Commonwealth Games traffic: Peter Beattie tells Gold Coast locals to suck it up

GOLD Coast Commonwealth Games chairman Peter Beattie has told locals whingeing about the expected traffic chaos ­during the mega-event to “suck it up” amid worries of negative publicity being picked up overseas.

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GOLD Coast Commonwealth Games chairman Peter Beattie has told locals whingeing about the expected chaos ­during the mega-event to “suck it up … because there’s no gain without some pain”.

Mr Beattie was speaking after a rough month for Games organisers, including political correctness scandals and a backlash from tradies angry over an “insulting” cartoon commercial suggesting they ride pushbikes to work to reduce traffic congestion.

The former Queensland premier warned that negative publicity about the Games was being picked up overseas and pleaded with the public to “really work with us” to make the April event a success.

Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Peter Beattie. Picture: Peter Wallis

“We do have to suck it up,” he told The Courier-Mail.

“There’s no gain without some pain. This is the biggest event in Queensland’s history and if we take the long-term view, it’s going put us on the world map like never before.”

Mr Beattie admitted the gridlocked M1 was “a pig” and “a pain in the bum”, but said Games organisers were confident their public transport plan would work.

“We all know the M1 is a pig – you can put lipstick on it but it’s still a pig,” he said.“It’s going to be widened, but not until after the Games and that’s one of the event’s big legacy benefits. In the meantime, we’ve got to make it work – there’s no point us complaining about it.

“You can’t have a million (Games) tickets sold without some pressure on transport, but we’ve busted our butts to get extra trains, extra light-rail and park-and-ride stations.

“The M1 obviously will have its challenges, but we’ve put plans in place to minimise them and what we need is for the co-operation of everybody. We need people to get on board and use public transport.”

With road closures, access restrictions and even entire suburbs shut down, the Games are expected to cause widespread disruption for local residents and businesses.

He urged Opposition leader Deb Frecklington to stop politicising the event, fearing its reputation could be tarnished, pledging to personally “give her a tour” and let her speak to organisers.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week apologised to Gold Coast tradies insulted by a “Get Set for the Games” TV commercial depicting a cartoon builder riding a pink children’s bike with his tools in the basket.

Mr Beattie said tradies would be among the biggest winners from the Games, which are forecast to generate billions of dollars in economic spin-offs.

Originally published as Commonwealth Games traffic: Peter Beattie tells Gold Coast locals to suck it up