Transport Minister Mark Bailey says LNP’s Coomera Connector plan will cause fresh traffic woe

The LNP’s plan for the Coomera Connector shows a lack of understanding of the problem at hand and the infrastructure required, writes Transport Minister Mark Bailey.

The booming suburbs of the Northern Gold Coast need their own road corridor south to access jobs, services and the beach without having to get on and off the 110 km/h M1.

When I became the new Minister for Main Roads in 2015, I was well aware the proposed new road corridor, known now as the second M1 or Coomera Connector, had been cut by the Newman LNP Government, to great disappointment on the Gold Coast.

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When I was briefed on it as the new Minister, I was aghast at that short-sighted decision given the accelerating population growth around Pimpama, Coomera and Ormeau.

I sent my Department of Transport and Main Roads into bat to get the corridor secured and gazetted so we could do the necessary planning work and get on with building the second M1 as quickly as possible.

An artist’s impression of Labor’s proposed Coomera Connector at Parkwood. Picture: TMR

In 2016, 2017 and 2019 all three sections of this 45km new corridor were secured via gazettal by Labor. Public consultation followed and the business case and reference design are now well underway.

The southern section from Coomera to Nerang is the first priority which is why the Palaszczuk Labor Government put down $755 million a month ago, which was matched last week by Canberra in the federal budget for a total of $1.5 billion locked and loaded to build the full 16km stage 1 from near Metricon at Carrara up to near the Marine Precinct at Coomera, with provision for multiple exits.

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Embarrassed by their appalling record of blocking the second M1 (well reported in the Gold Coast Bulletin at the time), LNP leader Deb Frecklington has attempted to clutch the mantel of being a second M1 fan to cover up those lost three years when she was Campbell Newman’s Assistant Minister on his razor gang, cutting projects like this one.

When anyone looks at the actual content and detail of the LNP second M1 promise however, it’s obvious they just don’t get it and haven’t done their homework.

The LNP have only committed to a puny six kilometre stage one of a second M1, going only from Coomera to the old Gold Coast Highway. Their stage one leaves out the entire ten kilometre southern section from the Gold Coast Highway to Nerang.

That means under the LNP, 100% of the northern Gold Coast traffic using the LNP’s puny version of the second M1 will all end up on the old Gold Coast Highway, pushing up to an extra 60,000 cars every day through Helensvale, Parkwood, Biggera Waters and Labrador.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey speaks at a press conference in the Sunshine Coast this week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Labor’s full 16km route will allow traffic to get on and off at Smith Street and Nerang Broadbeach Road, making it truly easier for locals to move around the Gold Coast and freeing up the M1 for genuine long distance travel rather than local trips.

While talking big, this puny policy by LNP Leader Deb Frecklington will turn the Gold Coast Highway into a car park from the day their version is opened to traffic.

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It’s a disaster that’s foreseeable now yet not a peep out of local LNP spivs like Mark Boothman in Theodore or indeed rookie Bonney MP Sam O’Connor trying to stop this happening to their constituents.

No wonder Mayor Tom Tate and the Chambers of Commerce condemned the LNP’s puny plan as it shows a complete lack of understanding of the problem at hand and the infrastructure required.

An artist’s impression of Labor’s proposed Coomera Connector at Helensvale. Picture: TMR

It’s another example of Deb Frecklington’s poor judgment – whether on roads, on health or on borders.

Under the LNP’s disastrous plan, it could take 25 years to build the whole length in about seven stages, with the Gold Coast playing catch up continually over decades.

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The Palaszczuk Labor Government has a strong record of both funding and getting major transport infrastructure right and done on the Gold Coast over two terms - two M1 upgrades, two light rail stages, four M1 interchange upgrades, heavy rail duplication from Coomera to Helensvale and now the real McCoy full Stage One of the second M1. The Newman-Frecklington Government score? Zero.

Gold Coast residents concerned about the LNP’s puny plan for a mini second M1 have a clear choice on election day to back the Gold Coast and send the lazy LNP a clear message.

Mark Bailey is Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister