Robina roadworks: $13m to fix central Gold Coast’s ‘notorious and dangerous’ intersections
Some of the Gold Coast’s most dangerous intersections, dubbed “the Bermuda Triangle” will not be getting any state government funding despite pleas from the city. Here’s why.
Transport
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MORE than $13m will be spent to fix some of the central Gold Coast’s most “notorious and dangerous” intersections in a major pre-Olympic Games upgrade.
The intersections surrounding Robina Town Centre will be upgraded in the first step towards decongesting the suburb, which will become home to an athletes village for the 2032 Games.
They are:
● Converting the intersection of Robina Town Centre and Laver drives into a signalled intersection, directly outside The Rocket tower;
● Upgrading the intersection of Robina Town Centre and Scottsdale drives;
● Upgrading the intersection of Prospect Court and Scottsdale Drive.
Area councillor Hermann Vorster said the project, which will take two years, was critical to decongesting the suburb.
But he urged the state government to fast-track the $35m upgrade of the Robina Parkway and Laver Drive intersection, a project he said they had a “moral responsibility” to progress.
“There is a moral responsibility for this upgrade to be funded and it lies with the state government because it is at the epicentre of the traffic crisis they have created,” he said.
“By allowing the expansion of the shopping centre, the hospital, the high school, stadium and TAFE while its laws block the payment of transport infrastructure charges, it has put pressure on the central Gold Coast while they now want to dump an athletes village here too.
“This roundabout is the Bermuda Triangle of road issues and it is the most notorious and dangerous in the central region”.
Robina is governed by its own special act of Parliament which removed the requirement for infrastructure fees.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey insisted the road network in Robina was entirely the council’s responsibility.
“The road network in Robina is the responsibility of Gold Coast City Council and I’m surprised that experienced Councillor Vorster is unaware that the only state-controlled road in Robina is the M1,” he said.
“Mayor Tom Tate has thanked the Palaszczuk Government for the over $5b in road and transport funding allocated to the Gold Coast and surrounds in the state budget last week, labelling it “great for our city.”
“Councillor Vorster should focus on doing his job as a local City Councillor instead of asking me to do it for him.”
The council, state and private sector are expected to work together to deliver road upgrades surrounding the village.