State Election 2017: M1 funding shortfall bombshell as Labor caught short on costings
LABOR is being accused of underfunding the desperately-needed M1 upgrade by at least $175 million on the eve of an election where Gold Coast voters say a gridlock fix will sway their vote.
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THE LNP is accusing Labor of underfunding the Pacific Motorway upgrade by at least $175 million.
In a bombshell on election eve, the Opposition has gone through Labor’s costings and found the Government was selling voters short on M1 promises.
But Labor say the plan has been fully costed but a majority of the money will not be provided until after 2021.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in her policy documents said Labor would commit $206 million to help fund the upgrade of the southern M1 between Varsity Lakes and Tugun.
FIX THE BLOODY M1 GRIDLOCK FARCE
A further $25 million would be allocated towards upgrading the Oxenford (Exit 57) interchange and $16 million to develop a business case for future upgrades of the M1 corridor between Eight Mile Plains and Logan Motorway.
But Labor costings released yesterday shows the “MI Action Plan” costed at a total of $55 million.
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Opposition leader Tim Nicholls told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor have lied to Gold Coast residents about their plans for the M1.
“It’s clear that they are short-changing Gold Coast residents in another secret plan revealed on the eve of the election.
“Labor has well and truly abandoned the Gold Coast and doesn’t care about fixing the M1 gridlock.
“The LNP is the only party that has put their money where it matters with a proper plan to get Gold Coast families home sooner and safer. We will fix the M1 once and for all while Labor’s plan is a fake.”
A Labor Government spokeswoman provided more detailed costings which show money has been set aside for the M1 upgrades, including the $206 million widening of the highway from Varsity to Tugun.
No money is set aside this financial year for the Varsity to Tugun section or the upgrades to Exit 57 at Oxenford.
The costings show $2 million has been set aside in 2018-2019 for the southern section and a further $10 million for the interchange upgrade.
A massive $176 million of the funding for the Varsity to Tugun upgrade will 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.”
A Gold Coast Bulletin poll this morning after a crash delayed motorists on the M1 showed of three major projects — the highway upgrade, light rail extensions and cruise ship terminal — that the road was most on voter’s minds.
Almost 86 per cent of voters wanted it fixed.
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