Is State Government all talk on interchange plans?

One Nation candidate Gary Duffy questions commitment on interchange

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: REGARDING Mt Crosby Interchange (QT 13th Jul 2020)

In regards to the proposed plans for the $22 million Mount Crosby Rd interchange, where a start date on when works will finally get underway is not yet known.

It is great that the Department has seen fit to begin a Community consultation period, but we have to question the commencement of this, just weeks from an Election.

Mr Madden said he's had the proposed plans hung on a wall in his office since the middle of last year (2019). But the Parliamentary Petition (2748-17)  by Ex ALP Councillor Wayne Wendt, sponsored by Mr Madden MP with just 305 signatures was tabled in Parliament  8/08/2017 was responded to by Minister Dr Steven Miles MP, saying: "In July 2017, TMR completed investigations into traffic congestion and active transport issues at the interchange, resulting in a business case for an interim upgrade. The proposed interim upgrade includes duplication of the lanes on the southern roundabout, a bypass lane to the northern roundabout, and closing access to Coal Road from the northern roundabout."

I have contacted the Department and asked them to supply this investigation which they refer to, both in 2017 and in the current survey, but they have failed to respond to my request. When I phoned them, they said they didn't have anything they could locate.

A second Petition by Ipswich resident Sandra Clark (3066-18) with 1,736 signatures was presented to the Parliament 28/03/2019. Minister Mark Bailey MP's response was: "TMR is taking steps to improve visibility as an interim measure while funding is sought from the Australian Government. TMR is currently investigating clearing of the vegetation along the westbound verge on the Warrego Highway which approaches the Mount Crosby Road interchange, which will improve visibility for any traffic queued at the off-ramp." 

Since this statement by Minister Miles in 2017 and Minister Bailey in 2019, no work has been undertaken at the interchange which has had no upgrades since it was constructed in 1985.

Both the claims made in 2017 and the mirrored claims in 2020, are made just before the election, nothing has been done by Mr Madden or the Government since Mr Madden used the same plans before the 2017 election, and to say that the plans have been sitting on his wall in his office since mid-2019, yet the Ministers response in 2017, cites the same drawings which the TMR is doing the current survey on, in my opinion and many members of the community's opinion, is a sign of total incompetence by the member for Ipswich West and the Palaszczuk ALP Government.

While I urge people to have a say on the plans, the plans presented by the TMR do not address any of the concerns of the community and the survey does not permit any input when it comes to ranking features of the plans. The features list contains none of the suggestions put forward at the school hall meetings in 2019.

The State says it is putting in $4.4 million of the $22m upgrade, but have added a $9m+ bicycle overpass to the plans, when speaking to community members stuck at the round-a-bouts heading onto the motorway, where bicycles are not permitted, no one has said that their preference is for a bicycle bridge instead of a proper designed exit from the motorway. 

Gary Duffy, One Nation Candidate Ipswich West

Originally published as Is State Government all talk on interchange plans?