Coomera Connector will force costly $150m upgrade to suburban link road

Ratepayers will need to front up $150m for a single suburban road to link to the first stage of the Coomera Connector – because without it, the new highway will be useless.

Paul Weston

2 min read

August 4, 2022 - 4:00AM

Gold Coast Bulletin

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Ratepayers will need to spend almost $150m to link a single suburban road with the first stage of the Coomera Connector, new planning documents show.

It is a massive outlay for City Hall, given the council’s entire transport spend – for roads, bridges and pedestrian pathways – for the next 12 months is $285m.

Map of the Coomera Connector and Helensvale Rd connection.

Area councillor William Owen-Jones has detailed 10 upgrades on Helensvale Rd identified as Local Government Infrastructure Projects (LGIP).

The $148.9m spend will spark a debate about whether the council can do the heavy lifting on all the major intersections on the second M1, from Nerang to Coomera.

The LGIP upgrades to be completed in the next 20 years recognise population growth and the effects of the Connector, given Helensvale Rd rather than Hope Island Rd was chosen by Main Roads as a key exit and entry point to the second M1.

“Local roads are one of five infrastructure networks the City of Gold Coast has to plan for over the next 20 years,” Cr Owen-Jones wrote on his Facebook page.

“The state government provides growth estimates for our city. The most recent projections are for a further 142,000 dwellings, housing 328,000 additional residents by 2041 – which is pretty much the same annual growth the City has had over the last four decades.”

Cr Owen-Jones admitted the infrastructure planning and delivery was “really expensive” and funded by ratepayers with no major finance help from the government.

The Helensvale Rd upgrades range from $114.6m for works for the Warrego Way-Hope Island Rd area, and $7.1m at Monterey Key Dr.

Cr Owen-Jones has encouraged residents to respond to public consultation for the LGIP update. Council is to make a submission to the government in December and, if approved, recommendations will become part of the City Plan in June next year.

Some residents on his Facebook page opposed more traffic lights and fewer roundabouts on the link road.

“Am I reading this correctly,” one wrote. “Seven sets of lights planned for Helensvale Rd?”

Councillor William Owen-Jones — warning of infrastructure cost. Picture: Glenn Hampson

Cr Owen-Jones said the roundabouts could only be replaced with signals when volumes of traffic increased.

“If you know Napper Rd, Arundel – it’s a good comparable example of how roads change,” he said.

Another resident wrote: “I know that suppliers of signals and IT systems are always encouraging council and state road departments to plan more traffic lights to expand their business, but listen to voters who say ‘no’ to a red light at 9pm with zero surrounding traffic. More roundabouts, less traffic lights.”