Revealed: Crucial missing detail about Coomera Connector
The RACQ wants the state government to release a crucial missing detail about the Coomera Connector after it was revealed the $1.5 billion road may be reduced from six to four lanes.
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The RACQ wants the state government to release a crucial missing detail about the Coomera Connector after it was revealed the $1.5 billion road may be reduced from six to four lanes.
The state’s leading advocate for motorists and road safety has referred its members to a Bulletin report that this month revealed the highway’s varying width was one of 20 key facts in a Transport and Main Roads Department (TMR) report from discussions with a community reference group.
The first stage of the Coomera Connector will run between Nerang-Broadbeach Road and Shipper Drive at Coomera.
The first section may take 10 years to build, but latest documents reveal that while a six-lane corridor will be created, TMR admits it may not necessarily mean six lanes will initially be built.
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“In sections where a reduced number of lanes are built as part of Stage 1, the project will be designed to enable additional lanes to be added as a future upgrade to the Coomera Connector,” the report added.
RACQ head of public policy Rebecca Michael said more details were needed on where the lane reductions would occur and how it would help ease traffic snarls and improve safety.
The RACQ has been a strong supporter of the highway being six lanes to take an estimated 60,000 vehicles off the Pacific Motorway, easing up gridlock between Coomera and the Smith Street exit.
“The Coomera Connector is being built to alleviate pressure on the heavily congested Pacific Motorway, but we need to know if this lane configuration will be able to accommodate expected traffic volumes for local trips and future freight demand,” Dr Michael said.
“We need to ensure the Coomera Connector Stage 1 project is fit for purpose and won’t need ongoing upgrades shortly after completion, which would lead to issues we currently see on the Bruce Highway and Gateway Motorway with continual roadworks reducing capacity.
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“With the M1 already crippled with congestion, the Coomera Connector’s reported 10-year time frame won’t support our economic recovery and ongoing growth in the short-to-medium term, so it really needs to be fast-tracked and delivered as soon as possible.”
Dr Michael said the corridor needed to be multi-modal, with active and public transport options integrated into the design, to accommodate the Coast’s high population growth.
“The northern Gold Coast has suffered from excess congestion due to poorly managed housing growth with inadequate public transport options,” she said.
“All state government road upgrades require the inclusion of high-quality cycling infrastructure, so this road needs a segregated cycle lane to be delivered to provide safe and sustainable travel opportunities for the whole community.”
Transport Minister Mark Bailey has criticised both Theodore MP Mark Boothman and the LNP for their complaints about the highway build.
“Mark Boothman and the LNP are quick to complain about the project, but at least Labor is getting the job done on the second M1,” Mr Bailey has told the Bulletin.
“The LNP blocked any progress on the Coomera Connector under Campbell Newman.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has protected and gazetted the corridor and worked with the federal government to lock in $1.5 billion to build Stage 1 between Coomera and Nerang.”
20 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COOMERA CONNECTOR
THE first stage of the $1.53 billion Coomera Connector will be reduced from six to four lanes in some sections, according to a new report.
The Bulletin can reveal the highway’s varying width is one of 20 key facts about the building of the second M1, after the Transport and Main Roads Department (TMR) released a report from working with a community reference group.
The first stage of the second M1, between Nerang-Broadbeach Road at Nerang and Shipper Drive at Coomera, is expected to take up to 60,000 vehicles off the Pacific Motorway, reducing congestion and increasing road safety.
This first section may take 10 years to build, but latest documents reveal that while a six-lane corridor will be created, TMR admits “traffic volumes will inform the number of lanes that will be included in the reference design and business case for Stage 1”.
“In sections where a reduced number of lanes are built as part of Stage 1, the project will be designed to enable additional lanes to be added as a future upgrade to the Coomera Connector,” the report added.
Former community reference group member Mark Hunter confirmed a discussion about a reduction of lanes had occurred.
“The number of lanes had not been determined,” he said.
But TMR was of the view that the base construction for a six-lane corridor would be done at the same time, so if two lanes were later added “it would not lead to a whole lot of work”.
