Cops, crime and the M1

Fast-growing seat wants motorway fix and safety

THE GOLD Coast’s northernmost seat of Coomera is home to one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia.

As the population at Pimpama continues to soar, residents are crying out for additional police officers, better infrastructure and solutions to their M1 traffic woes.

MP Michael Crandon, who has held the State seat since it was established in 2009, said M1 exits were “without a doubt” the biggest issue in the electorate.

“We (LNP) will spend $100 million on exits 41, 45, 49 and 57,” he said. “Whenever I speak to locals, the M1 is the main issue that comes up.”

Pharmacist Nam Huy, who owns Chempro Coomera Village and commutes each day from Brisbane, said the M1 was a “daily problem”.

“I actually come to work through (Logan and Ipswich) and pay a toll. That way I avoid the M1 for the most part.”

Mr Crandon said the LNP was also pushing for an additional 50 police officers in the electorate.

“We need it in the northern area ... to catch up with the

population growth (and) we need a (police) station or a warehouse out at Pimpama.”

In the latest electorate redistribution, Coomera shrunk

and moved slightly west, now running from Alberton to Wongawallan.

It also took in less-developed suburbs west of the M1 and lost Hope Island to Broadwater.

The change reduced the LNP’s margin from 8.5 per cent to around 5.8 per cent.

Business owners at Coomera also highlighted crime as a major issue.

“I’ve seen drug deals, people fighting,” hairdresser Tanika Lea, of Tanika’s House of Hair, said. “I work late on Thursday nights (and) there are lots of kids that hang around.”

John Lang, who has run Lang Realty since 1988, said the electorate needed more uniformed police patrolling Coomera and Pimpama in particular.

“The police here do a good job, but they’re so shortstaffed.”

Political analyst Professor Stephen Stockwell said the Coomera seat was home to a lot of younger people.

“Quite often Labor target a younger age group but I don’t think that would make too much of a difference here.

“Michael Crandon has a decent margin (but) some people may shift to One Nation. It is going to be an interesting indicator for the Coast generally.”

Coomera recorded a 21.3 per cent swing against Labor at the 2012 election, the second largest in the state while the swing back in 2015 was a smaller 14.7 per cent.