FAIR GO: Gold Coast heavyweights fed up with government failing to fix M1
GOLD Coast heavyweights are fed up with the government failing to deliver on critical M1 upgrades and say the city’s growth and development will be affected because of it.
Transport
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THEY reckon our pollies are a “bunch of clowns”, arrogant, have let down the city and deserve to be booted out before the Pacific Motorway grinds to a complete halt.
The Bulletin has surveyed the Gold Coast’s top business people, all of whom have wasted precious hours sitting in traffic on the M1 on their daily trips to Brisbane and back.
Their message to voters was to back the Bulletin’s Fair Go campaign and get the local MPs to “fix it now”.
Many of them blamed federal Coast LNP MPs, elected to safe seats, for not stepping up. They say they are prepared to change their vote next weekend.
Others are furious with the state Labor Government for refusing to agree to a 50-50 funding deal which the Turnbull Government put on the table in the past week.
James Frizelle Automotive Group operations manager and Titans chairwoman Rebecca Frizelle said: “I think (the Gold Coast) is overlooked from a funding point of view. We have had to fight.
“I would (change my vote).
“Competition drives business – it should be the same for politics.”
Hot Tomato chairman Hans Torv blasted the city’s long-term Liberal MPs Steve Ciobo, Stuart Robert and Karen Andrews.
“We are definitely taken for granted by the Liberals,” he said. “There’s an arrogance in the way they deal with the Gold Coast. Both federal and state parliamentarians would start to listen if we marginalised a few seats.
“Time to put some sweat on their brows.”
Gold Coast Suns chairman and former V8 Supercars boss Tony Cochrane took aim at the state Labor Government.
“The problem is with the clowns in Brisbane,” Mr Cochrane said. “They probably couldn’t even find the Coast.”
Transport Minister Mark Bailey should accept the 50-50 offer from the Federal Government for a $220 million solution for the Robina to Reedy Creek stretch of highway rather than haggle about the traditional 80-20 split, he said.
Sunland developer Soheil Abedian said the city only achieved positive change when new governments were elected to office.
“So therefore, on the Gold Coast maybe it’s best that every six months we have an election,” Mr Abedian said.
“It’s our tax money we are providing. It is the duty of the government to see and foresee the next 20 to 30 years (solutions for infrastructure).”
GoldLinQ chairman John Witheriff, who has been locked in traffic for almost four hours at times when travelling from Brisbane, said governments should start buying up land for the Intra Regional Transport Corridor – not expected to be built before 2031.
“I would be very happy if that second road was a toll road and I think that there would be a lot of market interest in a toll road to Brisbane,” Mr Witheriff said.
Gold Coast Cabs CEO Gordana Blazevic used to travel the MI every day and said she believed the upgrade of the highway must be a priority before the 2018 Commonwealth Games. “The other day I was going the other direction – it was hell on wheels,” she said.
WHAT OUR BUSINESS LEADERS SAY
Tony Cochrane: Gold Coast SUNS Chairman and Former V8 Supercars Australia Chairman
The problem is with the clowns in Brisbane. They don’t care about the Gold Coast.
Let’s get the job going — they just want to play politics the idiots in George Street.
Rebecca Frizelle: Group Operations Manager at James Frizelle Automotive Group and Titans Chairwoman
It doesn’t help us being a safe seat city. If we were sitting in marginal seats in this election campaign, it is hard to imagine the M1 upgrade would not have been a pressing priority for both sides of politics.
Graham Annesley: Gold Coast Titans CEO
We had any number of people stuck in it (on Monday). We had another young boy who was leading the team onto the field and he and his father were caught in it. They had to get off and get on a train.
Soheil Abedian: Leading Gold Coast developer
All the time (I’m stuck in congestion).
The road system is not expanding.
It’s our tax money that we are providing, it is the duty of the government to see and foresee the next 20 to 30 years.
John Witheriff: Executive Chairman of Minter Ellison Gold Coast and Chairman of the GoldLinQ PPP Consortium
I’m becoming very familiar with the M1, I could almost tell you the colour of (things on it) the amount of times I’ve been stuck in traffic.
Hans Torv: Hot Tomato Executive Chairman
I avoid the M1 as much as possible.
It amazes me that I have never seen the M1 quiet.
Professor Tim Brailsford: Bond University Vice-Chancellor
The solution is for all three levels of government to sit down together and commit to this plan. The M1 has become a major issue and the daily congestion is surely costing businesses, trade and commerce.
Mike Cobb: Data & Voice CEO
I was stuck in the M1 for three hours the other day.
It is (a priority) for business. A lot of Gold Coast business people work up in Brisbane and it’s a nightmare. It’s an inhibitor to growth of this city.
Brian Sohier: Architectural Technical Services owner
We can’t keep bandaging the one arterial road between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
You have an accident on the M1 and you have cut the artery. It’s not add a couple of lanes, it’s find an alternate route.
Bianca Dye: Gold FM presenter
In all seriousness it is unbelievable. The amount of calls I get from people saying it’s a car park, it’s a nightmare.
Gordana Blazevic: Gold Coast Cabs CEO
I actually drove from Brisbane to the Gold Coast every day for the last two years. That’s (time) I’ll never get back.
Eric Gardner: LEA Insurance Brokers director
I have a monthly meeting in Brisbane and it just gets worse and worse. If I’m in Brisbane at lunch it means I make sure I leave at around 2.30pm because otherwise you are stuck.
Mark Peters: GOLDOC CEO
Yes (I get stuck in traffic). I think transportation onto the Gold Coast is always a great challenge and everybody needs to be working together to find solutions.
Airlie Maclachlan: AMBS Offshore Solutions Managing Director
With the M1, to have some places where it bottlenecks is just crazy. I think unfortunately the way our political world works if you happen to be a marginal seat, depending on which party is in politics, you will find that money (doesn’t come).
Zaak Wheaton: RWG Accountants and Advisors director
If you really want to take the pressure off the M1 it’s not about adding lanes, that’s 1980s.
Ian Kennedy: McLaughlins Lawyers managing partner
By the time they get the next lane done it’s already full. The Gold Coast is the place where people want to live. They can live and work here but they still want to be a part of their national company (be it in Brisbane).
Michael Pulford: Trend Personnel Services founder and vice president of Southport Chamber of Commerce
Plenty of times (I have been stuck). I think this is an LNP area on the Gold Coast and the problem is Labor is in charge. They are not going to give LNP members what they want.
Troy Jennings: LEA Insurance Brokers director
It’s definitely starting to lock (up) earlier. You used to be able to go at 5.30am. Now you have really got to get away at 4am (and) if you have to go to the other side to the Sunny Coast, it’s an absolute nightmare.
Catherine O’Sullivan: Bond University Pro Vice-Chancellor, Pathways & Partnerships
It’s a general lack of appropriate transport infrastructure that is holding us back.
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