Theodore LNP MP Mark Boothman accused the state government of being “covert in its dealings”, telling residents one thing but creating designs which contradicted their position.
“The state government promised six lanes, therefore they should build six lanes,” he said. “Building the six lanes now will be cheaper rather than adding the extra lanes in the future.”
More contentious for the community reference group was the concern about “the minimum baseline data being collected” for the future monitoring on noise, air and light pollution.
Mr Hunter told the Bulletin: “I was a strong advocate for keeping speed down to 80km/h, that reduces the sound from the cars by a certain amount of decibels.”
The Coomera Shores resident learned that was one of the non-negotiables listed by the department.
Mr Bailey told the Bulletin: “Mark Boothman and the LNP are quick to complain about the project, but at least Labor is getting the job done on the Second M1.
“The LNP blocked any progress on the Coomera Connector under Campbell Newman.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has protected and gazetted the corridor and worked with the Federal Government to lock in $1.5 billion to build stage one between Coomera and Nerang.”
Here are the main issues from the community reference group, and a guide on the 20 things residents and motorists needed to know about the Coomera Connector.
● Width of road: Sections of the highway will be four lanes, with the six-lane corridor intact.
● Public transport alternatives: Upgrading the trains and trams were ruled out because public transport “does not provide sufficient positive transport outcomes to be considered as a standalone option at this time”.
● The section north of Coomera: Planning between Loganholme and Coomera will be progressed as future stages but funding has not been committed and timing has not yet been confirmed.
● Northern connection point for Stage 1: This will be Shipper Drive, Coomera. TMR says it will improve access to the Gold Coast Marine Precinct and minimise impacts to the Foreshore Coomera estate and Foxwell State Secondary College. Other connecting points include — Helensvale Road at Helensvale, Gold Coast Highway at Brisbane Road, Helensvale, Smith Street Motorway at Molendinar, Southport-Nerang Road at Ashmore and Nerang-Broadbeach Road at Nerang.
● The complicated Gold Coast Suns Carrara connection: A new signalised intersection will be built near Boulton Drive, allowing traffic to enter the highway to and from Nerang-Broadbeach Road to the west. TMR says it is working with the Suns and Metricon Stadium to consider potential impact flows of buses travelling from Nerang station on game days.
● The sought-after Hope Island Road connection: Ruled out by TMR due to a “significant number of property impacts” including flooding. Officers estimate between 75–120 residential and commercial properties would likely need to be resumed.
● The road surface: Yet to be confirmed but will be included in the Stage 1 business case. While concrete was selected as preferred pavement for the then less-urbanised sections of the M1 when it was constructed in the late 1990s, TMR says road technologies have since evolved.
● Shared pathways: Talks continuing with communities on a shared walking and biking pathway.
● The size of the corridor: Wider in some areas. The corridor through Arundel and Hope Island, TMR acknowledges, are “two of the most constrained parts of the project corridor”. Where possible, vegetation will be retained between the road and residences along with noise barriers.
● Southern intersection: Will join Nerang-Broadbeach Road near the intersection of Chisholm Road and Lakeview Drive. However, TMR says, based on the concept design, no changes are proposed to the current arrangement of this intersection.
● Busiest section: Traffic modelling for the business case indicates most use will be between Coomera and the Smith Street Motorway. Traffic volumes between Smith Street Motorway and Nerang are expected to be lower.
● Bottlenecks: As traffic will enter and exit the Coomera Connector at six different locations, TMR suggests it should not cause traffic bottlenecks at Nerang-Broadbeach Road.
● Speed: The report notes that the reduction of the posted speed limit can contribute to slightly lower levels of road traffic noise, but changes to the speed limit are not being considered for the Connector.
● Space issues: TMR confirms there is sufficient room between the rail line at Hope Island and the River Cove estate to build and operate the Coomera Connector.
● Compensation: TMR says it is mindful of the impacts of roadworks and does everything that can be reasonably expected to minimise inconvenience to residents, commuters and adjacent businesses. But it only provides compensation to land owners (or those with a legal registered interest in land) whose land is acquired for road projects.
