Finally, the ball is rolling to get the M1 fixed. But we’re not out of the woods just yet.

IT has taken years of heated political argument over funding and too many frustrating holdups for fed-up commuters but at last, there is a breakthrough and work to upgrade the M1 has the green light.

Barely six weeks ago there was no money on the table. Now, after the State and Federal governments have seen sense, we have a $2 billion program approved to ease crippling traffic congestion.

The Queensland Government is to be congratulated for making a tough decision, finally shoving the adversarial politics of Labor versus LNP and state versus Canberra to one side and putting families, commuters, truckies, tradies, tourists and the fortunes of the Gold Coast, Brisbane and towns in between to the fore.

Finally, the state and federal governments have come to an agreement. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING

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It has told the Bulletin it will sign off on funding half of the upgrade for the M1 when it brings down the State Budget next month, bringing to an end the row that has raged with the Federal Coalition Government over how the costs should be split.

This is music to our ears. It has been the Bulletin that has maintained the pressure in this debate, railing against governments and demanding action to deliver infrastructure necessary to avoid transport disaster.

Another M1 story

One of our many, many front page stories about the M1

WITNESSES DESCRIBE M1 TRAGEDY

The green light reinforces people power and, importantly, the pivotal role of a
regional newspaper in fighting for its community and in providing a massive platform for airing the issues that matter.

We are not out of the woods yet, but the upgrading program for the Pacific Motorway will buy southeast Queensland valuable time. An alternative motorway remains a key component in our transport system, and to its credit the State Government acknowledges that. Extension of light and heavy rail must push ahead.

With the M1, debate up until last night had been purely political, ignoring the pleas of commuters and the wider public that really did not give a damn how the funding was carved up because state or federal, it was the ordinary battlers’ taxes that would pay for the project anyway.

M1 FIX ‘JOKE AND A HOAX’ THANKS TO DELAYED FUNDING

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull put $1 billion on the table in the Federal Budget. At the time we congratulated him and his Government for that breakthrough move.

But when the State — or at least Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey — refused to budge, the Gold Coast feared the money could be lost to projects elsewhere.

Perhaps this will soon be a thing of the past. Photo: David Clark

However Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad have listened to those concerns and taken note of the strong safety and economic arguments, despite the rhetoric yesterday from Ms Trad who — while getting the ball rolling on this hugely significant project — could not resist the urge to take another swipe at Canberra, reminding southeast Queensland that much of the federal contribution remains locked away until after 2022-23.

What a difference a few weeks make.

On the eve of the Federal Budget, Mr Bailey said although the State Government was involved in detailed planning, construction remained “years away’’. But today the story has changed.

We have a start and we look forward to a program of widening and interchange improvements to boost M1 reliability and reduce travel times. At last!