State Government and Opposition brawl over funding and timeline for second M1 on Gold Coast

THERE’S been plenty of talk this week about a second M1 on the Gold Coast. Both sides of politics say it’s important but here’s why you shouldn’t expect to see the M2 any time soon.

THE head of the Gold Coast City Council’s infrastructure committee has slammed the LNP and Labor’s standoff over a new M1 as “childish”.

Veteran councillor Dawn Crichlow said tens of thousands of Gold Coast motorists who get stuck in M1 gridlock each week deserved a straight answer from both political parties.

Expect to see this for several more years. Photo: David Clark

The LNP yesterday told the Gold Coast Bulletin their plans for an “M2” on a 36.5km stretch set aside for the Intra-Regional Transport Corridor, between Pimpama and Nerang, would take 60,000 cars off sections of the M1.

But for the second day running Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls refused to commit money to the $500 million link.

Tim Nichols. Pic Annette Dew

“We want to know if people in southeast Queensland think an alternative M1 is a priority,” he said. “It’s clear Annastacia Palaszczuk doesn’t think an alternative M1 is a priority.

“The LNP will be announcing our infrastructure commitments during the election campaign.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday criticised Mr Nicholls’ figures, saying a full duplication of the M1 between Brisbane and the Gold Coast would cost $2.4 billion.

She avoided directly answering questions about a new motorway, saying her government was focused on public transport.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (AAP Image/Dan Peled)

“Once that second stage of the light rail is complete we will start seeing a lot of people move off the roads and on to public transport,” she said.

An angry Cr Crichlow told both leaders to get their act together.

“It is absolutely childish,” she said. “This happens every time there is an election in the wind- you never get a real answer and believe me, I’ve asked.

“You can’t get an answer out of any of them and people do depend on politicians to say it as it is.

“We all know this work has to be done. It is as simple as that.

“We have thousands of people who work in Brisbane and people who live there working here and are we supposed to say you can’t do it anymore.

“This argument is probably going to end up going for another 10 years but they need to give people certainty.”

Cr Dawn Crichlow. Picture Mike Batterham

The LNP is today expected to announce plans to investigate alternate arterial roads throughout the southeast, including the second M1 on the Gold Coast. Other projects will include the Bruce Highway, Centenary Highway and Ipswich Motorway.

The M1 link is expected to run from Stapylton-Jacobs Well Road in the city’s far-north to Nerang-Broadbeach Road.

The IRTC was canned by the former LNP Newman Government in 2014.