Station users left out on limb

NORTHERN Gold Coast railway station car parks are full and will not be upgraded in time for the Commonwealth Games, forcing motorists to leave their vehicles in nearby paddocks.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon yesterday warned that station parking had become a safety issue with motorists walking to their cars at night in grassed areas which lacked security cameras.

In regular audits during peak hour, the Coast MP had found both car parks to be full and counted 21 vehicles parked on a dirt patch near Ormeau station.

“There are no security cameras there. There is no lighting. If people arrive home in the evening (from work in Brisbane), it’s been dark at 5.30pm,” Mr Crandon said.

“What if it’s a young woman arriving there. They didn’t give us any car parking infrastructure, not even an upgrade at Ormeau for the Games.

“They gave us nothing. pushed hard for it.”

Ormeau station would be used by commuters travelling south to Coomera to attend its new indoor sport centre at the Games.

When Parliament resumed last week Mr Crandon tabled eight petitions which high- I lighted the alarming infrastructure deficit in his electorate which is home to Australia’s fastest growing suburbs.

More than 100 petitioners have requested that the car park at Coomera railway station be extended and 84 residents have sought a similar commitment at Ormeau.

Residents have also sought upgraded bus services between the two stations and improvements to exits 45 and 41 on the Pacific Motorway.

Mr Crandon said he had advised residents that the only option left was to table the petitions after being unable to get any support during talks with government ministers and GOLDOC.

“It highlights the number of issues in the northern Gold Coast. There has been a significant lag in any catch up,” he said.

“There have been no new bus services since we introduced changes in 2014. They have taken 10 train services off us to try and backfill the services with the rail fail.”

Residents could not get a bus to the station, those that drove there were unable to find a car park and that led to more motorists returning to the congested exits to get onto the M1, Mr Crandon said.

“My commuters for all intents and purposes are buggered,” he said.