Why the M1 funding upgrade is a ‘farce’ and will not stop the congestion on exits

Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived on the Gold Coast today to announce money for M1 upgrades. But the announcement has been ridiculed by critics.

The Exit 49 off ramp at peak hour.

GOLD Coasters have been “dudded” after the Prime Minister announced upgrades of the city’s two worst congested M1 offramps.

Scott Morrison this morning announced $50 million in funding to upgrade Exit 41 at Yatala and Exit 49 at Pimpama.

Both exits are in the marginal seat of Forde held by the LNP’s Bert van Manen. The PM also announced $50 million in funding for the Ipswich Motorway and $30 million for the Mt Lindsay Highway.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was in Yatala to announced a $50m funding injection for the Gold Coast stretch of the M1. Picture: Andrew Potts

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The Palaszczuk Government’s transport experts have crunched the numbers — and they say the funds will fix only a quarter of the work on each exit.

The Commonwealth had not reached out to the State yet for the traditional 50-50 split on funding for exits. No time frame had been set for work.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey told The Bulletin: “Gold Coast residents may well ask Prime Minister Scott Morrison ‘where the bloody hell were ya?’ after he gave most of state’s entire allocation from a federal congestion fund to projects in the greater Brisbane area.

“Where was the money for the Gold Coast? The Prime Minister has once again diverted Gold Coast federal roads funding to buy LNP votes in marginal Brisbane electorates.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Yatala today where he announced a $50m funding injection for the Gold Coast stretch of the M1. Picture: Andrew Potts

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“Even the new funding allocations for two M1 interchanges, Ipswich Motorway and Mt Lindesay Highway and suburban road upgrades fall a long way short of what’s needed for all of those projects.”

The Palaszczuk Government had begun planning to upgrade exits 41 and 49, and costed both about $100 million each.

“The $50 million promised by Mr Morrison will only just cover half an exit upgrade. The Gold Coast is Australia’s sixth largest city with more than half a million residents and it once again has been dudded,” Mr Bailey said.

“The federal LNP government pork barrel marginal seats in Brisbane using the Gold Coast’s funding because they have three safe seats here and take it for granted.

Exit 49 at peak hour.

“As Treasurer Scott Morrison ripped off the Gold Coast by $300 million on M1 upgrades compared to his deal with NSW and here he is doing it again as Prime Minister, only this time the Gold Coast got virtually zero.”

But the PM earlier today talked up the projects.

“This is another important local congestion-busting series of projects,” he said.

“These do two things — they get people where they need to go quickly and more safely.

“Whether it is getting home to have dinner as a family, being home to help the kids with their homework or a tradie who is spending time on the job where they can build as opposed to spending time in their ute in the traffic.”