Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey takes aim at the LNP over lack of M1 upgrade

STUCK in traffic on the M1 and annoyed at the lack of upgrade? There’s one person to blame, according to Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey who says work should have begun much earlier.

WHEN Campbell Newman won a record 78 seats including every Gold Coast seat for the LNP, your average M1 motorist expected them to deliver with the Commonwealth Games six years away.

Outrageously, no new M1 upgrades were committed to or commenced during the entire LNP term when Tim Nicholls was Treasurer.

Queensland Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply Mark Bailey AAP Image/Darren England)

They had the only window available to start M1 upgrades early enough to finish them before the Commonwealth Games started, but didn’t.

The toothless 10 local LNP MPs took the Gold Coast for granted and stranded M1 motorists.

The Palaszczuk Government has invested in two jointly funded major M1 upgrades with early works underway between Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes and at the Gateway Merge and we’ve completed the Exit 54 upgrade.

Traffic on the M1 is a major issue on the Gold Coast. Photo: Steve Holland

Last week’s announcement adds a third major upgrade with $206m more on the table to finish a six-lane minimum all the way to the border, a $25m Oxenford interchange upgrade and $16m in planning work to prepare for more Gateway Merge upgrades.

In stark contrast, the Tim Nicholls LNP have not committed any new funding to this day in government or in opposition to upgrade the existing M1 but have chosen to ignore it in favour of a so-called second M1.

Mark Bailey said the LNP should have upgraded the road during their time in office. Photo: Steve Holland

Let’s not forget the preparation for this medium-term 36km new corridor from Nerang to Stapylton was stalled by the Newman-Nicholls Government. It was Labor that recommenced work on the Intra Regional Transport Corridor and gazetted the latest section in May this year.

TMR costings on this new highway are realistic at $2.4 billion based on a standard $60m/km estimate which is five times more than the puny costing used by Tim Nicholls.

That’s not a calculation error, that’s a funding black hole you can hide a convoy of B Doubles in. The LNP have a fifth of a road that literally goes nowhere.

Both parties have made election commitments on the M1. Photo: Steve Holland

Even the RACQ has raised doubts on LNP costings when Paul Turner said: “… it sounds light for the sort of expenditure we have on roads these days.” (ABC Brisbane 06/11/17)

Senior LNP member Mayor Tom Tate revealed Tim Nicholls’ road to nowhere would require a toll to be paid by Gold Coast motorists.

Tim Nicholls needs to come clean with motorists about plans to toll his second M1.

Predictably, the federal LNP continue their disdain for the Gold Coast saying they will keep ignoring the southern M1 to the border and haven’t actually confirmed a single dollar for the so-called second M1.

It’s no wonder when senior LNP figure Scott Emerson said this week that “extra lanes don’t matter”.

The M1 will not be fixed by the Commonwealth Games. Photo: David Clark

The RACQ were clear in response saying “(Mr Emerson) is wrong on that, because we think it does ease congestion if you have more lanes. Obviously that increases and improves the flow.”(Paul Turner, ABC Brisbane 06/11/17)

Only Labor invests in Gold Coast infrastructure, whether it’s the M1, the new hospital, both stages of the light rail, the stadiums and heavy rail duplication between Helensvale to Coomera.

The LNP talk big, but sadly they are little lambs when it comes to delivering infrastructure for the Gold Coast.

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