Call for gridlock summit

COUNCILLORS fed up with congestion on the M1 are organising a transport briefing with MPs to reach agreement on how to fix the gridlocked road network.

The priority traffic meeting – which will include all the Coast’s politicians – was flagged yesterday as councillors vented during the first session of the city’s new Transport and Infrastructure committee.

A city freight plan report presented to the committee revealed only 4.8 per cent of Coast residents are using public transport with almost 85 per cent relying on their vehicle, creating major congestion on the Pacific Motorway and feeder roads.

Planning committee chairman Cameron Caldwell told colleagues he could not understand why sections of the M1 south of Robina could not be upgraded immediately.

“There are massive areas of road reserves (there) to get more lanes. What’s the delay in this stuff, it’s basic,” he said.

Council director of Transport and Infrastructure Alton Twine acknowledged the frustration of councillors but explained that bridge supports would need to be moved and infrastructure services removed for the widening of the M1.

Robina-based councillor Hermann Vorster cautioned against council taking a lead role in redesigning the highway but urged for more lobbying of governments.

“As far as the M1 is concerned, it’s political poison, and if we’re involved ourselves in the design of the M1 then council will carry the burden of the upgrade when quite plainly that burden should fall on the other levels of government,” he said.

“The issue I think is we’ve had band aid solutions on the M1, rather than the substantial investment that is warranted.”

LNP leader Deb Frecklington earlier this month backed a second Pacific Motorway and will pursue Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to commit to the project before the next election.

The Opposition, when responding to The Bulletin’s Going for Gold campaign in the leadup to the election, had agreed to back a $500 million six-lane highway from Staplyton to Nerang along the 36.5km intraregional transport corridor.

The LNP’s Better M1 Ramps Program focused on improving Exit 41 (Yatala, Ormeau), Exit 45 (Ormeau, Jacobs Well), Exit 49 (Pimpama, Jacobs Well) and Exit 57 (Hope Island, Oxenford).

Labor announced it was delivering major upgrades at Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes and the Gateway Merge, and said it was committed to a third major upgrade with $206 million more on the table to finish a six-lane highway to the border.

Outside the council chamber, Acting Mayor Donna Gates told the Bulletin: “It’s another opportunity to highlight the desperate need to upgrade the M1 and the secondary corridor north-south.

“All the northern interchanges (on the M1) are under extreme pressure and will need upgrades.”

The meeting, where MPs will be given the latest traffic data from council, is expected to be staged in a month.