● Flooding: Stage 1 crosses two major rivers — Coomera and Nerang — and Saltwater and Coombabah creeks at Helensvale. Hydraulic modelling has been undertaken to
determine potential impacts on the water levels. TMR says the design criteria will ensure no existing dwellings are adversely affected by flood events up to the one-in-100-year average recurrence interval flood event.
● Noise, dust and lighting: TMR is preparing a public environment report which the community will be provided with an opportunity to comment on. The approval process requires compliance with environmental laws including any conditions about wildlife-friendly lighting. During construction, dust suppression will be managed as part of a construction management plan, which needs to be approved by TMR.
● Koalas: An environment report to be made public will deal with how TMR proposes to mitigate the impacts on koalas. A koala management plan is being developed in consultation with environmental stakeholders including the Coomera Conservation Group and Gecko Environment Council and the Queensland Government Koala Advisory Council.
● Tunnels: TMR judged tunnelling as “an unaffordable option that would prevent the project from being delivered”. Above ground tunnels were also considered “a cost prohibitive option”.
● Timing: Construction of Stage 1 is expected to start mid-2021 after release of the business case.
YESTERDAY:
A senior ex-member of the Coomera Connector community consultation group has written a scathing letter to Transport Minister Mark Bailey, accusing the department of being “unethical” and “manipulating” findings.
The Bulletin can reveal Mark Hunter, a leading public speaker and former school principal, has resigned in protest.
He hoped all members could have met as a group and voted in a formal matter on issues like lowering speed on the $1.53 billion first stage of the new highway.
“But I was hobnailed, they just refused to let that happen,” he said.
“I thought it was unethical behaviour on behalf of a department to manipulate a reference group that way.”
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He said the consultation process did not allow community members to vote and change key issues like speed limits to reduce noise, introduce above ground tunnels and extend the monitoring for noise and mental health impacts from the new highway west of the M1.
In his letter, Mr Hunter told Mr Bailey his role, as informed by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, was to safeguard the health of residents and protect the environment.
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“You were also instructed to meet with key stakeholders to inform policy and achieve best outcomes for Queenslanders,” he wrote. “These actions were to take place in behavioural context that was transparent, accountable and ethical.
“I believe that my treatment while on the Coomera Connector CRG committee has not met the standards set down by the Premier.”
Mr Hunter alleged the following breaches of guidelines:
● Gratuitous use of his disability in marketing material, which included photographs of himself in his wheelchair suggesting tokenism as a disabled representative.
● Being refused access to other members of the committee to discuss items “falling from the Connector project” so as to inform his role as representative of the Coomera Shores precinct in Helensvale.
● Cost of potential world-class solutions to significant community issues stated as prohibitive without any detailed information to support the stand.
● Only two locations in the Shores were used to establish baseline noise levels.
● Refusal to collect statistically valid and reliable data on baseline local air quality.
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Theodore LNP MP Mark Boothman accused the government of being “covert in its dealings” with residents.
“This report highlights the community consultation is nothing more than a sham. It is a tick-and-flick exercise from the department to say we listened to the community,” he said.
“One would expect community consultation would actually include listening to committee members’ concerns and not placing them in the too-hard basket.
“I have been pushing for appropriate methods to reduce the impact of this road on surrounding residential estates. In my opinion, world’s best practises in sound barriers and sound-limiting road surfacing should be a priority.”
But Mr Bailey said the intention for the Stage 1 of the Coomera Connector had always been to build it wide enough to accommodate six lanes.
“We’re thankful for Mr Hunter’s contribution to the project through the community reference group and respect his right to express his views about the process,” he said.
The community reference group’s membership included residents from 10 areas located along the proposed corridor, and representatives from businesses and environmental groups.
“The group was established to draw on local knowledge and provide input into aspects of the project like the design of noise barriers, bike and pedestrian paths, landscaping and tree planting,” Mr Bailey said.
“My department also held a separate meeting with Mr Hunter to discuss his specific concerns about the mental health of nearby residents, and took this feedback on board, amending contract documents to address those concerns.”
Originally published as Revealed: Crucial missing detail about Coomera Connector
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