Labor breaks it’s promise on M1 funding before voters have reached the polls
Labor has broken it’s election promise for the M1 before Gold Coasters have even got to the polls. A majority of the funding for the project is more than four years away.
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LABOR has broken its election promise on the M1 debacle even before voters have reached the polls.
The Government’s costing on how it will pay to fix the Pacific Motorway show it will not be done until after the 2020 State election.
The party’s costings obtained by the Bulletin reveal Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has pledged only $55 million to the M1 in the next four years. About $30 million of the $206 million needed to widen the southern motorway, between Varsity Lakes and Tugun, to six lanes has been listed until 2020-21. The other $176 million has not been costed until after the next election.
The $25 million upgrade of the exit ramp at Oxenford has been fully committed.
The LNP has promised to build an M2 from Nerang to Stapylton.
Experts have previously told the Bulletin some sections of the M1 will reach capacity in as little as 12 months.
It can also be revealed Labor has budgeted for only 400 of the 535 new police officers promised.
The funding shortfall came as thousands of motorists were stuck in a 15km traffic jam on the M1 near Yatala yesterday morning after a two-car crash.
Stopped for two hours, angry drivers vented on goldcoastbulletin.com.au. More than 85 per cent in an online poll demanded the road be fixed before the light rail was extended south.
Minders of Premier Palaszczuk refused to let the Bulletin speak to her yesterday during a media opportunity for the second stage of the light rail.
A Labor spokeswoman confirmed $176 million of the promised $206 million upgrade from Varsity Lakes to Tugun would not be provided until after 2021.
“Labor’s commitment to the M1 is fully costed and fully funded,” the spokeswoman said.
“Major road projects take time to complete.
“They are not built overnight and our commitment to our M1 Action plan is sequenced to begin following the completion of the Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes project.”
LNP leader Tim Nicholls slammed the broken promise as “short-changing” the Gold Coast on the election eve.
“Labor has lied to the Gold Coast,” he said.
“There is only $55 million for these projects in Labor’s costings — that’s $176 million missing.”
“It’s clear that they are short-changing Gold Coast residents in another secret plan revealed on the eve of the election,” Mr Nicholls said.
The LNP have set aside $250 million to build a second M1. The federal government said it would match the funding, pending a business case.
Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey has previously slammed the second M1 as severely underfunded.
The Department of Transport and Main Roads estimates the cost of the new highway to be more than $2.4 billion.
The LNP used figures provided in the South East Queensland Council of Mayors 2015 election requests.
Labor late yesterday also defended its costings on new police officers, saying 400 cops had been “budgeted for prior to the election and are not part of election costings”.
An ALP spokeswoman said the costings show an additional 85 counter terrorism officers would cost $53.85 million over four years.
About $185 million is budgeted for the additional police officers.
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